Rotator Cuff Repair

The rotator cuff muscles and tendons encircle your shoulder joints, enabling you to raise and rotate your arms. Tendons can be inflamed or injured and in both cases can cause shoulder pain. These Call Jon Thompson, MD, at his office in McKinney or Prosper, Texas, if you suffer a rotator cuff pain or injury. A double board-certified orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist, Dr. Thompson specializes in rotator cuff repair surgery. This surgery reduces pain, improves strength, and restores range of motion. Call Jon Thompson, MD, today or book an appointment online to arrange an assessment of your damaged rotator cuff.

What is a rotator cuff repair?

Rotator cuffs enable you to move your shoulders and raise your arms. They consist of four muscles connected to your humerus (upper arm bone) by tendons (tough, elastic connective tissue). Dr. Thompson performs rotator cuff repair if these tendons when they are injured.

Rotator cuff tears are a common injury in people with jobs requiring overhead work and those who play sports that stress the shoulders. Rotator cuff tears can also be caused by trauma, like a simple fall or a car accident. In some people, the rotator cuff simply breaks down after years of tendon overuse.

You might need rotator cuff repair surgery if the injury is too severe for your body to repair itself. Surgery is also beneficial when nonsurgical treatments (like physical therapy, medication, and steroid injections) don’t work.

What rotator cuff repair might I need?

The surgery Dr. Thompson uses to repair your rotator cuff will depend on how severe the damage is.

Rotator cuff tears often require debridement, where Dr. Thompson smooths off the torn area. He removes damaged tissue and bone spurs (bony growths) if you have any. Then he stitches the damaged tendon.

A complete (full-thickness) tear involves reattaching the edges of the damaged tendon to the shoulder bone. Dr. Thompson uses suture anchors to secure the tendon. These are small fixtures made of plastic, or dissolvable materials that don’t require a second surgery to remove.

How is a rotator cuff repair performed?

Dr. Thompson specializes in arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. He makes several tiny incisions in your skin and inserts an instrument called an arthroscope into your shoulder. The arthroscope is a miniature camera and a light.

The camera sends magnified images of your rotator cuff to a screen in the treatment room. Dr. Thompson uses the images to guide the arthroscopic instruments. This approach avoids the need for large, open wounds, resulting in far less pain after surgery and a faster recovery.

When your rotator cuff repair is complete, Dr. Thompson closes the incisions. Rotator cuff repairs are outpatient procedures so you can go home the same day. You need to participate in specialized physical therapy for the best results during your recovery.

Call Jon Thompson, MD, today or book an appointment online to arrange your highly skilled rotator cuff repair.