Shoulder Surgery. Anyone had it?

[ratski]

Well I took a pretty hard fall last week.

landed on my right shoulder and apparently tore my rotator cuff nicely.

Saw the doc this week and he feels that going in and scoping things and repairing the damage is the only solution.

Said that physical therapy wouldn't do the trick.

Looking at him scoping the shoulder and then repairing what he finds thru the scope.

Doctor works at McBride Bone and Joint and only does shoulders. Or so it appears.

His name is David Holden.

Anyone had anything like this done before?

What were the results and recover times?

Thanks

Dave

 

[348]

Thanks for the info. I've got a bad shoulder. I'll check this guy out.

 

[FullAuto]

Not for a rotator cuff, but for a torn labrum (initially). You don't want to hear my results or recovery times. I was that small minority they don't want to mention. Lots of people have great results with little to virtually no loss of use.

The only thing I'd strongly recommend after going through the hell I did, is get opinions on the doctor by people other than patients. Physical therapists are good to get opinions from. They see the results of lots of doctors and can tell you whose patients have better outcomes. I went through a ton of stuff I shouldn't have went through because what I thought was typical was not. But since I had no experience in what to expect, I just went with it. That cost me much more pain and permanent problems. Going to a different doctor and using all different facilities the second time around (10 weeks later) really opened my eyes to just how bad I was treated at the first place.

For a shoulder, I'd recommend James Conway at OSSO. He's a shoulder only guy too and from what I heard from several therapists, he's the guy that fixes other doctors screw-ups; which is exactly what he did with me (to the best of his ability).

If anyone refers you to Orthopedic Associates on NW 50th & I-44, I'd recommend just doing the surgery yourself. You won't fix anything, but you won't **** as much stuff up either.

 

[Okie4570]

I've had a small tear for years.............and have been putting it off like the plague. There's just certain motions I don't do with that arm. Everyone I know that's had knee surgery said they wished they would have done it sooner. Everyone I know that's had that shoulder surgery, said they wished they would have just kept putting it off. I don't really have a three month time during the year that I want to be down...........and I refuse to wipe with the other hand for three months!

 

[Fyrtwuck]

I have. It was done as an outpatient procedure. I was sent home with a chair that had a motorized device on it to lift and lower my arm. I had to sit in that thing with ice packs wrapped around my shoulder two hour sessions, four times a day. That went on for two weeks. After that, physical therapy for two months.

I'm still weak in that shoulder. I can't throw a ball for my dog in a normal overhand throw, I have to throw it like a bowling ball. I can't shoot big calibers like the 30.06 any more. .308 in a gas piston gun is it. Pump shotguns are out too.

 

[druryj]

I had arthroscopic surgery about 8 years ago to repair a torn rotator cuff on my right shoulder, and a problem with my acromion (pointy end of shoulder bone?), that was causing it to tear my bursa sac. The fellow I used was Dr. Thomas Flesher III at Orthopedic Associates here in OKC. He said it was one the worst he'd ever seen after the MRI and once he got in there and checked it out. He also found a poorly healed old break in my clavicle from my Marine Corps days when I broke it and didn't/couldn't get it fixed right and it kind of just healed on its own. Anyway, he scoped me through five small incisions, I wore a sling for 3 or 4 weeks, I think, then a little Physical Therapy and it was all good. That is, until the last few months or so now and it is bothering me pretty good again. Can't put too much pressure on that shoiulder and I have a problem with certain motions, like Okie4570 says above. My right elbow and right hand gets all weird and painful/numb at times and a couple of my fingers on my right hand will sometimes just lock up somewhat, so I guess I am going to go have it checked out again pretty soon. The surgery itself was nothing, the recovery was minimal, and the outcome was good, at least it has been okay now for the last 8 years or so until it has flared up again. Sugeries like that can suck, in that after a few years, you develop scar tisssue and artritis can set in around breaks and repaired areas and etc.

 

[Poke78]

I took a hard fall in February 2013 and tried to hold myself back from the fall with my left hand. The fall, including a twisting motion, resulted in breaking the glenoid process free from the left scapula. The surgery was done as an open, rather than arthroscopic, procedure and placed 3 pins to fix the break. I was in physical therapy from March thru August with some of that time in a sling. The surgery was done at the outpatient center next to Tulsa Bone & Joint. Results are basically good with range of motion. I'd say the strength is still developing and there's no lingering pain.

 

[doctorjj]

I do it all the time. It is certainly technique and operator dependent. It will take 12-14 weeks of therapy on your part.

 

[SDarkRage]

I didn't have good luck with Orthopedic Associates on NW Expressway either.

 

[Shoot Summ]

Had my right shoulder done in October of 2013. You will get a lot of different opinions, I heard everything from "piece of cake" to "worst experience of my life".

A good portion of the bad experiences were folks that didn't do all of the PT, so I decided to do the PT with a vengeance.

After that they all seemed to be procedural issues, so I chose my Surgeon after doing a lot of research.

The surgery went well, no issues. Prior to surgery they will bring the therapy chair that starts moving the shoulder again and gets your range of motion back. You will sit in this chair for about 6 hours a day, so get ready to stream a lot of movies, or series. They also offered a device that powers a cuff that does compression, and cooling. I turned it down at first as it is an additional charge that insurance doesn't cover. Don't turn it down, it's worth every penny of the additional cost. If you don't have a good electric recliner, get one, it will be your bed for the first month.

When I got home the Doc instructed when the block would likely wear off, and to be ahead of the pain by taking the pain meds proactively. I was taking one, and should have been taking two. When the block wore off I had about an hour of pain like I have never experienced. Many folks told me they had no pain at all, I felt like my arm had been broken. So take the pain meds.

My surgery was on my right shoulder, and I am right handed, so I had to get used to doing everything left handed, that was hard, but manageable. Some of the PT sessions left me "misty eyed", but each session made a difference, and I kept going back until they didn't. Then I did the work on my own.

End result is my right should function is outstanding, my behind the back motion has always been poor, so I can't reach really high behind my back, maybe only an inch or two less than the left shoulder.

I would do it again as I was in constant pain, and it affected my sleep.