Bilateral single-staged arthroscopic rotator cuff repair is comparable to staged procedures: a retrospective follow up study of 2 years

BACKGROUND: Bilateral rotator cuff tears are not uncommon and the timing of the surgical treatment of both shoulders is debated. In the present study, we aimed to compare the clinical outcomes of patients who underwent single-stage or staged bilateral arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. METHODS: From March 2013 to May 2018, a retrospective review on all patients who underwent bilateral arthroscopic rotator cuff repair at our department was performed. Patients were separated into 2 groups: single-stage and staged. The minimum follow-up period was 2 years. The visual analog scale (VAS), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) score, Constant-Murley (Constant) score, the range of motion (ROM) of the shoulder and the hospitalization costs were evaluated for comparison between the two groups before and after the operation. Differences between groups were assessed using t-tests and ANOVA. RESULTS: All 51 patients completed follow-up of 2 years, single stage (n = 24) and staged group (n = 27). There was no significant difference in the VAS, ASES, UCLA and Constant scores between the single-stage group and the staged group before the operation. Postoperative clinical scores were significantly improved in both groups (P < 0.05). All outcome scores were significantly different between the two groups at 6 months postoperatively, and the staged scored better than the single-stage (P < 0.05). At 12, 18, and 24 months after the operation, the outcome scores were not significantly different between the two groups. At follow-up, the ROM of the shoulder was not significantly different between the two groups. In the single-stage group, the outcome scores and ROM were similar for both shoulders and comparable to the staged group. We also found significant cost savings in the single-stage group (4440.89 ± 130.55 USD) compared to the staged group (5065.73 ± 254.76 USD) (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Patients receiving single-stage or staged bilateral arthroscopic rotator cuff repair showed similarly good clinical outcomes at follow-ups longer than 6 months. Moreover, good outcomes were observed on both sides of the single-stage group.