Anyone had rotator cuff surgery?

[Shugardrawers]

Sigh...leave it to me I had an accident on the job and wound up tearing my rotator cuff. My doc is sending me to see an orthopedic surgeon on Monday but I really wanted some input today. Is it painful? How long does it take to get over it? How much are you able to use your arm while recovering? Just my luck it's my right arm. That means I can't drive my car (it's a stick) for a while afterwards. Or do much of anything I think.

There is the option of waiting a while but these things apparently don't repair themselves. They may take a while but eventually they do get worse according to my doc. I'm afraid if I waited a while it would be a huge pain in the butt to get workman's comp to cover it. So it looks like I might as well do it and get it over with because it'll happen eventually.

Anyway, tell me your tale if you've had this.

 

[Tracey1974]

My uncle is having it done in the next week or two- he will be out of work for 12-14 weeks, physical therapy and all. Not too good when you are in manufacturing and need those arms to make and lift things!

Hope your surgery goes well!

 

[Buckalew11]

My DH had it in '93. He would tell you it is no picnic but he also has a high tolerence for pain and never complains. His was also his right arm. It happened at work and they waited almost a year trying other things first which didn't help and maybe (?) he may have done more damage along the way.
He was in great physical shape when he had the surgery so his recoup time was much quicker (weeks ahead of schedule) but it isn't an easy recovery. The therapy is intense and a must do to get well.

Good luck to you! I hope it all goes real well!

 

[Shugardrawers]

he will be out of work for 12-14 weeks

Holy crap!!!!

 

[pilikia97]

DH had the surgery done a year and a half ago. Surgery lasted about 2 or 3 hours (the doc found more damage inside than had originally been detected so he put everything back together again while he was in there). It was pretty cool- just 4 very small incisions, 2 in front and 2 in back of his shoulder, all but one the size of a pencil eraser. His shoulder was packed in ice afterwards for the following 3 days to reduce the swelling, and his arm had to be taped down tightly to his side and belly to prevent movement of any kind (sleeping was an experience- basically had to sleep sitting upright with pillows packed all around him to hold him up and stable). Pain at first was pretty uncomfortable, but he could not stand how the drugs (Oxycontin and some others) made him feel so he only took them the first 3 days then toughed out the rest on Tylenol alone. He was back at work on a limited basis after a week and a half (not too hard 'cuz he works on a computer all day, he would just use his left hand and arm). His car is also a stick so we traded and he was driving my automatic by the 5th week afterwards. Got his car back after 3 months.

Physical therapy afterwards consisted of a lot of stretching exercises using those thera-band things- you know, the big pieces of rubber balloon that stretch and provide resistance to your movement? I also would help by pushing his arm to help stretch the muscles as the Doc told me to do. He was very week and atrophied after those first few weeks of no movement, but progressed very quickly.
Good luck with your surgery, and yes, it is very much better to take care of it now rather than later (thus the extra damage the doc found in DH because he ignored it for so long and repeatedly injured it)!

 

[BrinxFam]

My dad had a torn rotator cuff and had to undergo surgery for it, a few years ago. He actually fell off of something and landed on his right shoulder and his rotator cuff was torn completely. He could not lift his arm at all. He had the surgery, taking 3 2inch screws to reattach everything. Afterwards he went through physical therapy and it was not easy for him. He went to therapy everyday and still had exercises to do at home. I helped him with the "at home" therapy and it made me cry. This was quite a while ago but to this day he still has discomfort and doesn't have full range of motion. He can't raise his arm above his head or hold even a gallon jug up in one position; he can raise the jug but then his arm just begins to slip downward, if that makes any sense.
The surgeon did say that even with all of the sports injuries he had seen my dad's was the aboslute worst one yet of this type. Dad is in good physical condition then, and still is, so that aided in the repair.
On a funny note, this all happened when my DD was quite young and she decided to help papaw by feeding him supper. Dad was afraid he was going to starve because she would only give him one green pea at a time. She was afraid that he would choke since he was already broke. It was really cute!
Anyway, much luck with your impending surgery and best wishes for a speedy recovery.

 

[Shugardrawers]

This sounds like it's really gonna suck! I've been told the PT would be pretty intensive.

I'm just so torn because on one hand I want to wait and see how things go but on the other, if I want it paid for without a hassle I'll have to do it soon. UGH!!!

 

[Luv2Roam]

August 2001 on the right side.
Between all sorts of testing and other unexpected delays, I had lock arm prior to surgery.
It took a little longer to recover due to the lock arm. But my shoulder is in great shape!
I did have a full tear just from normal daily use. So I have an incision from the surgery. If they can get to it before it tears, they can repair it with laposcope.
I was off work for 5 weeks, and pushed to go back to work then. The doctor really wanted me off for 6.
I am surgery phobic. And was even fine afterwards until they started me on the pain pills. I did not even need them. And should have taken them. Anything above OTC pain pills makes me up close and personal with my tiolet.
It really was a breeze -- considering.
The first if the PT when you take off the arm sling is bad. Not painful, just VERY hard to move your arm. But it will come around.

 

[Luv2Roam]

I will tell you one thing after the surgery that I certainly hope does not happen to you. Just keep it in mind.
I have occasional back problems. My back is MUCH better now that I don't travel to WDW from half way across the country!
But cming to WDW and sleeping on hard beds really threw my back into an occasional tizzy.
After the surgery of course I was laying around a lot.

My back MAJORLY screwed up with sciaticia. (sp?) I had to go to PT for that too. I was told serious back problems are not uncommon after surgery, because of laying around, tense, stress, etc.
You may want to cover that with your doctor too, if you already have any kind of back problem and see what they suggest to avoid that.