Shoulder surgery, who's had it? **may contain Graphic images**

[Kaveh]

Backround story:
I've been pretty active my whole life (I'm 28).  Played sports throughout school and pretty active after that (snowboarded professionally for a few years).  I have had my share of injury's and have a pretty good idea of when something is seriously fubared in my body.  My left shoulder has been make the beast with two backsed for years now, since my 2nd year of H.S.  It has always been weaker than my right, but whenever I injure it it always heals back to where it was before.  It might take some time, a good couple of months of taking it easy, but it always felt the 'same-ish' eventually.  I have gone to the Doctor about it in the past and have been told it's just the rotator cuff, doesn't need surgery.  (I've always tried to stay away from surgery)

About 9 months ago I took a really hard hit into the boards playing ice hockey.  Since then my left shoulder hasn't been the same.  Initially the pain was worse than it is now, but not by much.  I can barely lift 20lbs over my head with my left arm (I can do 4 sets of 12 with a 65 lb dumbbell with my right).  I continue to play hockey (but take it way easy), but no longer lift weights (nothing at all, can't even do bicep curls without intense shoulder pain). 

As far as going to the Doctor, I currently don't have health insurance.  I quit my job last year and started working for myself.  Health Insurance was something I was going to get once my company was up and running fairly well, there were other 'priorities' that were higher  .  I am currently shopping for health insurance.

My main question is this:  how many of you have had shoulder surgery, rotator cuff and ligament repair?  How long did the rehab last?  how long before you felt 100%?  Any general thoughts re: this?

My brother and Brother-in-law both recently have had shoulder surgery.  They both feel really good about it.  My brother is very active, my Brother-in-law isn't.  It took my brother less time to heal, but my brother-in-law is kinda of a ninny(I mean that in a good way) when it comes to pain and such, so I don't know if that is a good comparison.

I haven't had a good night's sleep this year at all.  My shoulder 'healed' (pain went down) a bit initially, but no progress has been made since.  My bed looks like a giant newborn sleep there.  I have pillows all around/under me to make sure I don't move in the night  .  It's kinda silly, but it is the only way i can fall asleep 

Another question I have for any experts out there is what if I wait till the end of summer to get this done?  (that's assuming I need surgery)  What are the consequences?  I'd like to finish out the hockey season, but not at the expense of long term damage.

[Le Pirate]

I had my rotator cuff just about completely rebuilt (Dr. had to go in, stitch a bunch of stuff back together, etc., etc). I'm still not completely sure what all he did in there, but I know it's just like new. It probably took a good 6 months for me to regain complete motion, and there are still a few things that hurt it (reaching backwards in certain directions, etc.). there was quite a bit of rehab involved in getting back to normal...which is a necessity. If you don't stretch it and whatnot, it'll never get back to normal (as my good friend has found out...he skipped the 2-3 months of rehab because he "didn't need it"  ).

all and all, you're looking at a month after the surgery of little to no movement, a month or 2 of some movement, but no real usefulness, and then rehab for another 2-3 months...and you'll be just like new again.


it's great being back to normal....though there is still some elevated risk of re-injury. I'm not supposed to ever swim by myself again (cause swiming motion is where my shoulder pops out the most easily from socket).

[Kaveh]

I'm assuming your surgery was all scoped?

[Grampa]

I had a VRS done once

[Manny]

Had my right shoulder scoped a few years back. I was 28 or so. The doc stapled down 2 large tears in the labrum, tightened the supraspinatus tendon, shaved the acromion, cleaned up some debris, etc.

Recovery was:
6 weeks in sling 
2 more weeks 'til I could drink a beer or operate a light switch
4 more weeks and I was mountain biking (and wrecking) with my physical therapist
total = 12 weeks 'til back to normal life.

It hurt for another year afterwards, but didn't impair my ability to do fun stuff. Now it's nice and tight and strong.

Good luck on yours.

[Le Pirate]

I'm assuming your surgery was all scoped?

yeah, they scoped it.


BTW---the longer you wait, the more scar tissue you'll have built up in there

[DucHead]

When I saw, "Shoulder surgey,"  I thought this was a thread on a Russian hockey player who likes shoulder checking! 

On topic:  I've never had shoulder surgery. 

[DoubleEagle]

I had my right shoulder scoped for a torn rotator cuff accoring to the radiologist reading of my MRI. I was into Body Building at the time and didn't want to have surgery. I was 50 years old and never had had any surgery where I had to be put under. I went to 6 different orthopaedists hoping one would tell me that I could lift lighter and not need siugery. The tear was not very long ,I forget how many mms it was but when you looked at the MRI film you could see a V in the cuff. I went to  those 6 different Orthopaedists before I was convinced that I was going to have to have it worked on. The last Doctor I saw convinced me and also he had the best " bedside manner " of any I had talked to.

Well the crazy thing was, after I woke up in recovery he told me he couldn't find a tear. My whole surgery was video taped and the Doctor narrated it as he worked and he did do a shoulder decompression which was a result of a calcification from a broken collar bone from an old Moto Cross accident. I went through several weeks of rehab for this and it still bothered me for years when I'd do something with my right hand overhead.

This may not have helped a whole lot since your's sounds for sure a torn rotator cuff. I say bite the bullet as soon as possible w/ a Doc w/ a good reputation. In 2000 my operation w/ a scope was $3500 plus the cost of rehab was about $75 a visit, 2 or 3 times a week. Not trying to freak you out ...just tring to give you some idea what it was 8 years ago. I would work real hard on getting some Health Insurance. I wrecked my #1 S4Rs in April of this year . I ran into a ditch and later had to have minor Surgery and then major Surgery and my medical bills are in the $70,000 range and I'm back to riding. I wish you all the best but putting it off will only make it worse.

[Magnus]

I had it done arthroscopically to repair a torn labrum and shave down a bone spur.  Rehab was a pain but two years later it's as good as new...   my only recommendation is to get the best shoulder specialist you can find.  I went and got mine done by the same guy who does shoulder surgery for the NY Jets...  pro sports teams don't screw around with stuff like that.

[Kaveh]

I had it done arthroscopically to repair a torn labrum and shave down a bone spur.  Rehab was a pain but two years later it's as good as new...   my only recommendation is to get the best shoulder specialist you can find.  I went and got mine done by the same guy who does shoulder surgery for the NY Jets...  pro sports teams don't screw around with stuff like that.

I know that the doctor that did Alex Smith's Shoulder (QB for the SF 49ers) is part of the Blue cross/shield group here in the bay.  That's who did my brother's surgery.  My brother also had a bone spur as well as rotator cuff, it was outpatient surgery and the total bill was something around 35k   

It's funny, I've had health insurance on and off ever since I moved out of my parent's house when i was 18.  Most of the time I've had some sort of coverage, the few times I've had windows where I don't have health coverage I seem to need it, all the other times I almost never use it.  Last time I didn't have health insurance I broke my foot.

[Kaveh]

Had my right shoulder scoped a few years back. I was 28 or so. The doc stapled down 2 large tears in the labrum, tightened the supraspinatus tendon, shaved the acromion, cleaned up some debris, etc.

Recovery was:
6 weeks in sling 
2 more weeks 'til I could drink a beer or operate a light switch
4 more weeks and I was mountain biking (and wrecking) with my physical therapist
total = 12 weeks 'til back to normal life.

It hurt for another year afterwards, but didn't impair my ability to do fun stuff. Now it's nice and tight and strong.

Good luck on yours.

Thanks for the feedback, do you remember how much it cost?

[Kaveh]

I had it done arthroscopically to repair a torn labrum and shave down a bone spur.  Rehab was a pain but two years later it's as good as new...   my only recommendation is to get the best shoulder specialist you can find.  I went and got mine done by the same guy who does shoulder surgery for the NY Jets...  pro sports teams don't screw around with stuff like that.

BTW, how long did the rehab process take and how long before you felt "good enough" to be active again?

[Manny]

Thanks for the feedback, do you remember how much it cost?

Work comp.

[Speeddog]

Sorry to hear about the issue, best of luck getting it sorted. 

[cyrus buelton]

I have had my left shoulder operated on not once, but two times.


Procedure 1:

Bankhart Repair (tore the ligaments around the "ball" in my shoulder). This was a full on 4.5inch cut open and 3 titanium pins. 6 weeks in a sling then physical therapy.

Cost: 15,000$

Procedure 2:

Pin ripped out, leaving on two holding my shoulder in. This happened about about 8 months after the first surgery. This time I had it done with a scope, removed the make the beast with two backsed up pin and put three more in. 6 more weeks in a sling and I skipped therapy this time around

Cost: 20,000$



It's expensive. Remember, if it is a pre-existing injury chances are if you get insurance now, they won't cover it. Make sure to hurt your shoulder again......