I'm going to need some surgery to repair my rotator cuff that I mucked up a few weeks ago when I fell off a ladder. I'm not sure what's involved yet and I meet with the surgeon next week to begin the process of figuring out what's jacked up in there.
Every person I mention it to says that it's the most painful thing they've ever encountered.
Does anyone here have any experience with rotator cuff surgery and can share what to expect?

Keep ahead of the pain and you'll be fine. After 2-3 days, Advil should be all you need.

The surgery ain't bad. The therapy afterwards might mist your eyes up a bit.

-Jake

I have rotator issues and my orthopedic basically told me to baby my shoulder. His words to me at the time is you will not like the fix. Co-worker had issues, pain and range of motion issues. Was told because of the damage he needed surgery. After rehab he had pain and range of motion issues pretty much the same as before the surgery. This is of course anecdotal but the shoulder is a complex joint and while technology is improving its better to not need surgery. YMMV.

I Have had both shoulders done. Just keep ahead of the pain and get off the narcotics as soon as you can.
It's nothing compaired to having knees replaced. That really sucks.

Do a nerve block through neck. Then the first week sucks. I couldnt pick up a cup. Stay on physical therapy after. I was in pain but it wasnt terrible, had worst. I had a bicep tendonisis as well, thats where they sever bicep tendon and pin into place in shoulder.
shaved clavical, depress cysts that formed to protest. It. Suppose to be a 45 min surgery, ended up on the table for 9 hours. Chit happens.

Me being a truck driver my Dr said you will think a truck hit you. I told him you didn’t tell me it was going to back up a run over me again. He ask me if he could use that line. That was the first day after that not bad. Then off to therapy I meet a older gentleman that told me to do my therapy because he didn’t and his shoulder froze up and they had to put him under and manipulate his arm didn’t sound good to me. He said it was worse and hurt longer than the surgery. So. I did the therapy and things turned out great. So I would say do what the therapist says it will hurt the first week but then it will settle down.
Good Luck

My doc told me that in a successful surgery they hope to get you back up to 80-85% of what you used to be.
That was a couple years back, I still wouldn't gain that much to make it worth the risks.

I over did some things and tore both. My left had to be surgically reattached, It wasnt that painful until in rehab it locked up. That had some moments.

I can deal with that.

Mine weren't rotator cuff - but had the long head of both biceps reattached.
Follow the Dr's orders' re: med's - you'll sleep better. I used our reclining couch and towels stacked to the right height. I wouldn't take the meds properly (almost none) and it's a wonder "The Warden" let me live!
They did a nerve block on me for the first - made me mean, and I lost the best part of 2 days (in and out)
The second, I didn't let them (Dr's suggestion - he didn't like them either) and was much more mellow when I woke up, being wheeled out of the hospital, at 10:30 AM - the day I went in.

Start your rehab ASAP but don't overdo it - Doc chewed me out, and told me I was lucky I didn't hurt myself - and didn't EVEN want round 2 !

Good luck and prayers will b e sent from here.

I don’t know how big your center is or the capabilities and motivation of the anesthesia department. But standard of course is a general anesthetic (go to sleep) but ask if a brachial plexus block is possible. It should be placed before you go to sleep. You’ll wake up with a numb shoulder and parts of the arm; the catheters can be left in up to a couple days.

If placed early and done right the pain will be greatly reduced even after everything wears off.

My wife just had it done last year and I am trying everything to avoid it..Yesterday I got a steroid shot in my shoulder and dang,it feels almost like new,for now anyway...I just told the doctor(my second one) I can't travel the 75 miles one way for surgery and an ortho doctor in the winter,and I won't..So we decided to try the shot and physical therapy first then come spring re-evaluate when traveling the roads is better..If it stays the way it is now,I won't have any surgery because itain't bad at all and you always run the risk of surgery and being worse...

As to the pain of surgery,my wife came through it like a champ not having to use the pain meds given..She had a total reverse shoulder replacement..Like surgery,everyone seems to be different how it goes and pain..But physical therapy after surgery, brought her to her knees,pain wise..Terrible pain the therapist put on her..Like the doctor tols me,if it makes you hurt or you don't like it,just don't go anymore..

Mine was done arthroscopically and as others have said, stay ahead of the pain. Do the PT but don't try to get back in shape in 4 weeks. Take your time and you'll be pleased with the outcome.

I have had rotator cuff surgery on both shoulders, first was a medium to large tear and the other a complete tear off. In both cases the anesthesiologist placed a nerve block in my neck before I was taken to surgery and administered general anesthesia. The pain after surgery was well controlled by the meds the surgeon prescribed, in the case of the complete tear off I had a cold water pump that I wore on the shoulder for the first week or so. With the complete tear off PT for the first 8 weeks was passive, I let the therapist stretch my shoulder after that I started gradually exercising to rebuild strength and regain range of motion. The only lasting effect from the repairs is that I cannot work with my arms overhead for more that 15 minutes or so and my range of motion is slightly less than before.

After surgery is a hell of a lot less painful than before. Mine was delayed to long and as a result the injury became worse.
Four months before I was allowed to go back to work. The after pain was hardly anything except when I'd bump the arm on something.
Mine was in 1995, chances are things are much better now.

I tore my rotator cuff. Very painful. Fell off a 20 foot ladder with my left arm extended, could have been a lot worse. Thank God I was only on the 2nd rung....

All kidding aside, mine is not bad enough for surgery yet. I do a lot of exercises to beef up the muscles that make up the rotator cuff. Seems to be helping so far. Good luck.

My wife did the rotator cuff one year and a knee replacement the next, said the shoulder was way worse.

Depending on what has to be done in repair you'll have probably 6 weeks in a sling and essentially can't use or stress it. Then maybe some physical therapy. (Depends on the surgeon and surgery necessary).
But, IF you fall and automatically put your hand out to stop or break the fall you'll likely rip it loose and have to have it repaired again. I've been told by several orthopedists that one more repair can be done (attempted) and that's it. Chances of a third repair working are very small.
Best wishes on this.

I was worse. I had to have the right shoulder replaced and they had to do a reverse implant and re-attach my bicep tendon. Both rotator cuff tendons were torn all the way thru.

First off, the nerve block in my neck caused the right side of my diaphragm to paralyze. . My O2 level dropped to 72 % the day after and I almost died. Spent the next day in cardiac arrest observation.

Surgery pain wasn't extreme, but PT was bitch. I did it for 6 weeks, my shoulder dislocated. I put it back in myself and then another 4 weeks of PT. Surgeon wanted to go back in and put a spacer in.I said screw that.

Almost two years out now.Shoulder is stiff in the morning. Aches when I walk with my arm hanging straight down and aches after I work it.I probably have about 90% ROM. I can' t lift things straight up above my head. I was told other muscles will take the place of the rotators. Yea Right.They will,but complain like hell when they do.

All in all, I guess it is better than your rm hanging down useless like it wasn't part of you.

I had a left shoulder rotator cuff "clean out" and reattachment of a partial biceps detachment a few years ago. Pain wise, it wasn't bad. However, now I am having trouble with both shoulders, right shoulder quite painful at times. I go to the doctor tomorrow to start looking into it. Two friends in my age category (over 70) recently had rotator cuff surgery. One told me "You don't have to do anything wrong, it just wears out".

There needs to be more alternatives to surgery,surgery is not the answer to everything..When you get old,surgery to the shoulder usually means time off from hunting and fishing and at old age,there ain't that many years of it left..So time off is not an option for some...

They have came so far with back surgery and minimal evasive techniques..They need to do the same with rotor cuff injuries...

i had it 2 years ago. nerve block was fine until it wore off. worst pain i have ever had. mind numbing. felt like someone was taking a dremel to my shoulder bone while pulling my arm out of the socket. and thats no schit and i ain't no stranger to pain. my mistake was i fell asleep before block wore off and by the time it wore off the pain had started. wife hid my pain pills and i had to wake her up and force her to give them to me. (she was concerned about addiction). i pounded 3 and went right asleep. woke up and pain was just as bad. i was counting the pills, almost crying trying to figure out how long they would last until the dr opened again. it gradually subsided but it was bad, bad, bad for about 2 days. dead shoulder for a month and then once therapy started it hurt like a mofo. did therapy for 4-5 months and regained most function but it still hurts if i use it much in certain positions. was it worth it? i'm not really sure. i waited 6 months for it to get better and never did so i got operated on. not sure i would do it again. sorry to be "that guy" but you asked.

ya editing this to clarify maybe a bit. yes its better than it was and probably would have ever been. it is not near what it was before though so that clouds my opinion a bit. and after thinking about it, ya i'd probably do it again. it just suck to get in that condition in the first place. simple dumb ass accident that will affect me for the rest of my life. but this being thanksgiving, i am thankful it wasn't worse and i know others who have it much much worse than me.

I've known two fellas that have had rotator cuff surgery and they both said that the post op pain was terrible......good luck and I hope that you will be the exception.

Faaack! ^^^

I also had both rotator cuffs done, about 4 months apart. As others have said- stay ahead of the pain. I didn’t take any meds except ibuprofen which helped with the pain but swelling too. My saving grace was an ice machine that pumped ice cold water through a unit strapped to my shoulder. I had that thing running around the clock for first several days. I have no pain in either shoulder now and also no loss of mobility or strength. I might have gotten lucky but I don’t think it’s really all that bad.

Everybody has a different experience with rotator cuff surgery but I had a good experience with little pain and very little swelling. I only took one Hydrocodone tablet and that was at 3:00 am when the nerve block wore off. By 7:00 pm that night I just had a dull pain in my shoulder. The physical therapy wasn't very painful either probably because my therapist was a beautiful young woman with black hair and beautiful blue eyes. My Son had the opposite experience with a lot of pain and swelling but he had a lot more damage than I did.

Sleeping was a big issue for a friend that had that surgery. The only place he could sleep was a recliner.

If I do indeed end up getting cut on, I would like some contact info for your physical therapist. 😁

OH yes!!!

You'll be really glad you had the surgery. It's not terribly painful. When it heals is when you'll be really glad you had your rotator cuff repaired.

Good. I don't really have much choice, I don't think. I fell off a 15' high roof and the top of my humerus ended up next to my ear.

I tried the taking it easy route a couple of years ago and it was a mistake. It's healed up fairly well but I don't have the strength in my shoulder and it's not coming back. We had an absolute rodeo at work our last night cementing a well. By the end of the night I couldn't hold a chisel at eye level without a lot of pain.

I was supposed to go in for a MRI yesterday but we postponed it for a week because my insurance hadn't approved it yet. I don't know what we are going to find or what's going to be done yet.

The differences in post-op experiences can often be explained by the skill of the surgeon. Find the best you can. One who does several a week is a real plus. While difficult to do, the best way to accomplish this is to find physical therapists who will tell you who gets the best results. How one accomplishes this is up to you. It is frowned upon to express such opinions but with resourcefulness, it can be done. Of course not all PT folks have the same skills either, so that's another task that is well worth some effort.
Staying close to home may not always be the best idea, depending on local choices.

I had a partial rotator cuff tear and could not raise my arm above my shoulder but elected to do nothing for reasons not relevant here. It took 4 or 5 years but eventually I could throw a football again pretty well. Crossing patterns and outs were pretty easy. Going deep...not so much, but by then other factors may have intervened.
BTW part of the problem with healing, with or without surgery, is that the blood supply to this area is very bad so it takes a long time to heal. That's just the way it is.

Of course memory of pain eventually fades.

Best wishes and good luck.

Unless extremely messed up (like the OP from a bad accident), why bother with the surgery? What is the gain/loss from doing so?

Without the surgery there is usually pain. The pain can be when moving the arm or just from being still. And very poor ability to elevate the arm over the head, like when trying to reach a light bulb or things like that.
With the repair things usually get back to normal.

That's not what my doc told me, or what happened. The shoulder I had surgery on is stronger than the other one now.

For the OP, everyone is different, including the extent of your injuries and the ligaments that need to be repaired. "Rotator cuff" is a catch-all term that includes more than one ligament and not all are necessarily injured.

Mine got to the point where it was affecting my sleep.

No experience here but I know quite a few that have done it. Most said buy a good recliner since you won't be in bed for a while and when you start PT, stay on the drugs. It takes 6-9 months to get back to a firemans job and some guys don't make it back. I'm not sure 80% will do it. One of my friends couldn't make it back. He's fine other than he really can't do much overhead work with his left arm.
Most of them get their shoulders done here
https://kerlanjobe.org/ by this doc. https://kerlanjobe.org/physicians/daniel-kharrazi-md/

What he said.



My surgeon made the difference, having years of successful experience in fixing shoulders. Two morphine pills later I was only moderately sore, although they had to scrape away some arthritic spurs and fix the bursa and tendon so everything was done at one time. I already had an excellent physical therapist and he and his the staff were all diligent and effective with a minimum of discomfort. Recovery was OK with the therapy being as thorough as the surgery.

I was concerned that the joint would be weak or vulnerable. No need to worry, I did the acid test about six months later. I was hanging on to the rope around a 550 lb steer's neck when he zigged. I landed on my elbow while it was in the 90 degree arrangement. I heard the "snap" and knew I had hurt the thing. X Rays showed how good my orthopedist really is. The shoulder was fine, but my collar bone was fractured. The PT office had a laugh at my expense. I sent a couple of ribeyes to my surgeon. Range of motion 2 years later is 95%, strength is at least 95% and pain is old history now.

I had both shoulders done a year apart. Multiple tears and both biceps reattached with screws. The right shoulder first and it was painful but tolerable and then the left shoulder. I was up continuously for 5 straight days in the worst pain imaginable, literally did not fall asleep for even a minute for 5 consecutive 24 hour periods. I’m glad that it happened to after the 2nd surgery because if it had been the first time on the right shoulder I wouldn’t have had the left one done.

I can relate to rem141 as his experience was similar to mine. Stay on top of the pain BEFORE the nerve block wears off and stay on top of it for several days.

Good luck.

ya thats where i messed up. they even told me that as soon as i felt a bit of heat in the incision to start taking pills. it was too late by the time i started. problem was it was at least 11 pm by then and i had had a hell of a day so i was whooped and fell asleep.

Those who talk about pain during PT must have "old school" therapists. The newer ones don't push things farther than they should. After two total reverse replacements, I'd just need an occasional Advil after PT. The key is to do what the therapist tells you to, without overdoing it. Also, all orthopedic surgeons are created equal. I asked a few doctors who they'd go to. When they gave me the same answer, I knew who to use.

Not the worse but still no Fun. Opiates the first 3 days and some once in a while the first month. Angry again when you start therapy then tappers off. Sleeping was the hardest part of recovery, a recliner does help . Surgery # 3 had me at a point where 2 of the 4 tendons could not be reattached and the same with my long bicep. 7 months out I'm doing push ups and working with dumbells to get my muscle tone back, a bitch at 65 years of age but getting there. Big thing is to protect the shoulder and for me that means working close to my body when lifting. I don't throw balls or swim any longer and bailed on this years archery hunt.

LOL...You've had it, too, I see. Be very careful while your arm is in "the box" for six weeks!

The above is good advice.

My son is a PA in the orthopedic surgery field & worked at one of the major clinics in the country (as in dealing with pro athletes & is where Bo Jackson had his surgeries), now at a major university hospital.

Today, there are essentially no reasons for anything other than orthoscopic techniques for most all rotator cuff surgery, unless the doc is not proficient or does not do them regularly.

Skill of the surgeon is most important as well as the adherence to the schedule & diligence of the rehab.

Obviously, the age of the patient & their physical condition affects everything including the healing rate & recovery success.

As toltec above says, do not be afraid to travel to get to a highly competent surgeon & facility.

Good Luck.

MM

Absolutely!

I was fortunate to have close access to a Dr. Cummings in Carson City NV. He's highly skilled and does the shoulders for the US Ski Team. If you're out west, maybe call him at Carson Orthopedic and Fracture.

Dr Wienstein in Colorado Springs that takes care of all the US Olympic team injuries did mine.He does about 300 shoulder replacements a year.,When you are on the back side of 60 or 70, rebuilding any muscle is extremely difficult

Saddlesore, Not doubting his abilities but doing more than 3,000 shoulder replacements a year is a rough average of 8 surgeries per day for 365 days. Is that humanly possible?.....even for a doctor with no life that’s totally committed to medicine? I don’t want to be the last patient on a 12 patient surgery schedule with a surgeon that’s tired or distracted. I agree that experience is a valuable trait when it comes to a surgeon but there’s gotta be a point of diminishing returns?...no?

i had the best orthos in the state. Dr's Howard, Fine and Howard. top notch.

Actually there are reasons for open surgery but it is avoided if possible.

When Surgery Is Necessary
It is important for people to understand that rotator cuff surgery may be an appropriate option for shoulder pain resulting from a rotator cuff tear. However, it is also important to understand that rotator cuff tears are incredibly common. So common that, as people age, they become expected. Therefore, having a rotator cuff tear is not a reason in and of itself to have surgery. The decision about when surgery is appropriate is complicated and depends on a number of factors that you need to discuss with your doctor.

On the other hand, patients should be reassured, that while some rotator cuff tears do cause pain, the vast majority will never require surgery, and many people can find relief with nonsurgical treatments. Patients who are told they need rotator cuff surgery should understand the reason for surgery. In most cases, non-surgical treatments should be attempted first, the exception being in younger patients who have rotator cuff tears resulting from traumatic injuries. If you are unsure of the necessity of a rotator cuff surgery, a second opinion can be helpful.

I saw a Surgeon about a tear in my rotator cuff.No surprise ,he said surgery was the only answer.A friend of mine is a family practitioner.He wrote me a prescription for physical therapy.I am back to about 90% of what I was before I was hurt.I would try that first before I let someone cut on me who maybe needs a down payment on a new SUV.

There is alot of truth to that..To many doctors just go straight to shoulder surgery without trying anything else first..My first doctor did just that,skipping everything for an MRI with surgery after..Not even a common X-Ray which will not show actual tares but it will show other things common with a tare..My second doctor is just the opposite,let's try this or that and is not in a hurry to start cutting away...

My wife fell for the cut first and ask later as many others do..Not me...I do have a rotor cuff tare and it does hurt but I am trying other stuff before going under the knife..The Cortisone shot killed 99.9% of the pain I had and I am happy I went that route first..

10 years ago, I could not lift my right elbow above my belt. Cortisone shots and PT to no avail.

MRI showed one fully torn tendon in the shoulder. Orthopedic surgeon repaired it almost as good as before the injury, but nothing on a 63 year old body works like it did when it was 40 years old.

In my case, either the shoulder block failed, or the anesthesiologist did not administer it. I awakened post op to the most intense pain I have ever experienced. Worse than gall bladder attack with gangrene by an order of magnitude, worse than broken bones, worse than teeth knocked out of the jaw intact, worse than H Pylori.

Post op they administered morphine and demoral, they gave me a valium, and some other pill which I fail to remember. Doc said they had me maxed out, and could not give me anything more. I sat and rocked and panted for about four hours.

It came time to close the Surgery Center for the day and I was able to walk out to the car. Momma drove me home but stopped at the pharmacy to fill a percocet and a vicoden Rx.

Even with the percocet, I was unable to lie down for 72 hours. I sat in a recliner sleepless for those three days. Then the pain broke like turning off a light. I layed down on my bed, and woke up twenty hours later.

I flushed the percocets, and also the unopened bottle of vicoden down the toilet and sent Momma to town for a dozen bran muffins, all of which I consumed before getting traffic flowing again.

Two weeks post op, I walked into the surgeon's office sans sling, but carefully carrying the arm against my naval. Surgeon agreed, the shoulder would not allow me to do anything which would hurt it, barring accidents.

14 weeks post op to get the Doc to sign a full release so I could go back to work. 18 months post op before I could throw a ball overhand, and not very fast at that. Six months post op to handle recoil of the 260 Rem, over a year before I dared to shoot the 7mm STW.

PT was a chore, sure it hurt, but not excessively painful. No pain meds needed for PT, but I was using NSAIDs for arthritis.

I am very, very envious of those who say their shoulder surgery was relatively painless.

OOPs typo, 300.Notice ( before I fixed it that one of the numbers was the letter o (o) and not a zero (0)

This surgeon did 6 the day he did mine.I was number two . He quoted me he did about 300 a year with roughly 40% the reverse shoulder replacement.

Truth there.I lived with torn rotators for 15 years or so. Three different surgeons told me they couldn't help me because I had left it go too long. Then a simple act of flipping a wheel borrow up to dump it finished it . Another yea went by with a lot of pain and no ability to use my right arm.The surgeon who did my shoulder was accepted by my insurance finally and I was able to get something done. My left shoulder has tears in it too, but I am living with it. Can't see ever having that surgery again.

I imagine every shoulder injury/surgery/recovery stands on it's own. Mine came from a ladder fall.

DD - the gain/loss is do you want to lift your arm to or above horizontal again, or pick up anything in excess or 20 lbs again? My wife didn't take the surgery, and that's where she is.

Do the physical therapy!! It is worse than the surgery. And take the pain killers as prescribed- My Doc got on my case because I wasn't - said pain raises blood pressure and does some other stuff to delay healing.

9 or 10 months after my surgery I figured I was 98% or better to original. Then I got a job (at age 62) mishandling 30,000 lbs or so of airline baggage per day. Up to maybe 50K on holidays, etc.

Well, scale that back to 90%. After a year of that, working with Advil, etc. level pain every day, I was nearly fully recovered ( No longer needed the over-counter pain pills at work) - probably 97-98% now, honestly. It was a loooong year..... That was 9 years ago, 10 back to the surgery.

Only really severe or wrong weight handling (and sometimes the wrong/excessive overhead arm extension) gives me any twinges or a day or so of mild pain, now- but I'm retired and my conditioning has retroed.....

I try not to lift more than 70 lbs any more, and am careful if I have to lift more than that. Wrestling 120 lb outboards requires caution if I don't have help. And no more lofting heavy things up on high shelves!

Have a friend who had both shoulders done and one twice because the therapist messed up the first time though. He is now back to hunting with bow & arrows so it must work OK. Cheers NC

Oh, yeah- as Idaho Shooter said- I slept (if it could be called that), in the recliner for 6-8 weeks after the surgery. Lying in bed was out of the question.

Before doing the surgery, I was on PT for nearly a year, - no help.

I noticed that one of the numbers was a letter and it’s a a simple mistake but one that eases my mind a little. 😁. 300 is a lot of surgeries to perform in a year but it’s doable....3000?....I’d not want to be the 2999th or 3000th patient. 😂. Thanks for the response and I hope you all had a great day with loved one yesterday. 👍

Jake hit it in the x ring.

From someone who knows.

I had RC surgery with brachial plexus block. Went home with a ball slowly infusing marcaine. I never had much pain. My surgeon lectures all over the world. Last I heard, India. The day I had my surgery, a German ortho surgeon flew to New Orleans, was on the same surg schedule. He brought his ortho resident daughter from Germany to observe the surgeries performed that day.

Find a top surgeon even if you have to travel to a center.

DF

My experience,:

first rotator cuff tear, left shoulder, fall while ice skating. Tried what is suggested in these quotes for 6 months, PT 3 X / week that whole time. At 54 years of age the family guy said it's common, I should perhaps go for MRI as his tests showed it might be worse than I thought. I said lets try the PT. Made excellent progress with range of motion, could actually get arm above head without much pain, but and it was a BIG but..................I couldn't lift a gallon of milk from the table to shoulder height. PT gal said I need to get the MRI. OK, found out with that surgery was the only option if I wanted to get any strength back in that shoulder. More about surgery in a bit.

Second, tear, right shoulder. Heard it pop while lifting/throwing 40-60 lb coil of deck line onto a table at work. Had to fight with work/workers comp to even get doctor's visits covered, finally got MRI, same deal as last one, no guarantee of strength coming back to arm without surgery due to the damage seen in the imaging.

Surgeries:

First event was in Juneau AK, folks there told me surgeon was a good one, I talked to him found out I could't fly for at least a week post surgery, wife was in Cali at the time, made no sense for me to not have her around for help. She lived in the Fresno are and I know Fresno State has a good baseball and basketball program. Had to be a shoulder surgeon down there that worked on high caliber athletes, so I did the internet thing and found one that was the team doc for them and asst team doc for the Giants and 49ers. And he'd take my insurance. INjury was worse than expected. 45 minute job turned into 2.5 hrs +. Cleaned out a bunch of arthritic calcifications too, so my arm felt WAY better after recovery from PT and all than it did before.

Second even was in E WA, wife was in Sacramento area. Looked into sports surgeons there, found the chief of Sports Medicine at UC Davis Med School, agreed to take me even with it being a workers' comp case. Long surgery again, this one arthroscopic though, unlike the first.

Outcomes:

Nearly 100% recovery on left shoulder. Pain was not fun. As in I passed out the first day after surgery when they brought a torture device of a chair that you strap your arm into and it moves your arm for you. It got better as time went on.

Probably 80-90% recovery on right arm. Fighting with the job/workers comp delayed surgery to the point where the doc decided it was better to not reattach my biceps tendon as he likely would have had to use cadaver tendon to have good success. Mine had atrophied too much.

Phys therapy:

Follow it and do more when you are cleared to so you avoid ruining the repair. Take the pain meds shortly BEFORE the PT so you can get through it easier. And as important for me, keep up the exercises. I even do them occasionally now, 11 years after the first surgery.

Triggernosis, you're in E NC right? My suggestion, as others here have said, find a good surgeon. If my geography is right, you're near some pretty decent size universities that have BIG sports programs, no? Find one of the surgeons that works on them athletes, those folks need to be repaired correctly in order to have a career later in life. Look into who does the surgeries for the Hurricanes and Panthers and some of the minor leagues.

If your doctors and more importantly maybe, your experience shows you don't have a good chance at gaining strength back to perform the activities you enjoy or need for your career, surgery may be the best option. Pain is a given, but for me, not being able to do the types of work I made money at, not being able to cast a fishing lure, not being able to draw a bow were more important to me than staying away from some pain for awhile.

Good luck with it all.

Geno

I am 4 months out on my second rotator. Both were very different. Right was pretty simple to get thru. Left has been a total pain. Just not getting the mobility back as quick. 6 weeks in a sling each time. Very easy to retear it first 6 months so do not try to go hard. 25% at 3 months 60% at 6 months and 90 % at 1 year is the norm. Right is 100% now so listen to the dictionary and physical therapy is a must!

Finding a top specialist is important. My surgeon has a wall full of pictures of sports figures he’s operated on. If I was to name drop you’d be impressed. Big name athletes find these guys. He does only shoulders and elbows.

Generally you get one bite at the apple. Second and third surgeries, not so good. These guys are most often at the big centers, usually sports affiliated. In that business function is king, just a small functional impairment can be very expensive and career threatening.

They have their reputations for a reason.

DF

^^^^^

Just what I said............................in fewer words.

Geno

Thanks, Geno, for describing your experiences.
I am indeed in eastern NC and the surgeon I am scheduled to see this coming Monday comes highly recommended by a good friend and shooting club buddy of mine who works at the local medical center as an anesthesiologist. I asked him who he would recommend and he told me - said that he sees much fewer "comebacks" or other issues with this surgeon. He is also the team physician for the ECU Pirates and our local AA baseball team. That's good enough for me.

Sounds like you're on the right track.

Another good source, Physical Therapists who work with these guys. They can tell you who has the best outcomes.

Getting info from inside the camp is a smart move. The players know who the masters are.

DF

I’m thankful I’ve never had this issue after reading all of this!

Ain’t no fun, even with the best.

DF

For sure, don't fall and put your hand/arm out to break the fall.

Or throw heavy scheidt either.

I'll second DF on the no fun part. Screws with fun activities too.

Geno

I've had it done 3 times. I had a excellent doc all three times. As long as I got strong pain pills for the first three days, I had little if any pain at all. Kind of a weird feeling, but not anything I'd call pain. After the strong pain pills, which I discontinued in 2 to 2.5 days, I used the 30 or so hydrocodones to help get to sleep at night some nights. As long as you get a good PT guy or girl, there will be no pain there either. At least that is what I experienced. It's far better to do it than not. Good luck!

What "strong pain pills" were you using those first 3 days?
If the rotator cuff surgery isn't any more painful than my compound fractured wrist and subsequent repair, I think I'll be able to hack it.

If anyone needs names, here's two that I can highly recommend. Michael Wiater in the Detroit area (Beaumont Hospital) and Kenneth Jurist in Nacogdoches, Texas. Ken did my first surgery in 1986 and I called him 2 years ago for a recommendation since he had moved, and he unhesitantly told me about Wiater.

If there's any way you can avoid the surgery by doing physical therapy then I would try that.
I had rotator cuff surgery about 4 years ago and initially it was better but now my range of motion is much less than I previously had.
Try PT first!

Only thing I got was hydrocodone, needed it for about a day or two. And there was most definitely some pain with re-hab, to restore range of motion you have to break down some scar tissue. But nothing too bad, it was very tolerable.

10-4. I was prescribed oxycodone for my forearm fracture, but I never took the first one.

Savoie?

You guessed it.

DF

" And there was most definitely some pain with re-hab, to restore range of motion you have to break down some scar tissue."

That wasn't my experience. The scar tissue was removed and tendons were reattached during the surgery. I had almost no pain during rehab because my really hot therapist told me to let her know if I felt any pain. She said if you feel pain the tendons are being damaged. The physical therapy was just to restore range of motion and regain strength by gentle stretching/lifting light weights. If you don't use your arm like you normally would after therapy you will lose some range of motion.

He did my last one. Dr Suri did my replacement. Things never got better. He then did a capsule release. Things never got better. I worked PT very hard. In fact, there were a few times I wore my therapists out. I saw Suri a dozen or so times following the replacement. He probably did xrays 6 times. He wanted to do yet another surgery. I finally decided to get a second opinion. I went to see Savoie. Within 5 minutes of being in his office, he identified the problem. Suri installed the wrong parts in the wrong place. Dr. Savoie didn't hesitate to say that. I need to do a malpractice suit, but it kinda goes against my character. Dr. Savoie did a clean up. Because of the misalignment, my glenoid component was slaughtered. He tore it out and reshaped the bone. It's still bad. The only other option is a revision.

Shoulder surgeries are tough. Much tougher than knees in my opinion. So is the PT. Following shoulder surgery, a recliner is a man's best friend. The most intense long duration pain I have ever experienced was following the replacement when the block wore off. Oh my hell it hurt.

I have physical therapy on order but they haven't called yet..I told the doctor based on my wifes therapy I would not push it beyond whatever..Once that shoulder is pushed and irritated, It hurts the rest of the day and night making everything miserable..I don't really care what the therapist says,I will not make my life more miserable than it already is..LOL..I understand pushing some for range of motion but as it stands now,I have no problem with the way it is..NOT HURTING...The Cortisone shot did wonders so far...Just finished bringing in a Rhino load of wood and I feel just fine...

I really do not understand as most here have said,how and why the Therapist causes so much pain making life miserable when the shoulder hurts like it can..Once irritated,it hurts to chit/shower and shave...Yes I have an attitude towards any person that sets that puppy off,including the therapist..The wife used to come home from shoulder therapy in tears...

A good the tharapist works you "as tolerated".However with shoulder surgery one has to tolerate a little bit more than usual.

If your surgeon has a good relationship with PT and allows early PT post op, you don’t see adhesive capsulitis, or “frozen shoulder”. Those that wait too long before starting PT have a percentage of cases that need anesthesia to break up adhesions. It’s a trust issue. Done right, you have no post op injuries from PT and no unnecessary adhesions.

Start with the right team. It’s that first shot that’s so important, as with hunting.

DF

And to hit it off with your PT, tell them you heard a nasty rumor. It was so bad you almost didn’t show up for the appointment. Tell them you heard PT stood for Physical Terrorist.

You may want to wait until after the session.

DF

Absolutely brutal. No getting around it. I had complete cuff reattachment. In a recliner for 12 days/ nights. Very humbling when you are that helpless. Lived on pain meds for 5 days and then very seldom took them. Had the circulating ice pack on most of the time in the recliner. I really think that is what got me through it. Stay ahead of the pain for the first few days with the good stuff the doc gives .

Good luck!!!

Razorhog

Well, it sounds like I need to plan on renting a recliner and one of those ice machines and have both of them waiting for me at home before I ever head in for surgery. Damn, I dread this.

With a right RC, get a recliner with electric control. Most recliners have a right sided control lever. You’ll appreciate the ice machine. I borrowed one from a PT buddy. Bought the recliner.

Cat is the only creature sleeping in it currently. Not me! Renting may not be a bad option.

DF

I already have you in prayer, bro! are you scheduled yet?

I preferred to call mine ...........................


Professional Torturer.

Licensed and fully accredited by the state to inflict pain. Had the paperwork right there on the wall for all to see!

Geno

Thanks for the prayers. Not scheduled yet - I meet with the surgeon on Monday.

With a good anesthesiologist you should be fine.

Don’t forget to request a brachial plexus block.

DF

This is correct! if your PT is causing real pain (not slight discomfort), go to someone else.

Sorry, not buying that as a general comment; the need today is very rare.

MM

Saddlesore, there is no invasive procedure that doesn’t carry some risks or side effects. But, very generally, here’s what likely what happened to you.

The nerves come out of the Cervical spinal column in various bundles break down from larger to smaller as they get peripheral (closer to the shoulder). They are enclosed in sheaths or fascia.

During the block after the needle punctures the sheath (following finding it in the first place) some of the local anesthetic invariably flows medially (toward the spinal column) as well as peripherally. This is where you need a skilled practitioner and why this block should be place while the patient is awake — to observe minute-by-minute effects.

As it flows medially it often knocks out the phrenic nerve on that side which causes a hemi paralysis of the diaghram. This is not totally uncommon and normally not a problem in a relatively healthy, young, non-smoking patient. The resp rate may be noted to increase a bit to compensate. This scenario is also one reason to do this while the patient is awake so this effect of the block if it occurs can be monitored, correlating it with the dose given. Obviously too great a dose given moving medially and affecting the nerves as they exit the spinal cord can even cause a “total spinal” in which case a patient needs to be resuscitated, perhaps even intubated, and place on a ventilator until the drug wears off. If done asleep under controlled ventilation, this scenario goes unnoticed until the patient comes out of the general anesthetic at which time you have serious problems.

Which brings up the issue of doing this block on the elderly, the obese, or any patient with respiratory compromise regardless of cause. I wouldn’t. I don’t know if any of these fit you but for example I generally wouldn’t perform this block on an over-sixty patient with a history of heavy smoking and at least some degree of COPD.

Nevertheless, on appropriate patients, and done with precision, it is a great pain-saver.

George, how does this look to you?

The surgery is absolutely painless! You will not remember a single thing.

The PT after is hell. Specially if you truly care and put forth 100% effort. But recovery goes fairly fast and you can and will make it through it.

I’m sorry Paul B. Not a radiologist or an orthopedist. So a “placement doesn’t look right” is as specific as I can be especially without the context of wider and more views.

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