recovery from shoulder surgery

[DudeBro]

just curious, what are the long term risks of putting off these kinds of repairs? My right shoulder definitely has a tear, but I don't know how bad. Can one essentially hold the status quo in place for a while, maybe with PT? I'm 60 and have recently changed up my life completely and am doing a lot of physical, land management work including brush removal, timber thinning, etc. Being "down" for the lengths of time you guys are talking about will be tough for me to swing for the next few years.

I'm no doctor and can't say if this would be your situation. My mother is 68 and had a rotator cuff tear diagnosed about 2 years ago. Between her fears of surgery, a mild stroke, COVID, and some other health conditions, she didn't have surgery until last week. Injections worked for her initially...and then not at all. Before her surgery monday, she almost couldn't raise her arm at all. When the surgeon got in there Monday, he discovered three of the muscles were badly torn and that he could only repair one of them due to the severity of the deterioration. When he tried to join the other two tears together, the tissue tore worse. We'll know in 6 months if she has to have a shoulder replacement. I can't say that your situation will deteriorate like this, so ask your doctor.

I can also tell you with certainty that age is not your friend with surgery. Risks increase, recovery lengthens, and positive results decrease.

I recommend discussing with your physician, but I'd get the surgery as soon as practical for you.

 

[TheGDog]

just curious, what are the long term risks of putting off these kinds of repairs? My right shoulder definitely has a tear, but I don't know how bad. Can one essentially hold the status quo in place for a while, maybe with PT? I'm 60 and have recently changed up my life completely and am doing a lot of physical, land management work including brush removal, timber thinning, etc. Being "down" for the lengths of time you guys are talking about will be tough for me to swing for the next few years.

With ANY surgery the younger you are helps sway the outcome more in your favor towards successful recovery.

Have you had the MRI done to learn how big of a tear it is?

If it's just a partial labral tear, (which is defined as up to 3mm as I believe) the healing time is not bad at all with arthro surgery. It's just really frickin hurts for those first 2 weeks though. You WILL need opiates. Make sure to taper accordingly.

They basically just go in there with a rasp tool which is hooded all around it except for the opening in front... then they go in and rasp the tear area. The idea is they make it fray-up a lot and remove bits that are protruding too much. Then when your body heals it, it smooths it over. The rasping and fraying it up apparently promotes that area to knit and heal and smooth over more rapidly.

It will be imperative that you follow your PT guys instructions in terms of NOT pushing that area. Think mildly fatigue it, NOT strain it. You don't want ANY pain when executing the PT steps. They'll tell you.

 

[DudeBro]

If it's just a partial labral tear, (which is defined as up to 3mm as I believe) the healing time is not bad at all with arthro surgery. It's just really frickin hurts for those first 2 weeks though. You WILL need opiates. Make sure to taper accordingly.

This is interesting. I've had two shoulder surgeries now. This one included a partial tear of my rotator cuff and procedure just like you're describing. I haven't need opiates either time (although they were prescribed). NSAIDs and tylenol were enough both times.

 

[TheGDog]

This is interesting. I've had two shoulder surgeries now. This one included a partial tear of my rotator cuff and procedure just like you're describing. I haven't need opiates either time (although they were prescribed). NSAIDs and tylenol were enough both times.

I'm glad that was your experience! Just for background here. I'm no stranger to breaking and ripping and tearing sh!t. And from years and years of weight-training my pain threshold is quite high. Like.. when I shattered my wrist out there in 2015. After I hiked back to the truck, I drive it all the way back home the whole length of the 605 Fwy and some of the 405.

For whatever reason, right after the surgery it really freakin' hurt/ached/throbbed superbad. And I was religious about wearing that cuff thing that circulates that icewater thru tubing over the area to help with inflammation and healing initially. I dunno... maybe it just didn't like me walkin' my dog or something. Not that I was using that arm at all, of course.

In my instance though... they had to grind-off a portion of my clavicle. From a prior Fx of the clavicle.. and it healing with a tented bend to it... the distal end of the clavicle had been depressing into the bursa sac for at least a decade. Would feel like someone was stabbing me with a harpoon when doing military presses. So it wasn't just the tissue of the tendon involved. Guess I should have mentioned that, sorry.

 

[DudeBro]

I'm glad that was your experience! Just for background here. I'm no stranger to breaking and ripping and tearing sh!t. And from years and years of weight-training my pain threshold is quite high. Like.. when I shattered my wrist out there in 2015. After I hiked back to the truck, I drive it all the way back home the whole length of the 605 Fwy and some of the 405.

For whatever reason, right after the surgery it really freakin' hurt/ached/throbbed superbad. And I was religious about wearing that cuff thing that circulates that icewater thru tubing over the area to help with inflammation and healing initially. I dunno... maybe it just didn't like me walkin' my dog or something. Not that I was using that arm at all, of course.

In my instance though... they had to grind-off a portion of my clavicle. From a prior Fx of the clavicle.. and it healing with a tented bend to it... the distal end of the clavicle had been depressing into the bursa sac for at least a decade. Would feel like someone was stabbing me with a harpoon when doing military presses. So it wasn't just the tissue of the tendon involved. Guess I should have mentioned that, sorry.

GDog,

I didn't mean to imply I'm tough and you're weak. My point was that everyone's body is different; while many people need narcs post-op, many others do not. FWIW, I had the same problem and same corrective procedure (mumford procedure) on my clavicle during both shoulder surgeries as well.

 

[TheGDog]

Hmmph... it's got a name. Ok. He just called it a subacromial decompression in order create some space in there. It was a trip because the bone part which had been depressed down into the Bursa had a sort of red staining to it.

 

[DudeBro]

Hmmph... it's got a name. Ok. He just called it a subacromial decompression in order create some space in there. It was a trip because the bone part which had been depressed down into the Bursa had a sort of red staining to it.

I've had both the subacromial decompression and the mumford procedure. My understanding was that the former is actually trimming the clavicle whereas the latter is just smoothing out all the junk under the acromion. Both procedures help to address causes of shoulder impingement. I'm no doctor, so I could be completely wrong.

 

[RichP]

I don’t remember the exact names the doctor said, all I know is I had 1 full tear and 2 partial tears. I do know it wasn’t going to get better on its own.
Here I sit 5 months post surgery and just starting to feel normal again. Surgeon said I will feel good in 6 months and great in a year.
It didn’t click in my brain when I first heard that. I was the guy who bounced back from everything in a couple of days. It has definitely been a struggle, but despite what my brain tells me I am doing what the doctor and PT orders.
Stil in PT, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[3d4me]

that is a lot of work but worth it

 

[CZp-01]

Man, I feel for you! I had the same exact surgery in 2017. I had to sleep in a recliner for 3 months. I tried time and time again to sleep in bed. I could never get comfortable. I've lost a fair amount of external range, but not functional range.

Lucky for me it was my non dominate arm. I know have pain that is very reminiscent in my right shoulder.

It was a work related injury. I was back to work (UPS) 10 months after surgery.

Good luck!

 

[TheGDog]

One thing that will be key for you post surgery and once you're all healed up. You're going to always need to do shoulder work at the gym each visit. AND... make sure to SAVE that work for the last thing you do at the gym that day. Once your shoulders tap out from being sore, you won't want to do chest, curls upper-body stuff anymore because EVERYTHING involves your shoulders.

A good weight exercise is where you grab a light-ish dumbbell, like maybe a 10Lbs. And with your elbow kept tight to your side... you radiate outward then back. This one move will tire out that joint but good.

Instead of just Forward raises, and then Lateral raises. I like to do where you raise forward first... then radiate outward to lateral, then back down, so you get full range of motion in the movement.

 

[Gapmaster]

I had my bow arm shoulder done 5 weeks ago. 2 Full thickness tears and the whole clavicle cut off thing for the bursa sac and the labrum tears fixed and had frozen shoulder. There’s no other way to say it besides it SUCKS!! I’ve always prided myself on my pain tolerance, but DAMN... surgeon tells me 4-6 months on pulling a bow. I’m putting in the work at home and PT....September comes fast.

 

[DV4LF3]

Just had a surgery...
Torn bicep tendon
Torn labrum
Torn rotator cuff
Bone spur

ive had both knees, both calves and both feet reconstructed and the days after surgery, the pain is worse with shoulder surgery for sure. It’s a road to recovery but worth it.