Rotator Cuff Repair
Why It Is Done?
Surgery to repair a rotator cuff is done when:
1. A rotator cuff tear is caused by a sudden injury. In these cases, it's best to do surgery within a few weeks of the injury.1
2. A complete rotator cuff tear causes severe shoulder weakness.
3. The rotator cuff has failed to improve with 3 to 6 months of conservative nonsurgical treatment alone (such as physical therapy).
4. You need full shoulder strength and function for your job or activities, or you are young.
5. You are in good enough physical condition to recover from surgery and will commit to completing a program of physical rehabilitation.
What To Expect After Surgery
1. Physical therapy after surgery is crucial to a successful recovery. A rehabilitation program may include the following:
2. As soon as you awake from anesthesia, you may start doing exercises that flex and extend the elbow, wrist, and hand.
3. The day after surgery, if your health professional allows, passive exercises that move your arm may be done 4 to 5 times daily (a machine or physical therapist helps the joint through its range of motion).
4. Active exercise (you move your arm yourself) and stretches, with the assistance of a physical therapist, may start 6 to 8 weeks after surgery. This depends on how bad your tear was and how complex the surgical repair was.
5. Strengthening exercises, beginning with light weights and progressing to heavier weights, can start a few months after surgery
