Rotator Cuff

City Orthopedics

Orthopedic Surgery located in Lower Manhattan, New York, NY & Flushing, NY

If you suffer from a rotator cuff tear that causes persistent shoulder pain and weakness or interferes with your normal activities, rotator cuff repair may be the solution. Fellowship-trained arthroscopic surgeon Neil Mulchandani, MD, performs minimally invasive rotator cuff repair at City Orthopedics in Flushing and Chinatown, New York City. To find out if you need rotator cuff repair, call or book an appointment online today.

Rotator Cuff Q & A

What is rotator cuff repair?

Rotator cuff repair surgery restores a torn tendon in your rotator cuff. People of all ages get rotator cuff tears, whether from sudden injuries or degenerative damage that occurs over time. You can tear your rotator cuff partially or completely.

If your tear is complete, rotator cuff repair may involve reattaching the tendon to the head of your upper arm bone (humerus) with stitches. Partial tears may only need a trimming procedure to restore smooth movement in your shoulder joint. The team at City Orthopedics uses the least invasive procedure to repair your specific type of injury.

Why would I need rotator cuff repair surgery?

The team at City Orthopedics considers every available conservative treatment before recommending surgery. If shoulder pain continues to bother you despite nonsurgical treatments, such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP), you may need rotator cuff repair.

Other indications for rotator cuff repair surgery include:

Symptoms that last at least 6-12 months
Shoulder or arm weakness significantly limiting daily functioning
A tear that’s larger than 3 cm and surrounded by healthy tendon tissue
A tear that resulted from a recent, sudden injury, such as a fall

You may also be a candidate for rotator cuff repair if you’re an athlete who wants to resume your sport or have a career requiring overhead arm movements.

What should I expect from a rotator cuff repair procedure?

First, the City Orthopedics team carefully reviews your symptoms and medical history and performs a physical exam to make sure you’re a candidate for rotator cuff repair. They develop an individualized treatment plan tailored to your specific needs.

Depending on the size and severity of your tear and unique biological factors, rotator cuff repair may include:

Open repair

This traditional approach to rotator cuff repair uses a large surgical incision and involves moving muscles out of the way to access your tendons. The City Orthopedics team uses less invasive, arthroscopic techniques whenever possible, but open surgery may be necessary in some cases.

Arthroscopic repair

During arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, your surgeon inserts a tiny camera (arthroscope) into a small incision to view your shoulder joint. Then, they make one to three additional small incisions to repair the torn tendon with miniature instruments.

Mini-open repair

Mini-open repair uses both arthroscopic and open surgery. In this case, the open incision isn’t quite as large as traditional open repair.

To learn more about your options for rotator cuff repair, call City Orthopedics or book an appointment online today.

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