About this topic
The rotator cuff is both the muscles and tendons in your shoulder. It helps your shoulder move and be steady. Tendons are strong bands that connect muscles to bones. You may have a small tear or a full tear of the tendon or muscle. Both of these are a rotator cuff injury. You may have swelling and pain in your shoulder area. If this does not go away over time, you may need a rotator cuff repair. ‚
This procedure is done when: ‚
- The rotator cuff injury does not respond to rest and physical therapy.
- There is a full tear in the tendon.
- There is long-term pain and weakness from the partial tear in the tendon.
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What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure ask question and you understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Rest. Avoid putting any pressure on your shoulder.
- Place an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel over the painful part. Never put ice right on the skin. Do not leave the ice on more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time.
- Do your exercises as you have been told by your doctor or physical therapist.
- Talk to your doctor about how to care for your cut site. Ask your doctor about:
- When you should change your bandages
- When you may take a bath or shower
- If you need to be careful with lifting things over 10 pounds
- When you may go back to your normal activities like work or driving
- How long you should wear your sling. You will likely need to wear it at all times for the first few weeks. Ask if you can remove it when bathing, grooming, or doing your exercise program.
What follow-up care is needed?
- Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits. You may need an x-ray, CT scan, or MRI test done to make sure that your bone is healed all the way.
- If you have stitches or staples, you will need to have them taken out. Your doctor will often want to do this in 1 to 2 weeks.
- You may need to see a physical therapist. This will help you regain strength and keep good motion.
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain and swelling
- Fight an infection
- Control muscle spasms
Will physical activity be limited?
You may have to limit your activity. Talk to your doctor about the right amount of activity for you. ‚
What problems could happen?
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Nerve damage
- Stiffness
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Be careful when doing activities like pitching or swimming. These can cause you to overuse your shoulder muscles.
- Avoid lifting heavy objects.
- Exercise often to strengthen all your muscles, including your shoulder.
- Wear proper padding and safety gear when playing sports or doing other activities.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills, wound that will not heal.
- Signs of wound infection. These include swelling, redness, warmth around the wound; too much pain when touched; yellowish, greenish, or bloody discharge; foul smell coming from the cut site; cut site opens up.
- Pain or swelling gets worse
- Numbness or tingling in your fingers or hands
- Hand or fingers change in color or are cool when touched
- Health problem is not better or you are feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my procedure.
- I can tell you what may help ease my pain.
- I can tell you how to care for my cut site.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have more pain, numbness, tingling, or swelling or my fingers are cool or blue.
Where can I learn more?
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons ‚
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00406 ‚
Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation ‚
http://canorth.org/en/patienteducation/Default.aspx?pagename=Rotator%20Cuff%20Repair ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚