Thread: shoulder surgery it is :(

well, looks like I have posterior and anterior tears in my labrum from a fall in April '08. I've had a recurring partial dislocation that over 2 months of physical therapy hasn't fixed so I got an MRI and met with a very good ortho.
Haven't made the appointment yet, but I'm shooting for mid-January. Like many of you, I dream about skiing and this kills me. The radiologist's report used the word "extensive" or something so I have to get this done soon, and before the start of the next semester so I have some recovery time.
Anyone else have any similar experiences?
Looks like I could have up to 6 months of recovery time from a simple, hour long arthroscopic procedure. During my 6 weeks in a sling I will probably drink heavily. Yes, my family will come out and see me.
Anyway, gimme what you got, then shoot me.

Dude went through this end of april it's the suck.
Even if your PT is smoking hot, cool, and supports and nurishes your brokedick unemployed ass the whole time.
Here is a hint though you don't need that shoulder for anything semester related unless your a jock. Ski the season, turn it down a notch, try not to digger into it. Mine was pretty "extensively" jacked from old injuries and a mountain bike crash the summer before but I had a great ski season. It hurt a bit to wear a full touing pack. Waiting 4 months probably isn't gonna matter unless your in real pain. There is a thread with a lot of peeps experiences ment to post in it never got around to it.

I'm getting open bankart surgery for my torn labrum on 12/23. Mine is torn from 1:00 to 5:00 apparently after looking over the MRI with contrast. I had arthroscopic in '00 but it failed to hold. Getting some anchors this time and I guess my ortho says he's doing a capsular shift as well. Hope it holds this time. Not looking forward to it.

Wait until after ski season! Dumb ass!

For me, I'm doing it now to save money. My insurance deductible has been satisfied for the year, and the new year begins January. If I don't do it this month, I'm out $2500.

Not to mention every flail of my arm results in a dislocation.

yeah, I really wanna put it off till closer to spring break and use that time to recover.
and my PT is kinda a MILF.
Thing is, I need to be well for the summer so I can get a job. And yeah, I'd dial it back for sure if I skied. And Jason, STFU

If I got my surgery in the middle of March, would I be mostly able bodied by Mid-May. Mind you, it's my left shoulder and I'm a righty.

I had posterior and anterior tears in Dec. '05. I decided to wait until after ski and hockey season was done to have it repaired. I took like a month off right after it happened and then just wore a brace for skiing and hockey. I had surgery in Mid-March of '06 and skipped the last week of PT to head to my summer job in early June. I kept wearing the brace for physical activities for the summer for extra protection. So far, everything is still intact. Bottom line, brace it and ski if you can afford to deal with the surgery timewise in the spring.

This is the brace I used. http://www.donjoy.com/index.asp/fuse...l/cat/9/id/147

yeah, I don't really need a brace, it's not that bad, and I don't play full contact sports. I'm pretty sure I'm putting it off till March. Just talked to the 'rents about it. I guess it takes a week just to work off the anesthetic?
Here's to maxing out the out-of-pocket!

I had mine done early April and it was teh suck. Worst injury and hardest recovery I've had, and that's saying a lot. I knew I needed it and wanted to put it off until summer but by the end of February I couldn't even run or ski anymore because every movement would knock me down with a stinger. It would wake me up with a stinger every time I moved while sleeping. Rehab was a bitch, partly because the cute grrl PT got replaced with a dude who only made things worse. After I stopped going it finally started to improve. Feels pretty good now but I still can't lie on that side and since the other one is just about as bad, sleep is still a problem 8 months out.

Good luck with it.

Ski the season (or at least a good part of it) and then get it done. I had pretty bad tears in mine; but skiing only slightly bothered it, but I couldn't surf without it popping out on me. Granted, I skied carefully, and had no diggers during the time I waited.

Had surgery at the end of March for pretty extensive tears (Bankhart repair, reverse-Bankhart repair, SLAP repair, and capsular tightening). This was my non-dominant side.

In my experience, it is unlikely that you will be fully able to use your arm by May. The rehab is a long road and it takes a lot to get your ROM and strength back. I've got a post somewhere in Gimp Central documenting my recovery process.

Good luck.

I actually see the ortho on Tuesday and I wonder if if i might need a repair. My one should has been getting progressivly weaker and more painful and unstable. originaly tore my labrum in it in like 2000 or so did PT on it, but since I stopped climbing the stabilizing muscles i had are not as strong ..boo'urns

yeah, your best bet is to build the strength up again for when you lose it in the sling. Or so I've heard.
Made the date for Jan 7. I'm pretty nervous about it, but I'm confident in the doctor. The damage to my labrum is pretty bad I guess, and I'm always likely to beater it in at any time, so the sooner I get this taken care of the better.

Had a dislocated, A/c joint, labrum tear and rotator cuff repaired about 4 years ago and it took a long time for me to get my strength back but at 43 I'm much older than you.
You'll be fine within a year. I was on pain meds longer than I expected. Almost 2 months because it painful to sleep. Oxy and hydrocodone.

have my appointment this afternoon. surprisingly, my shoulder has been killing me all weekend. Usually things like this stop hurting right before a doc appointment. i just wish it could pick one spot to hurt. yesterday the front side joint hurt like hell and now the back/bicep is aching.

My right one is bad too. Inevitable that I will have surgery again in the near future but for now I just want to ski while I can.

Originally Posted by skifishbum

Waiting 4 months probably isn't gonna matter unless your in real pain. There is a thread with a lot of peeps experiences ment to post in it never got around to it.

I tore my UCL in my right elbow playing baseball and had to get tommy john surgery so instead of rushing into surgery in september i took the winter to enjoy some time on the slopes grabbed a pass to stevens and tore up 30+ days. I got surgery in april and was back on the mound the following winter. Trust me you will definately benefit from the wait and enjoy this winter a lot more and will give you some memories to look back on while recovering from surgery. Hope this helps lemme know how the recovery goes.

Ive had a torn labrum for at least 3 years now and was told surgery would be a good idea. However, I dont get stingers and it doesnt dislocate at all like some of you, but Im contemplating on fixing it to prevent it from becoming FUBAR.

I could still play baseball for two of those years, and softball for the past two, throwing obviously isnt 100%, but about 70-80%.

thinking about getting another MRI in the new year to see what the damage is, but again, I dont really get much pain, except if i throw a ball 100%.

surgery seems like a painfully long process and not sure i want to endure it if I can deal with it being torn..

more importantly, no pain skiing. even after shoulder drives into soft east coast moguls.

end blog

do you have a history of dislocations/sublexing?

when i originally tore my labrum i didn't get surgery i just did therapy on it and it worked great for a long time.

no dislocation, but maybe some sublexing?

its very difficult to reach my right arm/shoulder backwards, unable to hold anything too heavy, feels like it may pop, never had though.

I'm liable to beater it in walking down icy pavement, so I really can't ski. I almost subplexed going back to the car at Lost Trail . 2 labrum tears plus general laxity in the sack around the shoulder means I better get it fixed now or I will fuck it up worse. I've subplexed it doing pretty easy shit, too, like closing the car door. Then I'll probably have to get an MRI again and then need full open surgery. Plus I need to study in the winter and work in the summer, so it sucks, but it's just going to have to be this way. I'll let you know how it goes (if anyone cares).

It only took 10secs of being awake after open surgery on Wednesday to remind me how much my body doesn't like being under anesthesia. The past couple days have been rough.

Dont listen to these assholes telling you to ski the season they have no fucking clue as to how bad a shoulder can get fucked if it is bad and you have an accident. I had a history of dislocations for 10 years. My strength coach got me heavily into lifting weights. So I built up my shoulders pretty well and became very strong. This helped a lot. but occasionaly it would pop out and in again.

I got into a random accident almost 4 years ago that turned my life upsidedown. My shoulder basicly exploded - the only thing left was my bicep tendon. Every other tendon released on both ends (very rare). It was completely fucked.

because of the damage i was immoble for a very long time. My deltiod fused and needed more surgery. All in 3 surgeries and 4 FUCKING miserable procedures. 3 yrs of my life on heavy meds and chronic pain. BTW im no pussy i rehabbed an acl and microperf and still ran a 4.57 40 off a pad)

Had I gotten surgrey when I should have this would have never happened. I got very unlucky with a random accident that was magnified by having an unstable shoulder

Sure you may get lucky and ski the rest of the year with no problem but if you dont there can be serious conesquences that i would not wish on any one.

gl in whatever you chose

Speaking from experience, go ahead and get your shoulder fixed, especially if things are not improving. I initially injured my shoulder 6 years ago. I went through PT and just got tired of it. 2 years later, I had a bad fall again skiing and fell forward, put my arms out to catch myself, and re-injured it. After more PT and being told repeatedly "You are going to have to have surgery," I quit going because I did not have time for that, but my shoulder was worse than ever. It would sublux at least once a day, and was not properly in the joint. Finally, 2 years later in 2007 I saw a fabulous dr. who figured out the issue. I had a torn labrum, A/C joint that was completely destroyed, and the whole capsule was just destroyed. After doing the surgery, the doctor said that he did a "shoulder reconstruction involving everything except the rotator cuff" (how that was still in tact, I have no idea). After lots of PT, my shoulder is better than ever! The only time it aches is when it is VERY cold, or when it is going to snow, and the reason that happens is because they had to cut off the end of my collar bone because of how the bones were grinding--it was not reparable.

Anyway, my point is that the damage would not have been that bad if I had taken care of it the first time. Sure, surgery is NOT fun, and neither is recovery (as I sit here on my couch recovering from knee surgery, ugh), but sometimes it has to be done, and it is smarter than putting things off and just having them get worse.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

going in on the 7th.

good luck man. i have the follow up to my MRI on the 7th to discuss what needs to be done

what is the plan for you?