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View Full Version : Help... Shoulder surgery recovery time?



partytime
04-17-2007, 10:34 AM
Going in next week and I can't get a straight story on the recovery time :sqeyes: . I'm having the right shoulder done which sucks cause I'm right handed. I have no idea how I am going to drive my 5 speed car to work. Anyone have this done? How long did it take to get well? Was it worth it?

707dog
04-17-2007, 10:37 AM
get with DAVEO here on the boards he just went thru that and is still recovering and im sure he can give ya the scoop on it...good luck to ya also!!

Mandelon
04-17-2007, 10:39 AM
You're gonna have to trade cars for a while.... :)

phebus
04-17-2007, 10:43 AM
My shoulder took about six-eight weeks, but it was tore up pretty good, and it needed to be cut open and couldn't be done arthroscopicly (seperation/dislocation/rotator cuff).
My suggestion is to learn how to wipe your ass with your left hand before the surgery. Sounds easy, try it. :D

Mandelon
04-17-2007, 10:45 AM
Phebus just breaks it down to the most common denominator doesn't he.... LOL

HalletDave
04-17-2007, 10:55 AM
Going in next week and I can't get a straight story on the recovery time :sqeyes: . I'm having the right shoulder done which sucks cause I'm right handed. I have no idea how I am going to drive my 5 speed car to work. Anyone have this done? How long did it take to get well? Was it worth it?
I have had surgery on both of my shoulders. Left at age 21 and the right at age 26. Just to keep this brief, it depends on what is being repaired, severity of damage and how invasive the surgery is. Another determining factor in recovery is the age of the patient and what their physical and health condition is. The surgeries for me were worth it as it allowed me to finish my last two years of college football and allowed me to continue playing rugby for another 10 years.
I feel your surgeon & physical therapist should be able to help you with your questions and concerns.:idea:
I wish you a speedy recovery.
Feel free to PM me.
Zipper Man:D

partytime
04-17-2007, 11:00 AM
My shoulder took about six-eight weeks, but it was tore up pretty good, and it needed to be cut open and couldn't be done arthroscopicly (seperation/dislocation/rotator cuff).
My suggestion is to learn how to wipe your ass with your left hand before the surgery. Sounds easy, try it. :D
6-8 weeks is better than the 3 months I was told to expect. Mine is tore and the bursa sac is really loose. Was it worth it?

ANXIETY ATTACK
04-17-2007, 11:04 AM
6 mo ago i had major shoulder surgery, torn rotator cuff, torn labrium, (spell check), fractured humurous, and 6 other repairs, was benching 350. lbs, before accident, now only up to 150, might take a year or 2 to fully recover, go slow at first, stretching and what not. ask for the 7.5 perko!

Jim W
04-17-2007, 11:05 AM
I had my rt. shoulder done in 2001. They cleaned up my joint and cut my collar bone in half and left it that way to let the joint move around better.
Best thing I ever did except for getting rid of my ex.
Took about 8 weeks before I wasnt nervous about getting my shoulder bumped into in a crowd of people. About 5-6 weeks for the pain to go away.
FYI, be assured, at some point, someone will slap you on the shoulder and say----hey hows it going buddy......There will be extreme pain. Trust me on this.
One thing to think about. When they go in to do the work, they have to cut muscles in half and stitch them back when done. I forget how many weeks it takes for the muscles to reattach themselves but if you tear the muscles that they stitched back together, the surgon has to go back in and re-stitch torn up muscle. Not a good thing.

H2oracer
04-17-2007, 11:21 AM
It depends on whats wrong and the procedure being done. If it's a rotor cuff repair it will take several weeks for the tissue to heal. I had surgury on 9-04 on my right shoulder for what they callled impingment. They thought it was a rotor cuff tear but it was a bone spur with some fraying of the rotor cuff. They ground down the spur and trimed the rotor cuff and I went back to work after 2 weeks. January last year I had the same problem with my other shoulder and I had surgury on 9-06 but when they sedated me they could not move my arm at all . All they found inside was a small bone spur but it wasn't the problem. The tissue around the joint froze up and they don't know why.
Until they actualy find whats wrong it's very hard to predict. I think a good guess would be 3 to 6 weeks. Good luck

yopengo
04-17-2007, 11:26 AM
6 weeks for me... ten years ago...still hurts. :D

partytime
04-17-2007, 11:35 AM
Ok I think I may be under estimating this thing. Surgery is next Thursday and I was only planning on taking Friday and Monday off from work. I'm in an office. But I'm starting to think I may be too optimistic...
Oh, the age factor... I am 41 but I don't feel a day over 43. :sqeyes: Actually I'm in excellent shape for an old guy.

acatitude
04-17-2007, 11:39 AM
Hey phebus is just being realistic. try wiping your ass with the off hand. fockin messy :D

bohica
04-17-2007, 11:46 AM
6-8 weeks is better than the 3 months I was told to expect. Mine is tore and the bursa sac is really loose. Was it worth it?
How do they plan on fixing up the worn out bursa sac? I've got the same problem, just learned to live with it. Can't do any over-hand sports anymore.

Coded-Dude
04-17-2007, 11:47 AM
Hey phebus is just being realistic. try wiping your ass with the off hand. fockin messy
unless your ambidextrous ;)

DAVEO
04-17-2007, 11:48 AM
I just had my sholder done in dec. still recovering. Major surgery 2 rotator cuff tares and the labrum was torn. reshaped the bones in the sholder(removed all bone spers). Was a bitch its getting better just slow.

acatitude
04-17-2007, 11:50 AM
as long as you can still push the sticks forward on that bad ass cat of yours dave its all good buddy. :D

DAVEO
04-17-2007, 11:52 AM
as long as you can still push the sticks forward on that bad ass cat of yours dave its all good buddy. :D
Thats not a problem. I will see what to do next today I see my DR.
Not DR. Phil

Mandelon
04-17-2007, 12:15 PM
Ahhh. I've got it. You need a bidet. :D

acatitude
04-17-2007, 12:16 PM
good luck Dave .. we will see ya on the water soon I hope

All-Star
04-17-2007, 12:27 PM
oh and good luck
1. pulling your pants up
2. putting on shoes with laces
3. getting in and out of tall trucks
4. putting on a pull over shirt
etc, etc
I had sugery on my elbow last year twice, and i did not realize how many everyday things sucked when you were handicapped.
I couldnt put on a bra, fix my hair or get into my own truck.
I wish you luck. You will be fine, just get some good meds and go with the flow.

ratso
04-17-2007, 12:32 PM
My shoulder took about six-eight weeks, but it was tore up pretty good, and it needed to be cut open and couldn't be done arthroscopicly (seperation/dislocation/rotator cuff).
My suggestion is to learn how to wipe your ass with your left hand before the surgery. Sounds easy, try it. :D
And then there's jacking off... kinda like losing your favorite chick, and you keep on hitting the new one, but she just ain't doing it for you.;)

Hal
04-17-2007, 01:14 PM
Had major repair on my right shoulder at 62. A lot of pain at first, I didn't go back to work for a week and I stayed in the office for about a month. After that I was able to get out in the field, clime ladders and do estimates. Still painful but doable. First couple of days driving I had to reach over with my left arm to shift (auto on the column). I don't think you will feel much like shifting anything on the floor at first.
Get it done, you will be back to normal before long. The most pain will be during PT. I think those people love to see you in pain. I gave that up after two weeks and did my own PT on the job.

rrrr
04-17-2007, 01:28 PM
I'd say six weeks will be when you get most of the function back, strength takes up to a year.
ASK your doctor about the Stryker Pain Pump or the On-Q Pain Pump. These devices consist of a catheter that is inserted into the joint and a reservoir filled with Lidocaine that you carry around. You have the ability to stroke a pump in the reservoir to inject the Lidocaine into your shoulder.
Pumping the local anesthetic into the joint makes the post op pain MUCH more tolerable.
I have had shoulder surgery with and without the pump, and the difference is significant.
rrrr<---------------did his own stunts as a kid and knows all about surgeries
:D :D

wright27
04-17-2007, 01:34 PM
I had shoulder surgery about a year ago. I had 8 dislocations in a 1 year time. It was hammered. They did the surgery and two weeks later I was hanging cabinets in my garage. My shoulder does not fall out anymore, but my shoulder is about 60% of what it use to be.

Classic Daycruiser
04-17-2007, 01:51 PM
6 weeks before you can start physical therpy, then another 6 months before your lifting 75lbs.
My doctor told me this:
1) Are you baseball pitcher (or otherwise throw stuff for a living)?
2) Can you keep your arm in a sling for 6 weeks?
3) There is no proof surgery will get you 100%
4) There is a "good" possibility surgery will only prevent further tearing of the ligament....but there is no guarantee.
5) I don't remember the percentage, but I think around 20% get worse after surgery.:jawdrop:
Basically if you do not need the surgery, I'd go with 2 years of Physical therpy, before going under the knife.

eliminatedsprinter
04-17-2007, 01:59 PM
In general, if you get any type of repair or reconstructive surgery to the tendons or ligiments, you are looking at about 6-8 weeks of initial healing, followed by about 6 mos to 1 year for the damaged/repaired connective tissue to form a mature scar. During the first period your rehab will be mostly palliative, ie for reduction of swelling or the preservation of ROM (Range of Motion). The second will be when you should do more progressively aggressive ROM and strength rehab.

Roaddogg 4040
04-17-2007, 02:43 PM
I've had three shoulder surguries, two on one side and one on the other. A lot depends on your age and condition before and since you are young you should be in pain for only a few MONTHS!!!! Good luck. It took me two years to get mine back to about fifty percent of what I had before but I'm a lot oledr than you... I wish you the best...
Steve