Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Rotator cuff surgery - how painful is it?

Paul, am I seeing the titanium humeral head subluxed out of the glenoid fossa?

Or am I mis-reading it? Hard to tell with just one view.

DF

That is the way my shoulder was after the total replacement. It was installed incorrectly and during a normal arch of movement it would rotate out of socket. Is that what subluxed means?

It does Paul as the arrow seems to also indicate correct location of the head. I hesitate to get out of my knowledge zone but this seems pretty intuitive.

I'll let you know Friday. My brother had his done last year. It has taken months to heal if it is healed yet. I haven't talked to him lately.

Well, I met with the surgeon yesterday and we have an MRI scheduled. He's almost 100% certain that I ruptured part of my rotator cuff and I will be headed for surgery.

I hate it for you and wish you well. As far as pain goes it will really suck for a few days. Stay out in front of the pain. Good sleep won't come for a while. You'll need a recliner. While you'll have some discomfort through PT and the remainder of your recovery, it's much more bearable than the inability to do what you want to do and the boredom. We'll keep you company here, and it will really help. Having forums has been a blessing following all of my surgeries. It's a pretty good way to kill time.

If it's so bad you can't lift stuff above shoulder level and the pain is constant...................I think you'll be happy in 6 months to a year post surgery.

Actually earlier, but you likely won't have full strength back until then. The PT WILL be tough, if you want good results.

And from what you mentioned earlier, you're likely going to have a good surgeon.

I'm looking forward to you posting great results.

Good luck and stay with the PT.

Geno

I currently can't even lift my arm up onto the dinner table. It doesn't hurt, necessarily - it just won't move. I tore the hell out of it when I fell off a roof 3 weeks ago.

That sucks,

Pretty sure your Doc is correct in thinking the MRI will show significant damage.

Again, good luck. The MRI will likely show what needs done. Maybe they find more when they actually get in there, as has been my experience. But they can't fix it if they don't go in.

Geno

I had my 3rd rotator cuff surgery 3 months ago. If you do not already have one buy a recliner or borrow one now. The first week or so post surgery I spent sleeping in my recliner. My recliner has the recliner handle on the right side which made it difficult but not impossible to use. Ice packs will be your friend. I am 74 which does not help with the recovery but I am feeling much better now. I saw the Doc yesterday and he gave me his blessing to go duck hunting now. I am still restricted from lifting over 5 pounds above my shoulder level but no restrictions for lifting weight up to my waist. I had some bouts with pain post surgery and I used the large Solonpas Lidicane patches to help me get to sleep. I used the Hydrocone pills for a few days post surgery. They instructed to take the pain pills as needed as it helps recovery if you are not in severe pain. Follow your Doctors and Physical Therapist's advice and you should be fine. The doc that operated on me is one of the SJ Earthquakes soccer team physician.
Good luck and I wish you a speedy recovery.

Went thru the process near 20 years back. Got home, took two aspirin and invited Chuck Norris over for some sparring.

It was a bit stiff the next day, not particularly painful. About 8 weeks of therapy, most of it home in the form of rope on a pulley stretching and I was back in the saddle.

Had my left one done in Sept, 2008. They said it would take an hour. It took four, ended up with 7 screws in my shoulder. Didn't sleep for 3 days after the surgery. Threw the pain meds in the trash can and went to advil. Went to therapy one time. Seen what they were doing and did it religiously every day. Ended up with a full range of motion and no issues. The pain level post surgery wasn't that bad. Nothing like getting your thumb in an M1 Garand, that my friends is intense pain. Get a recliner and ice packs as mentioned above. After 6 months I was pretty much back to normal.Don;t want to do it again.

My PT buddy told me it takes a year to get completely over RC surg.

He should know.

DF

That'll be perfect timing for the knee replacement I've likely got coming.

Yes, it will.

My knee was easy this past March compared to the shoulders.

But, I was committed to doing the work to recover. 30 day meeting with Doc's assistant and he said I was doing remarkably well. 90 Day meeting with the surgeon and he said I was doing better than 95% of his patients would do at that point in recovery. I had an elk hunt to go on in October and I wasn't going to miss out on that.

Geno