There are three types of rotator cuff surgery:
- Arthroscopic: Your doctor will make a small cut in your shoulder then use an arthroscope -- a tube with a small camera and tiny instruments -- to fix the tear. This means your recovery time will likely be shorter than it would with another type of surgery.
- Open: Your doctor uses larger instruments to go in to the muscles of your shoulder and fix the tear.
- Mini-Open: This uses both arthroscopic and open methods. Your doctor starts with the arthroscope and finishes with larger instruments.