Hey All,
My husband had surgery to repair his rotator cuff a year ago. He was under the impression that he should be back to normal by now, but it is still sore on a relatively regular basis, even if he doesn't do anything extreme with it. Has anyone had a similar experience? If so, did you end up needing another surgery? Did it eventually get better? It's (usually) not as bad as it was pre-surgery, but the procedure was so horrible he's dreading the idea of having it again if it didn't take.
ADDED: He was a model PT patient, and everyone was pretty happy with where he was when he was released (around Christmas time). He does do some exercises/Advil when it acts up, and sometimes that helps. I guess I was just wondering what he might expect long term/when he sees the surgeon again (which he is planning on doing). I guess I'm also just thinking he'll order another MRI (yuck), and still not know anything definitively. Thanks, again!
Many thanks,
L.
Where was he at when he was released from physical therapy? If he didn't have physical therapy that would be a good place to start.
He should at least be where he was at the end of his physical therapy. They should have given him a list of exercises to do when it gets worse.
My MIL had it a few years ago, the PT is EXTREMELY important after the surgery. The surgeon and the job he does is also important. It might be good to have another specialist look at it, or go through a round of PT... it's NOT an easy surgery to get over. He may never have full range of motion again.
L., did he go to physical therapy? Did he and is he doing all the exercises they prescribed?
If he stopped doing them, he should start again, a little at a time - not all of them at one fell swoop. Did the doctor order a type of ibruprophen for swelling? He should start back on those as well.
He should go back to the doctor and ask them to check for scar tissue. It could be that the PT could massage that scar tissue out (yeah, it's painful, but it's worth it) - only the doc and the PT know that for sure.
He has to be just as much a part of his recovery as the surgeon. It's an ongoing process. Get him back to the doctor to see what's what.
Good luck!
Dawn
Even model PT patients can end up with frozen shoulders or on-going pain and loss of range of motion. My mom's took about a year to be pain-free. It eventually stopped hurting, and range of motion remained pretty low for over a year. In the last two years, it suddenly increased some. She says she'd rather die than go through the surgery ever again.
My husband had the same thing 10 years ago. It hurts him all the time. Even in the first year. He did have a second MRI about a year after and his shoulder looked worse then before the surgery. They recommended a second surgery but he refused, he didn't want them to make it even worse so he just lives with it. He met several men in PT that were 10-20 years older than him, they were in PT from their 2nd and 3rd rotator cuff surgeries. They told him that it will have to be done again several years later and so on and so on. Hopefully his isn't that bad. =(
we've had a few shoulder surgeries in the family and they are very tough to recoup. from but much better after the PT and recovery time (our ortho drs. said 4 months pretty much no strain on it for the healing process). We had a friend who ended up tearing his rotator cuff again by doing too much too soon and really did't do much at all, but enough to cause another slight tear. He's in line for another surgery. Icing helps the pain too.
I am wondering if he had a pain pump with his procedure? If he did there have been many problems to the extent that there are law suits pending about damage done from the pump!
Since he did all of his PT & things seemed to be OK then a trip to the Doc is in order! He may have pulled something again or he may have adhesions tho' normally those take longer to, 'grow'. Another MRI should show any abnormalities so that will be a good thing. I had my surgery & within 6months I never had another twinge. My mom did NOT do her PT & never healed correctly, it's just as if she didn't have anything done, another member posted about the surgery about a week ago & the answers were ALL OVER the place about the different outcomes post surgery! I am still of the camp that the MRI should be the answer to what is going on.
Good luck to you both!
my DH was told to expect at least one year for full (or almost full) recovery.
It took almost 3 years, but it did happen. Recovery was about 80-90%.... but we'll take it!
