Broken collarbone will require surgery

[RDKLL]

Had orthopedic consult today and the doc suggested surgery for a couple of reasons:
1) Heal faster with bones in the right spot
2) With bones in the right spot, less likely to be weaker than before
3) With pltes ad screws, a more robust repair

Surgery will br on Monday 4/24
off work 3-4 weeks
next bike ride Mid July
4 day old bruise:

[Beardo]

When I broke my collar bone playing hockey, they didn't do surgery. It snapped right in the middle, they tried to pull my shoulders back to get it set properly, but they couldn't. So they just let it heal overlapping. They said it would heal twice as thick and would never break again. This was a small town hospital, if I'd been in the city, they might have done the surgery, who knows.

But I was 13 years old, so I'd imagine that would factor in, I was still growing, bones probably heal better at that age.

Of course, the doctors will know best, if they say surgery is the right thing to do, it probably is. Good luck. 

[old2soon]

Whatever you do do NOT goose the nurse if she has a needle for you!    RIDE SAFE.

[oldsmokey]

Busted mine in a crash back in 84. Wore a sling, healed with a lump (overlapped) and right shoulder is a little lower than the left.  I remember the ache if it wasn't supported well. Hope all goes well.

[J.Mencalice]

A thought: Closed reduction (have it set), let it heal, and then a full course of physical therapy to regain strength/flexibility in the surrounding muscles/ligaments.

A good physical therapist has been worth more to successful healing (in my various circumstances over the years) than orthopedic surgeons were by far.

Also, the risk of infection from surgery is ever present in this methicillin-resistant-staphylococcus aureus world.

Finally, please contemplate this: Surgeons don't make money unless...............they perform surgery.

Wish you well in your healing.

[Moonshot_1]

My 2 cents. Had a M/C accident back in 09. Broke collarbone in 2 places (left side).
The thought was to let it heal for 4 weeks then start Physical therapy.
Went to PT and worked at it for a couple of weeks and was scheduled to go back to work.
I know the therapist seemed perturbed at my seeming lack of progress. I just could not seem to do well with lifting weights.

Day before I was to go back to work had the "final" appointment with the doctor. She asked me how things were going and I told her not bad but was having difficulty with a little pain  in the collarbone area when moving the arm. She felt my collarbone as I moved my arm, her eyes got big and said I was going to x-ray right now. The x-ray showed the collarbone was still way, way broke. Being broke in 2 places it never got really set.

So another month of waiting for it to close up, never does, and so I get it screwed together surgically.

The plate and screws will make it a more robust repair, and will heal quickly.
My only real issue is the weather. When it is going to storm the collarbone really gets sore around the screws. Actually my whole left side aches but the collarbone smarts a bit more.

Good luck with the surgery!

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

Good luck with it. For most people those kind of repairs seem to work well.

I'm probably the exception. I had a plate and seven screws added to my lower leg after I slid on some crushed acorns and broke it on the Valk. My job at the time woundn't allow me to take medical leave without using my vacation first so I went right back to work with crutches and a wheel chair to preserve my vacation. Leg was never right after that, ankle would turn "blackish" by the end of my work days. Leg would swell miserably and hurt all day, every day. After a few years the screws started backing out and were pushing against the skin from the inside. New, better Doc said plate and screws had to come out. He removed the plate and six screws, one screw was driven diagonally into and buried in the bone and couldn't be removed.

A few days after the stitches were removed the leg opened back up to the bone and stunk, appeared to be infected and rotting inside. I could have chummed for catfish with it. Surprised the neighbors cats didn't follow me around. Then an emergency surgery to remove the bad tissue and 3 months on a "wound vac" which was nasty, and saved my leg.

Ankle still turns blackish by the end of a long day standing on concrete, leg is still painful most of the time, but it's still attached, I can still walk, work, ride and hunt and don't limp most of the time. While I was incapacitated and not getting any exercise, I became diabetic and still am. Probably always would have been if I didn't do physical work and the time manning a couch just brought it to the top I guess. I still worry about that damn screw that was left in there and just hope I can keep the leg for the rest of my days.

I have the plate and six screws in a bag in my desk, just to remind me what a moment of "irrational exuberance" can cost. Have considered having them tigged together and adding them to the bike somewhere I can see them when I'm riding.

I was done with the wound vac in this pic but was still getting the wound flushed out and dressed by family members twice a day.

I call this photo "pussy footing". 

[Bighead]

A thought: Closed reduction (have it set), let it heal, and then a full course of physical therapy to regain strength/flexibility in the surrounding muscles/ligaments.

A good physical therapist has been worth more to successful healing (in my various circumstances over the years) than orthopedic surgeons were by far.

Also, the risk of infection from surgery is ever present in this methicillin-resistant-staphylococcus aureus world.

Finally, please contemplate this: Surgeons don't make money unless...............they perform surgery.

Wish you well in your healing.

Your plan sounds good but after 30 + years in Orthopaedic care there is zero way to "set" (as people like to say) a clavicle it heals the way it is or is surgically repaired. And it all depends on how / where the fracture is as to whether it needs to be repaired.

[Hooter]

Mines screwed back together. Gotta bump where that's been done. Surgery was ok, but only a hassle for a few days. Healed pretty quick.