Has anyone ever had "rotor cuff surgery?

[Bonzo]

I am having mine fixed on 12/7.  I am a bit apprehensive,  but I have to have it done.

[Farther]

My brother has had it twice and mine aren't so good either.  My only advise is to get the best surgeon you can and be religious about physical therapy.  In many cases physical therapy can delay or eliminate the need for surgery.  Physical therapy and anti-inflamatory drugs have kept my pain tolerable.  Good luck!!!

[Bonzo]

Thanks, both my shoulders have pained me for a while. Weight lifting and accidents have taken there toll over the years. My garage door came down on me and guillotined my left shoulder. Tore my rotor cuff in three places. Hurt like the dickens! One of the tears is almost total and they wanted to do the surgery immediately, but I wanted to wait to explore all my options, check out the surgeon and get my ducks in a row.

[mario]

i was having pain my left shoulder and started working out with weights a few weeks ago and the pain has lessoned quite a bit.  at first the pain was bad while doing the weights and the then lessoned with each workout.  i'm hoping it does the trick for a while. 

[da prez]

 Been there ,done it. I have had three  surgeries and have seven implants (four in the left and three in the right) to reattach the ligaments. Find a Dr. that does several a week, not several a year. I had the first one done at veterans hospital in 96. It lasted until 09 when I tore out both shoulders working. It is the most (depending on the extent) painful surgery you will experience. I am not trying to scare you, just answering truthfully. If they offer a pain blocker, take it.(very uncomfortable going in ) but well worth it after the surgery. Use the pain meds after the surgery as they tell you. I came home with an ice  (cold ) pump. It doubles as a beer cooler. Play the sympthy card also. Physical therapy is an absolute must!!!! Good luck and keep us informed.
                                                                                       da prez

[Big Tom 10628]

Yup been there done that..  Took a year before I forgot that I had had surgery.  As has been said get a "Cold pump" , the colder that you can keep it during recovery the better... Be religious about therapy.  I went three times a week for three months.

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[Oss]

sorry to hear about the shoulder Bonzo

But better to do it now so by spring you will be back to your old self again

[Quicksilver]

Just wondering if that's what I have in my right shoulder, pain in the arm and numbness at certain positions with pain in the shoulder. Noticed  numbness when I rest my arm on the table as well from time to time. I tried moving it about but I'm concerned I might be tearing tendons if I do, I'm to see the Doc in 2 weeks, earliest appointment for me. I put in a claim with workers comp because I figure it's work related. Were you guys laid up for long after surgery?

[Tundra]

Yes, I had it done. I waited until my arm was no longer of any use. I couldn't even lift up the remote or even a salt shaker from the table. It took longer to heal completely than I thought. Do your excercises to regain your range of motion. I have regained 100% use of my arm, like it never bothered me at all.
  I went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sports Medicine Surgeon. I have no regrets Check into it ahead of time with your employer and your insurer, you may be out for a spell.
  Funny thing is...I had just purchased a motorcycle from a private sale located 6 hours from my home. I couldn't ride it, or pick it up in my trailer. I was useless in a sling. The guy trailered and delivered it and put it in my garage for me.
First Class Guy

[John Schmidt]

ROTATOR cuff....no, not yet at least, so far the limited weight training is making a difference. My neighbor, a deputy, had it done  when it got to the point he couldn't even draw his weapon. But the guys are right, I was aware of his improvement as he went through months of rehab and if it wasn't for that he'd be driving a desk instead of a squad car. Rehab's the key.

[NJF6Cowboy]

Bonzo,

Our thoughts, best wishes, and prayers go out to you. As said above therapy is extremely painful but well worth the effort.

[Thunderbolt]

Get a good doc that does a lot of them.  Nerve block lasted 14 hrs for me, pain when administered, but my arm was totally useless and did not hurt at all until it wore off.  Hurt REAL bad for a day or two.  Main thing to do after surgery is the physical therapy, go to every session and do what they tell you.  It will hurt some and if you are like me, you will think, man this is goint to hurt it again, but you have to push it a little.  Glad I did it.  Mine was a 70% tear of the supra spinatus or something like that.  They just sewed it back together.  If you need to re-attach ligaments, they will have to put screws in to attach the ligaments.  I know a couple of guys that had that done also, and it was succesful.  You will probably be glad you did it.

[Karen]

Bonzo, can't help with this one, tore up my shoulder many years ago lifting weights after a bout with pneumonia at the same level as before I got sick. Really dumb idea. Decided to let it heal on its own, but it was painful, limited range of motion. Got therapy a few years later. Painful, but today there is no difference in range, and no pain. Therapy really works! Best of luck, and I'd promise to take you for a trike ride, but who knows how much longer before the snow flies? Offer available again in the spring.

[robin]

good luck Steve git er done see ya in the spring for a ride

[musclehead]

I thought years ago I had torn my RC but after time and I stopped benching 405LBS my shoulder got better.

for years i didn't bench at ALL, probably 7-8 years later I can bench without the pain but I'm way down on weight. I only bench up to 275, and right now I seriously doubt I can do that much.

good luck with the surgery! 

[Bonzo]

I was always careful lifting weights, never wanted to screw up PL training with a rotor cuff injury. Military presses always bothered my shoulders, it kept me from entering Olympic style contests.
This happened when my garage door fell and guillotined my shoulder.
Well it does not seem it is going to be fun but thanks for the well wishes!

[Paxton]

Hello mere Mortals...

To my knowledge and experience, most Rotator Cuff injuries are caused by a single traumatic event. 
I had the surgery on both shoulders. The first was "Open" Surgery; the second was Arthroscopic surgery.

OPEN SURGERY: 
On my first event, I fell 12' off a deck, landed on my shoulder and got knocked out for 'bout 1-2 minutes.
That night I ended up at the ER where the X-Ray clearly showed severe trauma. To add REAL PAIN to pain,
because of the seriousness of the injury, they could not operate for a full five months (WTF!).  ???

For those 5 months prior to surgery I had to sleep on a wood Patio chair, seating upright with a seat belt contraption. 
Nothing else would help bare the pain.

Right after OPEN surgery, take no prisoners... demand Morphine even if pain is not apparent. You will thank me for this tip. I bet you would! 
All in all, the most painful period was during the after-surgery-therapy. I went twice for therapy but found every excuse not to go back. 
So I finally regained full rotation capabilities in 'bout another 6 months. It's now been 15 years and the function is back 100%.

ARTHROSCOPIC SURGERY LAST YEAR:
I tried removing a box from a top shelf. When it shifted to my extended arm/hand; it's weight was three times what I anticipated
and so you know this drill... a pretty common occurrence. 
This surgery was done last year. Indeed, by comparison with the first, this surgery was enjoyable.
The shoulder was 70% functional within 3 weeks. Went to "therapy" (NOT!) and it has healed as good as it will get. 

SUMMARY:
If the damage requires only arthroscopic surgery, thank God and go for it. If it requires open surgery, hang on to God,
then get ready for the advanced emotions. 

PAIN LEVEL RATINGS FROM WORSE TO JUST FREAKIN' BAD...
WORSE to Milder:
0. Admitting that you are wrong... 'bout everything!
1. Child Bearing... ask your mother.
2. Gull Bladder Attack - OMG!
3. Viagra OD... after 6 Hours! (Hope for a friendly health care professional.)
4. Severe Rotator Cuff injuries
5. Tit gets caught on the wringer...

ROTATOR CUFF...
Whatever the next 5 months will bring, the rotator cuff in itself will not be anybody's cause of death... although I could be wrong.

Be good to yourself! 

"If I'd known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself!"

[/i]

[fiddle mike]

I am having mine fixed on 12/7.  I am a bit apprehensive,  but I have to have it done.

I had quite a bit of rotator cuff damage repaired about ten years ago, the doc had to cut me rather than going in through a little hole.  I did like the doc instructed, went to physical therapy and healed up good as OEM.  It's a slight ordeal but better than not being able to turn a door knob. 

[Popeye]

Had mine done last year, due to my bike accident.  Doc told my wife it was worse than he thought.

Rehab is the key.  It SUCKS at first but if you stick with it, you will get most of your motion back.  Ask your Doc about how agressive he is with your rehab. I was in rehab with a guy who had his
surgery done a month before me but his doc didn't believe in pushing the rehab.  I was moving my arm
long before he was and I stopped rehab before he did.

Good Luck.