Surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff usually involves reattaching the tendon to the head of humerus. There are different surgical options for repairing rotator cuff tears, and the extent of the tear will determine which is the most suitable:
Arthroscopy
Impingement and small tears are usually treated through a type of keyhole surgery known as an arthroscopy. The surgeon will make a number of small incisions around the shoulder and a sterile solution will be pumped into the area to provide greater visibility. A narrow, flexible, telescopic camera (arthroscope) will be passed through one of the incisions to assess the damaged area. Specialised instruments will then be inserted through the remaining incisions and suture anchors (dissolvable plastic pegs with strong sutures attached) are used to reattach the torn tendon back to the bone.
Open surgery
Large or more complex tears generally need to be repaired with both arthroscopic and open surgery techniques, depending on the size and location of the tear. During open surgery, an incision of about 4-8cm is made on the side of the shoulder and the torn tendon reattached to the bone with suture anchors.
Both surgical techniques are performed under general anaesthetic and the length of the operation will depend on the number of tendons involved.
