Quote:
|
Originally Posted by BBAddict
How long was the recovery from these surgeries? I have old injuries that I keep aggravating and need surgery, but I don't wanna quit working out for the recovery.
|
My left shoulder, repaired in 1999, was just a nagging pain that really didn't cause me to have to stop lifting or anything, but it was just an aggravation. I had a small tear about an inch long. The problem was complicated by the fact that I also had a bone spur that had developed on the end of my acromion, (shoulder bone), which had to be cut off. The bone spur also aggravated the impingement I had in the rotator cuff area. So, I couldn't have the repair done by the scope method. They had to do a "full open", which meant they had to cut me. It's not too bad a scar three to four inches across the top of my shoulder. The surgery was uneventful, about 45 minutes. Full recovery, to get back where I was before the surgery took a full year. Now, I could lift after 4 months, but nothing too heavy, and I was golfing after 3 months. I was warned that trying to lift too heavy to quick would result in having to have the surgery done over. In 2001, March, I was working out, benching, and my right shoulder just blew all to hell, I could actually hear it rip, like you would tear a bed sheet down the middle or something, it was an ugly sound!!! Anyway, I had golf trips planned for the spring and summer and didn't want to be disabled during the summer, so I waited until early 2002 to have the repair done. This tear was classified as "massive", the Dr. told me that he had never seen such a large tear and couldn't believe I could still use my arm. The day after I tore it The Dr. shot me up with Cortisone w/Lidocain and that pretty much solved the pain issue, however, he told me that I could wait, but he couldn't keep shooting me up because the Cortisone would cause deterioration to the tissue, and the surgery within 6 months or so was critical. This surgery took over 4 hours. They almost had to wake me to get permission th take some tissue from my thigh to be able to close the tear properly, but, fortunately, he was able to get it closed. They also had to do an Acromioplasty as they had done on my left shoulder. After my left shoulder was repaired in 1999, the Dr. told me that my right one would have to be done sooner or later, because the bone spur was even bigger than the one on my left shoulder, the impingement was worse, and further, my right Acromion was hooked inward, putting even more stress on the rotator cuff. This recovery, to get back where I was, took a full 18 months, with therapy, three times a week, for the first 4 months. I could golf after about 6 months, and light, VERY light, weight training after about 8 months. Both my shoulders are now better than new. By the way, this Dr. was the team physician for the Charlotte Panthers, (ortho stuff), so he was great I figured that a multi million dollar athlete(s), body was put in his hands often, so my $.25 body couldn't do any better. His name was Dr. Donald D'Allesandro with the Miller Clinic in Charlotte, N.C. I recommend that anyone needing this type surgery, seek out a Dr. who is affiliated with a pro sports team, they know what it takes to do certain repairs better for an athlete, than a regular Dr. who just does surgeries on the avarage Joe or Jane. If you need any more info, I'll be glad to help. BB
08-08-05, 04:01 PM
