Preparing For Rotator Cuff Injury Surgery
Of musculoskeletal injuries, rotator cuff injuries are one of the most frequent. A rotator cuff injury is quite painful and can cause shoulder weakness; however, it does not cause swelling. Interestingly, patients often do not have symptoms. Most of the time; however, the patient will experience pain and weakness during activities involving the arms. Raising the arm above shoulder level can prove particularly painful. On the bright side, there are quite a few ways to treat rotator cuff injuries. Your age and the type of injury you have will help determine which option will work best for you.
Rotator cuff injuries occur in two ways. You could either have rotator cuff tendonitis or a rotator cuff tear. It is important to realize that there are a few other conditions that can cause the type of pain one experiences with a rotator cuff injury. For an accurate diagnosis, you will need to see your physician. The first step your physician will take is a physical examination. Following the examination, your doctor may inject your injured shoulder with a local anesthetic. This process will help your doctor in determining exactly what kind of injury you have. If your doctor decides that you have a rotator cuff tear, he or she may send you for some imaging tests. Imaging tests will help pinpoint the location of the injury and confirm whether or not the injury is a tear.
It is far more common for the diagnosis to be rotator cuff tendonitis; however, the treatment for tears is very similar to the treatment for tendonitis. Both can be treated conservatively with what is known as RICE therapy. That is: rest, ice, compression, and elevation. You may also want to use an over-the-counter pain medication like ibuprofen. Additionally, your doctor may give you a referral to a physical therapist to learn how to modify your movements and to get a list of exercises that may be beneficial to you. If your tendonitis pain persists, your doctor may give you injections of a steroid/anesthetic mixture. These would be administered to the joint to relieve pain.
Of the patients who use this non-surgical intervention, about half report having a decrease of pain and an increase in range-of-motion within six weeks to three months. Aside from efficacy, there are a number of advantages to non-invasive therapy. Surgical risks such as permanent stiffness, anesthesia complications, and infection can be completely avoided. With non-invasive therapy, there is no down-time for recovery. On the other hand, use of non-invasive techniques may cause an increase in the size of the tear. While there is not a recovery period, there may be a time period when the patient is able to do less. Of course there is also the chance that the non-invasive technique simply will not work. In this case, your doctor may recommend surgery. Your doctor may also recommend surgery if your injury is so severe that he or she feels a non-invasive approach would not be effective.
Click here for more on rotator cuff injuries.
Rotator cuff injuries can be treated surgically in three ways:
1. Open repair surgery: With this option, the surgeon makes a full incision into the shoulder. This method gives the surgeon a great deal of freedom of movement; however, it is the largest incision option of the three available methods.
The second method is mini-open repair surgery. While this method is similar to open repair surgery, it differs somewhat in that it utilizes arthroscopy. The use of arthroscopy allows the surgeon to make a smaller incision, leaving a smaller scar. This method is an outpatient procedure.
3. All arthroscopic surgery: This option is an outpatient procedure, and it uses the smallest incision.
After examining and diagnosing your injury, your doctor will be able to make a sound decision as to which method will work best for you.
Happily, rotator cuff surgery is a highly successful surgical procedure. Eighty to ninety-five percent of patients who have this type of surgery report successful results, improved range-of-motion and a significant decrease in pain in six months or less.
There are a number of things that will influence the outcome of your rotator cuff surgery. Foremost is the expertise of your surgeon. Aside from this, the type of injury you have experienced, the quality of the injured tissue, your age, and how well you follow your doctors orders will influence how well you recover.
Some patients experience complications from surgery; however, these are rare. One to two percent may experience nerve injury. Approximately one percent may contract infection. Less than one percent may have detachment of the deltoid muscle. Less than one percent may experience stiffness. Tendon re-tear is experienced by approximately six percent of patients. - 17273
Rotator cuff injuries occur in two ways. You could either have rotator cuff tendonitis or a rotator cuff tear. It is important to realize that there are a few other conditions that can cause the type of pain one experiences with a rotator cuff injury. For an accurate diagnosis, you will need to see your physician. The first step your physician will take is a physical examination. Following the examination, your doctor may inject your injured shoulder with a local anesthetic. This process will help your doctor in determining exactly what kind of injury you have. If your doctor decides that you have a rotator cuff tear, he or she may send you for some imaging tests. Imaging tests will help pinpoint the location of the injury and confirm whether or not the injury is a tear.
It is far more common for the diagnosis to be rotator cuff tendonitis; however, the treatment for tears is very similar to the treatment for tendonitis. Both can be treated conservatively with what is known as RICE therapy. That is: rest, ice, compression, and elevation. You may also want to use an over-the-counter pain medication like ibuprofen. Additionally, your doctor may give you a referral to a physical therapist to learn how to modify your movements and to get a list of exercises that may be beneficial to you. If your tendonitis pain persists, your doctor may give you injections of a steroid/anesthetic mixture. These would be administered to the joint to relieve pain.
Of the patients who use this non-surgical intervention, about half report having a decrease of pain and an increase in range-of-motion within six weeks to three months. Aside from efficacy, there are a number of advantages to non-invasive therapy. Surgical risks such as permanent stiffness, anesthesia complications, and infection can be completely avoided. With non-invasive therapy, there is no down-time for recovery. On the other hand, use of non-invasive techniques may cause an increase in the size of the tear. While there is not a recovery period, there may be a time period when the patient is able to do less. Of course there is also the chance that the non-invasive technique simply will not work. In this case, your doctor may recommend surgery. Your doctor may also recommend surgery if your injury is so severe that he or she feels a non-invasive approach would not be effective.
Click here for more on rotator cuff injuries.
Rotator cuff injuries can be treated surgically in three ways:
1. Open repair surgery: With this option, the surgeon makes a full incision into the shoulder. This method gives the surgeon a great deal of freedom of movement; however, it is the largest incision option of the three available methods.
The second method is mini-open repair surgery. While this method is similar to open repair surgery, it differs somewhat in that it utilizes arthroscopy. The use of arthroscopy allows the surgeon to make a smaller incision, leaving a smaller scar. This method is an outpatient procedure.
3. All arthroscopic surgery: This option is an outpatient procedure, and it uses the smallest incision.
After examining and diagnosing your injury, your doctor will be able to make a sound decision as to which method will work best for you.
Happily, rotator cuff surgery is a highly successful surgical procedure. Eighty to ninety-five percent of patients who have this type of surgery report successful results, improved range-of-motion and a significant decrease in pain in six months or less.
There are a number of things that will influence the outcome of your rotator cuff surgery. Foremost is the expertise of your surgeon. Aside from this, the type of injury you have experienced, the quality of the injured tissue, your age, and how well you follow your doctors orders will influence how well you recover.
Some patients experience complications from surgery; however, these are rare. One to two percent may experience nerve injury. Approximately one percent may contract infection. Less than one percent may have detachment of the deltoid muscle. Less than one percent may experience stiffness. Tendon re-tear is experienced by approximately six percent of patients. - 17273
About the Author:
Dr. Edelson is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon specializing in sports medicine. His clinic, Sports Medicine Oregon, focuses on athletes of all ages. Click here to learn more about Dr. Edelson, Oregon Shoulder Stabilization Surgery and Oregon Athletic Surgery.
posted by X - Men at
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