Various conditions and injuries can damage the rotator cuff, cause pain, and make it difficult for you to move your arm. When non-surgical treatment does not improve your symptoms, rotator cuff surgery can help.
At MedStar Health, our arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery and repair technique is minimally invasive and uses an arthroscope or thin, flexible tube equipped with a small camera. Your surgeon inserts the arthroscope through a small incision in your shoulder. The camera magnifies your injury onto a screen and allows your surgeon to visualize the damage in detail. The surgeon can then repair your tissue and restore the torn cuff to its correct position at the top of your arm bone precisely without affecting any surrounding tissue. Surgery services are located in the Washington D.C., Baltimore, Maryland, and Virginia areas.
Our approach
The experience of our orthopedic surgeons in arthroscopic and minimally invasive surgery is unparalleled at any other hospital in the region. We perform close to 500 rotator cuff surgeries every year. You can rest assured that your surgeon is fellowship trained in surgery and specializes only in shoulder surgery. Our team leads the field in both innovative research and in training other surgeons around the country in surgical procedures.
When you visit us, we take time to explain the details of your condition or injury and to discuss all available surgical options to you and your family. We work together on a treatment plan that will feel most appropriate for you, that will effectively alleviate your pain, and that will restore your function as quickly as possible. You also benefit from the personalized rehabilitation program that we design to support your recovery.
We use this surgery to treat a variety of rotator cuff problems including:
- Rotator cuff disease
- Shoulder tendinitis and tendinosis
- Shoulder impingement
Recovery
Recovery from surgery generally involves protecting your arm in a sling for about 1 month, followed by about 5 months of physical therapy to regain strength and range of motion. Your orthopedic surgeon will discuss the specific program designed for you prior to your procedure.
What are the benefits?
Our goal is for you to experience the following benefits after surgery:
- Shoulder pain relief
- Restored range of motion in the shoulder
- Improved shoulder strength and balance
- Improved shoulder stability
- Ability to return to normal activities
Our providers
Location: Change location Enter your location
Shoulder and Elbow Orthopedic Surgery
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Anand Murugan Murthi, MD
Shoulder And Elbow Orthopedic Surgery
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Jason Andrew Stein, MD
Shoulder And Elbow Orthopedic Surgery
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Brent Bowie Wiesel, MD
Shoulder And Elbow Orthopedic Surgery
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Christopher Lee Forthman, MD
Shoulder And Elbow Orthopedic Surgery & Hand Surgery
Orthopedic Sports Medicine
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Emmanuel Asare O Atiemo, MD
Orthopedic Sports Medicine
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Vestinia Madonna Bridges, MD
Orthopedic Sports Medicine
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Emily T. Cha, MD
Orthopedic Sports Medicine
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Wiemi Abell Douoguih, MD
Orthopedic Sports Medicine
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James C. Dreese, MD
Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Sports Medicine
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Allison Liefeld Fillar, MD
Sports Medicine, Orthopedic Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Surgery
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Daniel Mark Hampton, MD
Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Sports Medicine
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Richard Yarborough Hinton, MD
Pediatric Sports Medicine, Shoulder Orthopedic Surgery, Knee Orthopedic Surgery, Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Sports Medicine
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John Anthony Kuri, MD
Orthopedic Sports Medicine
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Richard Gary Levine, MD
Knee Orthopedic Surgery, Shoulder Orthopedic Surgery, Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Sports Medicine
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Milford Howarth Marchant, MD
Orthopedic Surgery, Orthopedic Sports Medicine & Sports Medicine
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Carter Wallace Mitchell, MD
Orthopedic Sports Medicine
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Ryan Stephen Murray, MD
Sports Medicine, Orthopedic Sports Medicine, Pediatric Sports Medicine & Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery
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William Postma, MD
Orthopedic Sports Medicine
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Steven James Svoboda, MD
Orthopedic Sports Medicine
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Kenneth Benjamin Tepper, MD
Orthopedic Sports Medicine & Sports Medicine
Orthopedic Surgery
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Farhang Alaee, MD
Orthopedic Surgery
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Henry Robert Boucher, MD
Hip And Knee Orthopedic Surgery & Orthopedic Surgery
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Erin Farrelly, MD
Orthopedic Surgery
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Allison Liefeld Fillar, MD
Sports Medicine, Orthopedic Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Surgery
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Mark David Hasenauer, MD
Hip And Knee Orthopedic Surgery & Orthopedic Surgery
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Jessica B Hawken, MD
Orthopedic Surgery
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Bruce Knolmayer, MD
Orthopedic Surgery
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Milford Howarth Marchant, MD
Orthopedic Surgery, Orthopedic Sports Medicine & Sports Medicine
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Thomas Milleret Ring, MD
Knee Orthopedic Surgery, Hip Orthopedic Surgery, Hip And Knee Orthopedic Surgery & Orthopedic Surgery
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Ira Dean Gelb, MD
Orthopedic Surgery
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Sanjog K. Mathur, MBBS
Orthopedic Surgery
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Charles Francis Mess, Jr., MD
Orthopedic Surgery
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Mark Donald Perry, MD
Orthopedic Surgery
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Michael Timothy Travis, MD
Orthopedic Surgery
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Patricia Turner, MD
Orthopedic Surgery
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Bo Zhang, MD
Orthopedic Surgery
Our Locations
Convenient locations in Washington, DC, Baltimore, Maryland, and Virginia.
Additional information

Rotator Cuff Repair: Betsy Bassan's Story