Anyone have rotator cuff surgery?

[wvu80]

But if anyone thinks they're too graphic or not appropriate, let me know and I'll try and remove them... Can you delete/edit photos out of a post? Or does a moderator have to do that?

 

You can edit your own post and take the pics out if you wish.  Click on your own post and use the EDIT button on the lower right hand part of the panel.  Click on the pic and hit the <Delete> button.  Then save and you're done.

+++

 

The graphic pics didn't bother me, but I didn't stop and study it either.

+++

 

In an earlier post I said I did by own "self-help" by forcing my shoulder to move.  I had some restriction of movement in my right shoulder/back, but I did not have anything close to the amount of pain some of you had.  Either I didn't have a rotator cuff problem or at the very least I must have had a mild tear.

 

Good luck with that surgery.

[ZEUS121996]

Leave the pictures up,it just reminds me of what mine was like. Completely blown up, and now 2 of the 4 muscles are gone. 20% chance a graft will work, so I was advised not to do that.

BTW, my Dr was Ira Kornblat, team Dr for the Bulls when they three peated. He retired in December.

Dealing with workmans comp is a nightmare, IDK when I will be functional again. I'm suppose to have the ulnar nerve moved in October. The fight with WC will go on for a couple years, And thats if they approve the replacement

Mark

[JoeDirt]

I had a similar situation 20 years ago. Doc informed me about surgery and said ( back then ) the success rate was better than 50%.

I opted to NOT go under the knife. Instead I spent a year rebuilding the muscles in that shoulder and realized success. It will never be 100% again with or without surgery. I never played ball again competitively. But I'm ok with that.

My pain began to subside once I began rehab. There were 2 shots of cortisone in there too. Those sucked, but did abate the pain.

[Rivervalleymgb]

I had mine torn completely. They also had to relocate my biceps tendon from the scapula around to the top of the humerus. Lost about 60% of my bceps strength. He also removed about an inch of the clavicle. All due to years in the martial arts and strength training. Removed about  3/4" of the process on the scapula the biceps tendon attached to. Started physical therapy a week after surgery. The pain was the worst I have ever experienced since the hospital didn't tell me to start the pain meds right away. They had done a nerve block which wore off at about 2 am the morning after surgery. It was like flipping a light switch, no pain to unbearable in an instant. It was hard to catch up once the pain starts. Starting PT a week after was the best decision ever. You must stay with it religiously or you will pay more later! All this was due to a calcium deposit shaped like a cone pointing right into the rotator cuff. My biceps tendon was nearly cut right through. If I had waited any longer, I would have lost completely the use of one head of the biceps muscle. Once the tendon is cut like this, it is impossible to reattach. 

Good luck and I know you can work through it. Just be patient and follow PT program.

[wvu80]

I had mine torn completely. They also had to relocate my biceps tendon from the scapula around to the top of the humerus. Lost about 60% of my bceps strength

 

Are you saying a torn biceps is related to rotator cuff injury?

 

A racquetball buddy 30 years-old and in pretty good shape stopped playing suddenly in the middle of a game last week and complained his biceps was killing him.  It was odd for our sport because I've never heard of a biceps injury. 

 

That biceps might be a deceleration muscle for a forehand and he was hitting a forehand serve when the muscle started hurting, and he knew it immediately.  Normally the bicep is not used for a forehand which is why this was puzzling.

 

At the moment it is very painful to him and I don't know when to expect it to heal.  Any guesses?

Edited July 21, 2016 by wvu80

[CECAA850]

I could easily be in pain & misery at home so there is little difference if I'm suffering at home verses at work

 

I completely disagree.  I've never had shoulder surgery but have been sliced apart in various other areas.  It's nice to have your own bed to lay down in when the pain ratchets up.  You REALLY want to take it easy immediately after any surgery and follow the Drs directions.

[Rivervalleymgb]

The bone spur on my clavicle was pointing right into the rotator cuff area. The biceps tendon overlaps the shoulder joint for stability and attaches to the coracoid process on the scapula. This provides greater leverage for the biceps muscle. The shoulder structure is complicated.

[ssh]

Mark, Each was about 5 years apart, & much easier than the previous. Very good results each time. He did say that a 4th was not possible, so I've harnessed my testosterone level.

Best of luck with the therapy; just do it!

SSH

[Coytee]

On 7/20/2016 at 8:50 PM, muel said:

Surgery on friday and work on monday?  AHHH hahahahahaha!

 

 

On 7/21/2016 at 0:07 AM, GPBusa said:

Unless it's a very minor tear, you can give up on going to work 3 days later...

I was not allowed to drive for a week, but driving with the sling was no fun. I had to wear the sling/strap for 6 weeks. Rehab started about 10 days or so after surgery, and lasted for 8 weeks.

 

On 7/21/2016 at 8:25 AM, Rivervalleymgb said:

They had done a nerve block which wore off at about 2 am the morning after surgery. It was like flipping a light switch, no pain to unbearable in an instant. It was hard to catch up once the pain starts. Starting PT a week after was the best decision ever. You must stay with it religiously or you will pay more later!

 

 

I was hunting for something...came across this again so thought I'd give the rest of the story.

 

After surgery, he said my rotator was torn more than 50% so the surgery was a good idea.  I also have the frozen shoulder and, he also fixed a "slap tear". 

 

Because of the frozen shoulder, he sent me to therapy after 10 days and I've been going without fail since.  Arm is stiff, can barely hit 90 degrees with it and that is with her doing all the work.

 

What I found interesting is, regarding the pain level....  Surgery was on Friday morning.  Friday night, I took two Oxy-Codone pills.  Saturday, I decided to pull back and took one about every 6 hours (instead of 1-2 every four hours)

 

Sunday, I decided to take nothing except for when I went to bed.

 

I ended up taking a pain pill at night for 2-3 more nights and then stopped.  (they issued me 90 of them)

 

I didn't miss a day of work.  Showed up Monday with the little sling/pillow on and have been wearing the sling since (including right now as I type)

 

Go back to surgon in about 10 more days for review.

 

The therapy IS quite painful (as I was told it would be).  I tried to take two tylenol prior to the therapy to see if they would help.  They didn't.  I took a single Oxy-Codone to see if it would help (the next visit)....it didn't help.  So now I just go through therapy and grit it out.

 

I confessed to the therapist that I helped the wife install a piece of crown molding (it was at chest height so it was easy to hold)

 

She about had a fit with me saying I needed to do NOTHING with the arm, not even hold a piece of wood.

 

She was saying this as she was cranking my arm backwards, making me feel that it was about to snap into a compound fracture from all the pressure.  I looked at her and said REALLY???  You are near breaking my arm right now and that's ok but I can't hold a piece of wood with it?

 

She just smiled at me...

 

 

 

 

[thebomb]

I had rotator cuff surgery years ago. I would play a round of golf and my shoulder would kill me. After surgery  it took about a year for me to be pain free. Dislocated same shoulder and that was the one that took time to heal. Lost quite a bit of strength from the dislocation. All good now. Hope this helps.