Rotator Cuff Surgery

Rotator cuff surgery fixes torn tendons that help lift and rotate your shoulder.

Think of the rotator cuff like a set of ropes holding a ball (arm bone) in a cup (shoulder socket). If a rope tears, the shoulder hurts and feels weak. Surgery re-attaches the rope to the bone.

Shorter wait times

Consults and surgery dates are typically scheduled in weeks—not months—which means faster relief and return to work, sport, and caregiving duties.

Choice & control

Ability to choose a surgeon based on what's important to you (i.e. specific expertise, experience, qualifications, personal connection).

Certainty

Private pathways typically provide a clear quote and surgery date/timeline, so you can arrange time off, caregiver help, and rehab. This certainty can ease anxiety and help families plan for recovery.

Preventing further decline

• Tear progression: Some tears can enlarge or retract over time, and tendon/ muscle quality can decline (fatty degeneration), making later repair harder or less successful.
• Function and pain: Ongoing weakness and night pain can lead to deconditioning, neck/back compensation, and longer rehab.
• Work and sport impact: Earlier repair may shorten total downtime for people in manual jobs or athletes with seasonal windows.

1. ‍Confirm your diagnosis. Most patients start with a family doctor or specialist who confirms that rotator cuff surgery is needed.
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2. Research. Explore surgeons who specialize in private rotator cuff surgery.
   • You can find surgeons in Vancouver, British Columbia; Calgary, Alberta; Toronto, Ontario; and Montréal, Québec on our app, and review qualifications, as well as pricing.
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3. Schedule an initial consultation. Most surgeons offer in-clinic and online consults.
   
   • Consultations are usually booked within days or a few weeks.
   • Note: expect a consultation fee between $150 - $350.
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4. Consultation. The surgeon will review your condition, symptoms, and any previous treatments or diagnostics, such as x-rays or MRIs.
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5. ‍Post consultation. The surgeon will then review your case and provide surgical options based on your needs; review the risks and expected outcomes; and present pricing and scheduling options.
   
   • Because the procedure is not covered by your provincial health plan when done privately, you’ll need to review the quoted cost and consider payment options (out-of-pocket, private insurance, or financing).
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6. Schedule your surgery date. Once you confirm the procedure and payment, the clinic will schedule your surgery—generally within a few weeks.
   
   • Plan for travel and accommodation, since the surgery will likely take place outside your home province.
   • Expect pre-surgery preparation, and possibly some pre-surgery tests.

Rotator cuff surgery usually takes 1 to 2 hours.

• Anesthesia: You’re put to sleep; often a nerve block for pain.
• Small cuts: 2–4 tiny incisions for a camera and slim tools (arthroscopic).
• Inspect: Salty fluid expands the joint; surgeon checks the tear and bone.
• Prepare bone: Clean the footprint where the tendon should attach.
• Anchors in: Tiny screws with sutures go into the bone.
• Stitch + secure: Sutures pass through the tendon and tie it back down.
• Rinse, check motion, close skin.

The recovery process varies patient to patient. Your recovery might look quite different, so please seek further guidance from your surgeon. In general here is what you can expect:

Week 1:

• Pain, discomfort, emotion, more pain, stiffness, frustration. Week 1 is not fun.
• Goals: Pain management, wound care, inflammation control, little to no arm movement.

• Activities:
  
  • Depending on your clinic and circumstances, you might get same day discharge or recover in the clinic for 2-3 days.
  • Wearing a sling, even while sleeping, using pillows to keep shoulder still and comfortable through the night.
  • Pain medication management and wound care (it will be advantageous to have a friend, family member, or caretaker support you for both in the first few days).

Weeks 2-4:

• The next 3 weeks are still characterized by significant discomfort, swelling, frustration, and emotional highs and lows.
• Goals: Physical therapy for passive range of motion, keeping wound clean.

• Activities:
  
  • Tapering off use of the sling.
  • Passive range of motion exercises focusing on flexion and abduction limited to 90 degrees.
  • Keeping arm still to avoid tearing the muscle again while it's healing.

Weeks 5-12:

• Focus and diligence on exercises are starting to pay off.
• Goals: Start active range of motion exercises, slowly regaining strength.

• Activities:
  
  • Discontinuing your sling
  • Physical therapy progresses to active range of motion and light strengthening exercises

Weeks 13-52:

• The worst of the recovery is likely behind you. But you'll need to stay on top of physical therapy and listen carefully to your body in the year post operation (and beyond).
• Goals: Return to low impact sports and hobbies, achieve 90% strength symmetry between shoulders, focus on long-term shoulder health.

• Activities:
  
  • Physical therapy may continue the entire first year post operation, gradually bringing you back to your activity levels pre-surgery.
  • You will be able to return to low impact sports like golf, tennis, swimming, or cycling. For anything high impact, please consult your surgeon and physio. Most functional recovery happens within one year of surgery, but many patients need to continue working up to pre-injury levels of activity for up to 1.5 years.

Rotator cuff surgery is a major surgery with significant costs. Private clinics in Canada typically charge $5,000 to $16,000. In the United States, the average cost for rotator cuff surgery is CA$8,300.

Costs vary so much because of location, surgeon experience, facility type, complexity of the tear, and included services (some clinics offer all-inclusive, while others charge separately for anesthesia, followup care, etc.).

What’s included

Most quotes for private rotator cuff surgery cover:

• Surgeon fee (and assistant if used) and anesthesiologist/general anesthesia (often with a nerve block).
• Facility fees (OR time, nursing, supplies, arthroscopy equipment).
• Standard anchors/implants for a routine repair (often a set number included—confirm how many).
• Immediate post‑op recovery care and routine early follow‑ups (wound check, suture removal).
• Basic sling and initial rehab instructions.

What’s usually not included:

• Pre‑op consults and advanced imaging beyond basics (MRI or MRI‑arthrogram).
• Extra anchors/specialty implants beyond the bundled amount; augmentation grafts/patches.
• Unexpected overnight admission, ER visits, or additional imaging for complications.
• Formal physiotherapy/occupational therapy beyond initial guidance (ongoing PT usually billed to insurance or self‑pay).
• Post‑discharge medications (pain meds, anti‑nausea).
• Travel and accommodation if surgery is out‑of‑province.
• Management of complications or re‑operations beyond the routine global period (policy dependent).

Insurance and financing options

• Private health insurance: Some plans may cover part of the costs, such as hospital fees. It’s important to check your policy directly.
• Financing plans: Many clinics offer monthly payment options to help spread out the cost. Learn more about your financing options here.‍
• Medical Expense Tax Credit (METC): This is a non-refundable credit that reduces your taxes when you pay out-of-pocket for eligible medical expenses. Learn more about how to claim METC for private surgeries.

Choosing your surgeon is one of the benefits of going the private route. Here’s what to consider and the key questions to bring to your rotator cuff consultation.

What to look for

• Experience and volume
  • Ask how many rotator cuff repairs they perform each year, and their case mix (small/medium vs large/massive tears, revisions). Higher volume often means smoother care.
• Credentials and training
  • Confirm licensure with the provincial college (e.g., CPSO in Ontario, CPSBC in BC, CPSA in Alberta).
  • Look for FRCSC-certified orthopaedic surgeons with a dedicated shoulder/sports medicine fellowship.
• Specialization and outcomes
  • Ask about infection rates, re-tear rates, stiffness rates, return‑to‑work/sport timelines, and unplanned re‑operations.
• Technique and anesthesia
  • Do they offer arthroscopic repair routinely? What repair constructs do they use (single vs double row, knotless anchors, augmentation when needed)?
  • Do they address associated problems when appropriate (biceps tenodesis/tenotomy, subacromial decompression, AC joint)?
  • Anesthesia plan: general plus regional nerve block for pain control; multimodal medications.
• Imaging and planning
  • Comfort reading MRI/ultrasound and correlating with exam; criteria for repair vs debridement vs partial repair; approach for poor tissue/atrophy.
• Facility accreditation
  • Choose clinics accredited bnational bodies such as Accreditation Canada or the Canadian Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgical Facilities (CAAASF). ‍
• Rehab integration‍
  
  • Shoulder‑savvy physiotherapy, a phased written protocol, and coordination with your local therapist—especially if you’re traveling.

Questions to ask during your rotator cuff surgery consultation

Surgeon and surgery plan

• How many rotator cuff repairs do you perform yearly? What are your re‑tear, infection, stiffness, and revision rates?
• Will you address the biceps (tenodesis/tenotomy) or bone spurs/AC joint if needed? Why or why not?
• What anesthesia do you recommend (general + regional block)? Same‑day discharge expected?
• Where will the surgery be performed (ambulatory center vs hospital)? Is it fully accredited?

Recovery and aftercare

• Sling: How long? When do I start passive vs active motion and strengthening?
• Timelines: When can I type/drive, return to desk vs manual work, and return to sport?
• Physio: How often early on? Do you provide a written rehab protocol for my therapist?
• Pain plan: Nerve block, meds, sleep positioning guidance.
• Red flags: What should prompt me to call or go to the ER?
• Communication: Who is my point of contact after surgery and typical response times?

Costs and logistics

• What exactly is included in my quote (surgeon, facility, anesthesia, number/type of anchors, sling, follow‑ups)?
• What could add cost (extra anchors, biceps procedure, biologic augmentation, unexpected overnight stay, complications)?
• If complications occur or a revision is needed, how are costs handled? Do you have a revision policy?
• If I’m traveling from another province, which follow‑ups can be virtual? Will I receive the operative note, implant list, and rehab protocol for my local care team/insurer?