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Specialists In:

Rotator Cuff Tear

What is a Rotator Cuff Tear?

The rotator cuff is the name of a group of four tendons in your shoulder that allows different types of movement to occur, including elevation and rotation. A tear in any of those tendons is called a rotator cuff tear.

When a rotator cuff tendon tears, it can no longer function properly and often can cause pain and weakness. Therefore, you may experience a reduction in your activity levels and functional abilities.

Any of the tendons can tear, either due to acute injury/trauma i.e. after a fall, during weightlifting, or from a sudden shoulder pull. It can more commonly occur due to ‘wear and tear’, as part of the aging process.

A rotator cuff tear can be initially considered following a clinical examination with a specialist. Imaging studies, like ultrasound scan and MRI scan, are used to verify and investigate the size of a rotator cuff tear. 

Initially, depending on the severity of the injury, symptoms can be managed well with rest from sports, anti-inflammatory and pain-killing medications, and 6-12 weeks of targeted physiotherapy.

Rotator Cuff Surgery

However, most cases require an arthroscopic repair of the torn rotator cuff tendons. During surgery sutures (stitches) passed through the tendon and very small anchors are used to repair the torn tendon back into the bone. Usually the primary reason for this surgery is pain relief. Repairing the tendon may also increase strength and active range of movement at the shoulder joint.

You may go home on the day of surgery or require an overnight stay on the ward. You will then follow a rehabilitation program supervised by specialist physiotherapists.

Download our Patient Information Leaflet below:

Rotator Cuff Repair Leaflet

Other Conditions

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Meet Your Consultants

Mr Dimitrios Tsekes

Consultant Shoulder & Elbow Surgeon

Mr Tsekes provides a full comprehensive Shoulder and Elbow service for common conditions, degenerative diseases and sports injuries in London and Essex. His approach to patient care is holistic and multidisciplinary, working closely with Orthopaedic consultants and other skilled health professionals to provide a caring and evidence-based treatment for his patients.

Shoulder Conditions:
Shoulder Sport Injuries
Shoulder Dislocation (Shoulder Subluxation)
Shoulder Arthritis
Shoulder Osteoarthritis
Shoulder Pain (Subacromial Pain)
Shoulder Instability
Shoulder Impingement (Subacromial Impingement)
Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis)
Rotator Cuff Tear

Elbow Conditions:
Elbow Sport Injuries
Elbow Arthritis
Elbow Osteoarthritis
Elbow Pain
Elbow Stiffness
Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
Golfer’s Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis)
Biceps Tear

Hand & Wrist Conditions:
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
Dupuytren's Contracture
Trigger Finger
Wrist and Hand Injuries

Shoulder Procedures:
Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair (Keyhole Rotator Cuff Repair)
Arthroscopic Shoulder Stabilisation Surgery (Keyhole Shoulder Stabilisation Surgery)
Arthroscopic Shoulder Capsular Release (Keyhole Shoulder Capsular Release)
Arthroscopic Subacromial Decompression (Keyhole Shoulder Decompression)
Shoulder Replacement
Shoulder Injections (Steroid Injections, Orthobiological Joint Injections, Ultrasound Guided Injections)
Tendon Repairs

Elbow Procedures:
Elbow Replacement
Elbow Arthroscopy
Elbow Injections (Steroid Injections, Orthobiological Joint Injections, Ultrasound Guided Injections)
Fracture Fixation
Tennis Elbow Release
Golfer’s Elbow Release

Hand & Wrist Procedures:
Carpal Tunnel Decompression (Ulnar Nerve Release Surgery)
Dupuytren's Contracture Release
Hand Injections
Trigger Finger Release

British Elbow and Shoulder Society (BESS)
General Medical Council (GMC)
European Board of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (EBOT)

English
Greek

Nominated for Trainer of the Year in 2018 - The Royal London Rotation

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Mr Rupen Dattani

Consultant Shoulder & Elbow Surgeon

Mr Rupen Dattani is a highly specialised Orthopaedic Consultant, specialising in the shoulder and elbow. He has extensive experience with keyhole (arthroscopic) surgery and joint replacement (arthroscopic) surgery, as well as surgical repair for fractures of the shoulder and elbow joints. Mr Dattani was appointed as a Consultant Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgeon at the Chelsea & Westminster NHS Foundation Trust in 2013.

Shoulder Conditions:
Acromioclavicular Joint (ACJ) Arthritis
Acromioclavicular Joint (ACJ) Dislocation
Acromioclavicular Joint (ACJ) Pain
Biceps Tear
Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis)
Shoulder Dislocation
Shoulder Instability
Shoulder Arthritis
Shoulder Osteoarthritis
Shoulder Impingement (Subacromial Impingement)
Rotator Cuff Tear

Shoulder Pain
Shoulder Sport Injuries

Elbow Conditions:
Elbow Arthritis
Elbow Osteoarthritis
Elbow Pain
Elbow Stiffness
Elbow Sport Injuries
Golfer’s Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis)
Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)

Hand & Wrist Conditions:
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (Median Nerve Compression)

Shoulder Procedures:
Shoulder Arthroscopy
Rotator Cuff Repair
Shoulder Replacement
Shoulder Decompression (Subacromial Decompression)
Shoulder Stabilisation
Joint Injections
Orthobiological Joint Injections
Ultrasound Guided Injections

Elbow Procedures:
Elbow Arthroscopy
Elbow Replacement
Fracture Fixation
Nerve Release Surgery
Joint Injections
Orthobiological Joint Injections
Ultrasound Guided Injections

Hand & Wrist Procedures:
Carpal Tunnel Decompression (Nerve Release Surgery)

General Medical Council (GMC)
Medical Defence Union (MDU)

English
Gujarati
Hindi

Board of Governors Quality Award - Chelsea & Westminster NHS Foundation Trust

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Mr Dan Rossouw

Consultant Shoulder & Elbow Surgeon

Mr Rossouw has a keen interest in shoulder surgery and the management of shoulder conditions, including rotator cuff injuries, shoulder instability and shoulder dislocations. He has undertaken extensive research on rotator cuff repair and shoulder arthroscopy. He is an enthusiastic and highly regarded trainer amongst his colleagues. Mr Rossouw is a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon for Barnet and Chase Farm Hospital and has joined the Orthopaedic faculty of the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.

Shoulder Conditions:
Biceps Tear
Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis)
Shoulder Dislocation
Shoulder Instability
Shoulder Arthritis
Shoulder Osteoarthritis
Shoulder Pain
Shoulder Sport Injuries
Rotator Cuff Tear

Elbow Conditions:
Elbow Arthritis
Elbow Osteoarthritis
Elbow Pain
Elbow Stiffness
Elbow Sport Injuries
Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
Golfer’s Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis)

Hand & Wrist Conditions:
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Shoulder Procedures:
Shoulder Replacement
Shoulder Resurfacing
Rotator Cuff Repair
Shoulder Arthroscopy
Shoulder Stabilisation
Orthobiological Joint Injections
Steroid Injection
Tendon Repair

Elbow Procedures:
Elbow Replacement
Orthobiological Joint Injections
Steroid Injection

Hand & Wrist Procedures:
Ulnar Nerve Release

Complementary Rehabilitation:
Dance Therapy

British Orthopaedic Association (BOA)
British Medical Association (BMA)
British Elbow and Shoulder Society (BESS)
General Medical Council (GMC)
Medical Defence Union (MDU)

English

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Mr Peter Domos

Consultant Shoulder & Elbow Surgeon

Mr Peter Domos is a double-fellowship trained Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon, specialising in shoulder and elbow surgery. He is an expert in his field, providing a full comprehensive shoulder and elbow service for degenerative disorders, sports injuries and complex trauma. Mr Domos is a keen teacher and trainer of physiotherapists, junior doctors and orthopaedic trainees and is continuously involved in research. He was recently awarded Trainer of the Year 2021 from the University College Hospital London (UCLH) and Middlesex Orthopaedic Society.

Shoulder Conditions:

Shoulder Dislocation or Instability
Subacromial Pain or Impingement syndrome
Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis)
Shoulder Inflammatory Arthritis
Shoulder Osteoarthritis
ACJ (Acromioclavicular Joint) Arthritis
ACJ (Acromioclavicular Joint) Dislocation or Instability
Clavicle Fractures
Shoulder Fractures
Arm Fractures
Shoulder Sport Injuries
Rotator Cuff Tear
Biceps Tear
Shoulder Tendon Tears
Shoulder Pain

Elbow Conditions:

Tennis Elbow
Golfer’s Elbow
Elbow Pain
Elbow Stiffness
Elbow Inflammatory Arthritis
Elbow Osteoarthritis
Elbow Instability
Elbow Fractures
Elbow Sport Injuries
Elbow Tendon Tears
Nerve Entrapment Syndromes, Cubital Tunnel Syndrome

Shoulder Procedures:

Shoulder Arthroscopy (Keyhole Surgery)
Rotator Cuff Repair
Shoulder Replacement
Shoulder Capsular Release
Shoulder Injections
Shoulder Stabilisation
ACJ (Acromioclavicular Joint) Stabilisation
Subacromial Decompression
ACJ (Acromioclavicular Joint) Resection
Shoulder Tendon Repairs
Biceps surgery
Fracture Fixation

Elbow Procedures:

Elbow Replacement
Elbow Stabilisation
Elbow Release
Elbow Injections
Elbow Arthroscopy (Keyhole Surgery)
Elbow Tendon Repairs
Nerve Release Surgery
Fracture Fixation

American Shoulder and Elbow Society (ASES)
British Elbow & Shoulder Society (BESS)
European Society for Surgery of the Shoulder and the Elbow (ESSSE/SECEC)
Fellow of Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and England (FRCS)
British Orthopaedic Association and British Orthopaedic Trainee Association (BOA, BOTA)
European Society for Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy (ESSKA)
Premium Medical Protection (PMP)

English
Hungarian

BESS Traveling Fellowship 2014

Paul Calvert Research Paper Prize

ISAKOS Upper Limb Traveling Fellowship 2016

And several other International (ESSKA) and National (Royal College of Surgeons, BOA) Awards

Trainer of the Year Award 2021 - UCLH and Middlesex Orthopaedic Society

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What Our Patients Say

“You have given me back my life”

"Many thanks to you and your team for the care and attention given to me before, during and after my recent knee replacement. You have given me back my life and for that I shall always be grateful. Thank you so much!"

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