re: Anyone had rotator cuff surgery or other shoulder surgery?

quote:

---

and wiping my arse since I'm right handed.

---

Lmao I forgot about this part. Mine was on the left arm and I’m left handed. Either get a bidet or stock up on Dude Wipes.

I'm a surgeon though not an Orthopod, so I'll comment from a semi-lay standpoint. If you need surgery, you need surgery and unless you are too infirm to do it, undergoing an operation and the necessary rehab is very likely the right answer.

In 2016, I had a SLAP repir for torn labrum, mumford procedure for AC joint osteolysis and rotator cuff repair on my right arm. My repair was done minimally invasively. I was 48 at the time. In addition to general anesthesia, I had a scalene block which had my arm numb for about 24 hours.

I was given rx for Percocet 5/325 and Ibuprofen 600 mg to take post-operatively. Of course I was in a sling afterwards, so slept sitting up for a good while - don't remember how long. Once the block wore off pain was pretty significant, I took a couple of doses of Percocet, hated the way it made me feel, not to mention nearly immediate constipation, so I only took ibuprofen and tylenol after that first day. With the ice cooler sholder wrap pad I had, I was able to magnage the pain pretty darn well, though no walk in the park, certainly not someting I would fear.

Activities of daily living are definitely impacted as one would expect, showering brushing ones teeth, shaving, toilet etc but if you are reasonably robust, that's will not be too much of an issue. There are tips and trick for how to put a shirt on, get out of a chair/bed, etc. Mine was on my dominant arm, so I had to learn to be good with my non-dominant one.

I got a little better every day, then the rehab started and I will say I dreaded every session, but never skipped and did my homework. I don't remember when I went back to work, but I was seeing some patients in a sling, and had the sling about 4 weeks I want to say. I completed the rehab string, continued to do work on my own, and I would say it was about 5 months before I was back to what I would call normal. I wondered every day if it would be normal again, then woke up one day and it was like "wow that shoulder feels good". I started playing tennis again first with just ground strokes and volleys, then easy work on the overhead strokes then probably at 6 mos. back at it unrestricted. Soon back in the gym, being careful with overhead stuff and presses, but not long thereafter back at it and my shoulder was better than it had been in literally 30 something years.

I think my injury was cumulative from AC separation in football as a teen, years of throwing/overhead sports, resistance training and the last straw was wakeboarding in my 40's. Once I was healed I went back to everything but wakeboarding - switched to surf which is so much easier on the body.

The long and short of this is from my experience, it was no walk in the park, but totally worth it. Expect 5-6 months on the short end before feeling the payoff. Realize there is risk, especially if you don't/aren't able to complete the rehab, but if you need it, I would tell you it is worth the risk and trouble of having it done.

I'll add that I have osteolysis in the AC joint in the other shoulder now and am likely headed toward surgery again, but should just be a mumford procedure (distal clavicle resection) and should be easier recovery, though won't be easy.

Good luck and make sure you are confident in your choice of surgeon and have some good recs from people in the know if possible.

Blew my shoulder to pieces surfing in Mexico in 2013 - got slammed into the sand by a wave. Was over a year of recovery between surgery and PT. When it was all over my doc said he was very happy with the results, that when he first saw me he thought I might never be able to raise my hand over my head again. As the doc above said, ask around for referrals and look into them. My guy was the Colorado Rockies surgeon - I still hear him on sports radio whenever one of them needs surgery
It was achy for the better part of the next decade. A few times a year I'll pick something up "wrong" and get a pain lightning bolt. And while I can rock climb and throw most everything else, I can't throw a football for shite anymore
Oh and yeah, I still wipe my arse left handed 11 yrs later
The injury. Greater tuberosity (the upper flared part of your arm bone) completely out of socket and stuck in my ribs. One big chunk of bone broken off you can see, tons more smaller chips you can't in this img
[/url][/img]

Rotator cuff surgery at 71, no issues with PT but never missed a session & followed their instructions to the T. Normal recovery time & on discharge, ortho told me my shoulder was stronger than ever. Only real issues was the initial trouble sleeping....the recliner comments are real....and the sling. After 3-4 weeks I quickly stripped it down to the bare necessity where it was simply holding my arm in place. My age or injury, removing my socks was a problem but a long handled shoe horn solved that problem. Here in La. if you have an accident driving while wearing a sling, regardless of actual fault, you're legally charged as at fault. As an aside, surgical nurse told me that, typically, patients while under are known to talk & say the craziest things. She said I had the whole staff laffing the whole time....but would not tell me what I was saying. Post surgery, initial eval,. the ortho just smiled when I asked.

I had it about 10 years ago. Tried a bunch of non-surgical interventions that just wasted time looking back on it. After the rehab, it's been working like a champ. I don't play racquet sports anymore but I still lift decently heavy weights for my age (54) 6 days a week with no issues.

Nope, no one

If you are writing about it here, it will not heal on its own. Get an MRI done ASAP and find out what is really wrong.

quote:

---

Thank you! Truly. I don't know why I'm so worried about being put under. Guess just not being alert and trusting someone else lol.

---

You bet...That is a completely logical and legitimate worry. Sometimes people trust us blindly, but I would suggest you do you homework and pick a surgeon with a good rep and just as importantly, a facility with a good rep.

Had partial tear of left one done. One of the easiest surgeries to recover from of the 9 I’ve had. Nick Hatzis is a great one to see at BROC. You may not need surgery. I was swimming 2 weeks post op