As the medical world evolves and we do more research on various techniques and how to make surgery better for the patient, we end up discovering new things. In 2013 there was a clinical review published in Osaka Japan. In this review he explains the process of superior capsular reconstruction. Superior capsular reconstruction refers to a treatment developed to treat patients with irreparable rotator cuff tears. To perform this procedure, the surgeon will get a sheet of graft tissue and use it to bridge the gap caused by the tear. This helps to prevent superior migration and keeps the shoulder balanced. The aim of this procedure is to reduce pain and prevent further tearing or the need for a total shoulder replacement. While this is still quite a new procedure, we have seen extremely promising results worldwide on hundreds of patients. More and more shoulder surgeons are starting to adopt this new procedural method. There are Melbourne surgeons for rotator cuff repairs that can conduct this procedure, and it shouldn’t be too hard to find one.
Superior capsular reconstruction will ideally restore function to patients who are experiencing pain in the rotator cuff. First, the shoulder will be evaluated and then bicep surgery is performed. The surgeon will prepare the tissue and bone for the reconstruction by keeping the surface clean and even, and punching holes in the shoulder bone so anchors can be inserted. To determine the size of tissue required, the surgeon will measure the distance between the anchors. The donor tissue will cover the rotator cuff and join together to restore function after surgery.
Healing from surgery requires a lot of rest, keeping your fluids up and not trying to be too active too soon with your arm. Sometimes it’s all about the balance between resting and keeping active. You don’t want to be so inactive that your body doesn’t adapt to using your repaired rotator cuff, but you also don’t want to be overly active where you risk aggravating the healing process.