Which is worse: shoulder replacement or rotator cuff repair?

This is a great question. "Worse" depends on how you look at it. A shoulder replacement is a more significant surgery than a typical rotator cuff repair because we are replacing the entire joint. Therefore, the recovery is more structured and lengthy.

However, the two procedures are done for very different reasons. A rotator cuff repair fixes torn tendons, while a replacement fixes a severely damaged joint. The "right" surgery is the one that addresses your specific underlying problem.