Rotator Cuff complete tears - putting off surgery?

@robr12 Welcome to Mayo Connect, where patients share their experiences with one another. But we are not medical professionals, and cannot provide medical advice.

The best person to answer your question would be the orthopedist who is treating you. I hope they are also a specialist in rotator cuff repair. What they will be able to do is to evaluate the total condition of your shoulder and are, and tell you if waiting may put you beyond the capability of repair, and into the next step of needing a total reverse shoulder replacement. If that happens, you will permanently lose range of motion and strength in your arm and shoulder, and no amount of PT will bring you back even close to 100%.

I'm about 20 years older then you, but still very active in spite of bot rheumatoid and osteo arthritis. 18 months ago, I had trauma to several aspects of the rotator cuff and was partly able to heal with PT, but then had another injury to the supraspinatus plus a biceps tear 3 months later. I really wanted to delay surgery until Spring, but I learned that if the supraspinatus tore further, it would begin to retract, and at that point repair surgery would no longer be an option and I would need reverse replacement (traditional replacement is only possible if the rotator cuff is intact.)

Reluctantly, 14 months ago I had extensive repairs, did a year of PT and today my therapist did a final assessment - I have above average range of motion, flexibility and strength in the operated shoulder - actually better than the other one. It was no fun, but compared to my 2 friends with reverse replacements, I have far more capability.

What does the doc have to say about waiting?

I have a small but complete tear in my rotator cuff. My Mayo shoulder surgeon declared that I had almost all my motion back and he could likely do as much damage as good and suggested leaving it alone. So I did.

Wow That's a long time and personally, I don't think you can stand the pain that long. But, make note, this is a painful, surgery with a long recovery. But I would get it overwith. Who knows what else can happen in the meantime. Good luck.

Get another opinion.

@mikaylar

I am an 80 YO male. There is nothing I essentially want to do that requires more function from my shoulder than I currently have. Could I try to generate a little more torque with my golf swing? Yes...BUT....that might cause me to have to call my neurosurgeon for my spinal and lumbar stenosis.

So...I am not wanting to rush into any more surgeries than absolutely necessary. I have had a zero pain left hip replacement and a zero pain right knee replacement and I think I am pushing my luck as it is.

I will tell you that shoulder surgery is the WORST. Much worse than my open heart surgery. Then 8 months to recovery.

@mikaylar That must be a highly individual thing. My complex rotator cuff repair was annoying (being immobilized for 6 weeks) and the PT was long, it was less painful than some other operations I have had, like removal of bones in my wrist, or sinus and septum surgery.
Ice, weeks of ice, was my best friend, along with my daughter modifying my sling to make it more comfortable.

I had all those tears and it got to the point where I could not raise my arm past my waist. I can’t believe PT could help. Anyway I had a RTS replacement. I would have postponed it as long as I could but the inability to raise my arm did me in.
Seems to me you can wait if you’re not in daily pain and or at night (pain) and don’t have a problem with raising your arm.