The three basic types of rotator cuff injury surgery are open repair, mini-open repair, and arthroscopic surgery. Which type of surgery is performed depends on both the severity of the injury and the preference of the surgeon. Arthroscopic surgery is relatively new and may only be available in environments where higher-end technology is available.
This part of the shoulder is also called the rotor cuff, and is a set of tendons and muscles that are responsible for moving and stabilizing the shoulder. Four primary muscles make up the rotator cuff, which include the infraspinatus, supraspinatus, subscapularis, and teres minor muscles. The most common injury to the rotator cuff is a tear in one of the muscle tendons, usually in the supraspinatus. It is common in athletes or in those who rotate the shoulder a lot in a repetitive motion.
Surgery is often the first option for serious tears and the second option for minor tears if therapy or other modalities don’t work to heal the injury. If the patient can’t lift the arm of the affected shoulder or if the pain is continual after attempted rehabilitation, surgery is considered. Most patients with rotator cuff injuries do not require surgery.
The oldest rotator cuff injury surgery is the open repair. It requires making a broad incision along the shoulder near the problem area. The advantage of this type of rotator cuff injury surgery is that the surgeon can easily see the tendon that needs repairing. Recovery time is longer with open repair due to the large incision, and it is usually more painful as well. The procedure also requires detaching the deltoid muscle to see the rotator cuff.
Mini-open repair is similar to open repair, but it uses a smaller incision and a small scope to visualize the injury. It is less invasive than open repair and has similarly good long-term results in the relief of symptoms. Detachment of the deltoid muscle is not required in mini-open repair, and recovery time is not as long.
Arthroscopic surgery is the newest type of rotator cuff injury surgery. It uses very tiny incisions and utilizes small scopes, called arthroscopes, to peer into the problem area. Not all types of injuries are eligible for this type of procedure, and it requires a lot of skill and practice on the part of the surgeon. It has minimal scarring, however, and can be performed as an outpatient procedure, unlike open repair surgery.