It's challenging to get back to a true 100% "perfect" state after rotator cuff surgery, as tendons have limited healing capacity, but most patients achieve excellent functional recovery (80-95%+), significantly improving strength, motion, and quality of life, especially with diligent physical therapy, though some mild weakness or stiffness might remain, particularly with larger tears or if surgery wasn't fully successful. A successful recovery depends heavily on the tear's size, surgical technique, and patient adherence to rehab, with many returning to high-level sports, notes Dr. David Colvin and Dr. Kevin Kruse.
Recovering from rotator cuff surgery is a gradual process, typically taking four to six months. Full recovery can take up to a year, depending on the tear's severity and individual healing rates. This journey requires patience, adherence to your surgeon's instructions, and commitment to rehabilitation.
Looking at our data, our average score going in, where people rate their shoulder out of 100, is roughly 50 or 60. Coming out of surgery, they rate it 90, 95% of normal, which is like 95% of their strength, 95% of their motion, and 95% of their pain is gone. So is it going to be the same? Absolutely not.
Research studies have shown that one year after surgery patients will have shoulder function which is about 80% of normal (see the attached graph from a publication in JBJS). I believe that most patients do a little better than that and approach 90% of normal.
Rotator cuff repair is not recommended in patients with disrupted deltoid origin and those who have had more than one prior cuff repair.
No matter how technical the repair, failure rates climb with longer-term follow-up. A recent systematic review of rotator cuff repairs with minimum 9-year follow-up found retear rates between 27 and 50% after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, with a pooled rate of 43% over 178 cases.
Most rotator cuff repair patients do well and stay intact over the course of one's remaining lifetime. However, patients that are older, who have larger tears, who wait to see their doctor until the tear is severely retracted may suffer a re-tear or may not even fully heal their repair.
Less pain
However, shoulder replacement patients describe having less pain typically after shoulder replacement surgery than other similar procedures, such as rotator cuff repair. “While there is some initial discomfort, they often start to feel less pain post-surgery more quickly than they expect,” Dr. Elshaar said.
Symptoms. A rotator cuff re-tear causes severe pain, weakness of the arm and a crackling sensation when moving the shoulder in certain positions. Lying on the affected shoulder may cause pain and discomfort.
It is well known that rotator cuff surgery is a major operation where the rotator cuff tendons (Figure 1) are sewn back to the upper arm bone (humerus) (Figures 2 and 3). The other major reason patients have pain after rotator cuff surgery is due to stiffness of that shoulder.
Avoid Some Shoulder Positions and Arm Movements
Avoid doing everyday movements that might involve lifting or leaning on your arm. Doing unnecessary movements outside your exercise program can aggravate the repaired tendon and create scar tissue.
Yes, shoulder injuries can qualify for Social Security Disability benefits if they meet the criteria set by the Social Security Administration (SSA). To be eligible, the injury must significantly limit your ability to perform substantial gainful activity (SGA) for at least 12 months.
Unfortunately if a work injury is severe enough to require surgical treatment, then it is highly unlikely that we will ever reach that gold standard 100% recovery. One of the problems we face in orthopaedics is that some human tissues have limited or no regenerative capacity.
Despite this, the literature suggests that a significant proportion of repairs fail to heal following rotator cuff repair. Reported healing rates vary from 91% for small tears to 6% for large and/or massive tears in some series[5-8].
You will not have complete use of your affected arm for a few months after surgery. You can use your affected arm for writing, eating, or drinking, but move it only at the elbow or wrist. Do not use it for anything else except prescribed exercises until the sling has been removed.
According to the Anesthesia Manual of Surgical Procedures, pain from Rotator Cuff surgery is rated at 6 out of 10 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being no pain and 10 being the worst pain.
Procedure Details
On MDsave, the cost of a Rotator Cuff Repair Surgery ranges from $4,833 to $19,184. Those on high deductible health plans or without insurance can shop, compare prices and save. Read more about how MDsave works.
Surgery may not restore full strength to your shoulder. You may need more physical therapy or another surgery. Other risks of rotator cuff surgery include: Pain or stiffness that won't go away.
Conclusion: At an average of 7.9 years, patients with recurrent defects after rotator cuff repair still had an improvement in terms of pain, function, and satisfaction. However, the rotator cuff defect significantly increased in size, and there was a progression of strength deficits.
The Regeneten patch is a collagen-based bio inductive implant, about the size of a postage stamp, that is inserted arthroscopically through a small incision. The patch is placed directly on top of the rotator cuff, creating a conducive environment for healing.
described a large single surgeon series of 1600 patients and identified a re-tear rate of 5% in patients under the age of 50 years, 10% re-tear rate in patients aged 50–59 years, 15% in patients aged 60–69 years and 25% in patients aged 70–79 years and increasing to 34% in patients over the age of 80 years.
Many surgeons report being unsure of how many narcotic pills to prescribe after the surgery. As result, patients are prescribed upwards of 60 oxycodone 5-mg pills for a 6-to-12-week treatment period despite studies showing postoperative pain can be managed without any medication at all.
1. Spinal Fusion Surgery: The Ultimate Pain Challenge. Spinal fusion surgery is often considered one of the most painful procedures due to its invasive nature and proximity to sensitive nerves. The operation joins two or more vertebrae, leading to significant tissue disruption.
You may need from one week to several months off work, depending on your surgery, and up to a year avoiding impact sports. It's also important to remember to ask for help when you need it. You're likely to be only able to use one arm for some time, and you'll struggle with everyday tasks.