Dealing with Pain After Rotator Cuff Surgery

Shoulder pain can be debilitating. In some cases, it can lead to rotator cuff surgery.

Although patients have rotator cuff surgery to get rid of the pain, pain after the surgery is also pretty normal. Over a year ago, Patricia Griner said she just couldn't take her shoulder pain anymore and was referred to Gregory V. Gasbarro, M.D., a board certified, Shoulder Fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon at The Shoulder, Elbow, Wrist and Hand Center at Mercy in Baltimore.

"Initially when I saw her, she had pain on both sides and also some pain in her neck," Dr. Gasbarro said.

"I could not have the same type of movement as I used to, like lifting it up was an issue, sometimes picking up things, I was really having a hard time with it," Griner said.

That was August of 2022 and since then, she's done months of physical therapy, cortisone shots, and then an MRI scan.

"The MRI showed that she had what's called a full thickness tear of the rotator cuff, so it's one of the tendons of four around the ball and socket joint that ruptured off of the end of the ball," Griner said.

Needless to say, she had rotator cuff surgery on July 31, 2023. A month after, she was out of her sling.

"I'm feeling great! The pain level is like really none, so I definitely recommend it," Griner said.

Luckily, Griner is feeling good, but Gasbarro said that's not always the case.

"It's pretty normal to have pain after the rotator cuff is repaired for sometimes up to 3 months after the surgery and sometimes longer," Gasbarro said.

He said conditions like post-operative bursitis or frozen shoulder can cause pain afterward. If that pain continues long enough, it can lead to a second surgery, which can be another rotator cuff surgery or even a shoulder replacement.

As for Griner, she said it’s the littlest, but most important, things she looks forward to now.

"I would like to be able to lift things and hold my granddaughter again," Griner said.

View Mercy orthopedic surgeon and shoulder specialist Dr. Gregory Gasbarro's interview regarding pain after rotator cuff surgery.