Rotator Cuff Repair Worried

[Pinkone501]

Hey everyone, I just got my MRI back on my shoulder, went to the Ortho doctor in Oct of last year and they diagnosed me with frozen shoulder, I waited until Feb on this year to go back and tell them the pain is worse, cant even sleep at night, now the MRI shows a high grade partial thickness tear of supraspinatus, surgery upcoming. I just need to get myself brave enough to do it, I have heard the pain is terrible!

 

[djklaugh]

@Pinkone501 Welcome to BoneSmart! Has your surgeon told you what surgery you will be having to repair the tear in the supraspinatus tendon? There are several types of surgeries available for this type of repair (also sometime referred to as rotator cuff repair). Which shoulder is having this problem and what is the date of your upcoming surgery (if you know it)? We will make a signature for you with that information. While there will be pain after the surgery, post op pain is usually well controlled with medication and applying ice packs to the shoulder. You will probably be in a padded bolster sling for about 4-6 weeks following the surgery to hold your shoulder in a specific position to insure good healing. Once out of the sling you will need physical therapy to regain range of motion and strength. The slings are not uncomfortable -- just a bit awkward. And usually you can take it off to bathe, dress, and do some simple "swing the arm" exercises they will give you in the hospital.

I have had 2 shoulder surgeries (total replacements) and in my experience the pain after surgery is different from the pain before surgery -- and better controlled. Any surgery hurts! That's just the nature of having any part of you get opened up. But the after op pain is a healing pain and it does ease up day by day!!!

Do let us know how you are getting on and ask any questions you may have! We do like to help. Also put "supraspinatus" into the search area above - there are quite a few threads that mention your type of problem -- feel free to read any/all to see how others have managed.

 

[Pinkone501]

All he said was it would be 3 small holes, not sure of a date yet, right shoulder, the pain in the day time I can handle its the night pain when I got to bed, I am up several times a night sitting in the recliner, really sucks


Thanks for responding Deb

 

[djklaugh]

@Pinkone501 Yes the sleeping thing - ugh! That is a problem. Now before surgery you can experiment with pillows under and around the arm to see what works to keep your shoulder pretty much immobilized. I found sleeping on my couch actually worked better than sleeping in my recliner. Sleep with the good shoulder down, put a pillow on the arm of the sofa to elevate that down shoulder a bit and cushion your head, snug your back up to the back of the couch, put a pillow (or 2) under the "bad" shoulder to hold it steady. Takes a bit of maneuvering to get everything positioned for comfort but it worked well for me.

Will you have someone at home to help you? If the right side is your dominant side it's going to be awkward getting things done at first. While not absolutely necessary, it is nice to have someone around to lend a "good" hand/arm//shoulder.

From your report of what your surgeon said it sounds like he is planning an arthroscopic procedure -- which is very good for you as it is the least invasive procedure and those usually heal up more easily and more quickly than a big incision type procedure. Those 3 holes he mentioned are quite small - just big enough to slip the delicate instruments through to repair your shoulder.

 

[Pinkone501]

Hey Deb, yes my husband is retired so he will be there, I am also a little worried about the block as they call it, is that painful?

I am left handed, but I do most things right handed, makes no sense but I do

I am getting set up to work from home during this, so at least I have that going

 

[djklaugh]

@Pinkone501 The nerve block is put in to eliminate pain ... for a while. They usually last for about 24 hours. No they don't hurt being put in -- they numb your skin first. And the anesthesiologist who does this is an expert! Let the hospital folks know if you are really anxious about the block and/or surgery and they will help.

Have you ever had any surgeries before? You may find it difficult to work right a way as you will feel very tired for a while. It takes a LOT of energy to heal from any kind of surgery. Plus strong pain medication might make you feel a bit "off" mentally. Also having your arm in a sling is going to limit what you can do with that arm which makes any kind of computer work or typing difficult to manage.

Being sort of ambidextrous will probably make things a bit easier for you since you routinely use both hands/arms. Though now with the right shoulder/arm limited the left side will need to "pick up the slack" for a while.

 

[mendogal]

I want to reinforce what Deb said about the immediate pre-op experience.
We normally don't meet the anesthesiologist until we've been admitted into the pre-op area, interviewed by the nursing staff, have an IV line in, etc.
Despite this seeming last minute, it's always been an excellent and calming experience for me. Every anesthesiologist has been kind and patient, taking time to answer questions and allay concerns. They, moreso than other physicians, seem to understand our fears.
And no, having nerve blocks put in isn't painful. At most I've ever felt a tiny sting or mild pressure sensation that quickly went away.

 

[Pinkone501]

Hey Ladies, the only surgery I have had was a lumpectomy and lymph node removal in 2007 for breast cancer, so yeah I am a bit anxious about it, I appreciate being able to talk to people who have had this experience

 

[mendogal]

We're here for each other!
When we're asleep, a contingent of English, Australian, and other members are awake, so even those 2AM jitters posts generally get a response.

 

[Pinkone501]

Surgery is May 29th , just got the call

 

[Pinkone501]

Morning guys, I know this might sound crazy, but the past 2 days the pain has gotten better and I can move my arm better, is it even a possibility my arm is healing itself from what the doctor said I have wrong

MRI shows a high grade partial thickness tear of supraspinatus,

 

[djklaugh]

@Pinkone501 Don't cancel your surgery yet! Yes, MAYBE the tear has started to heal itself but then again, maybe this is just a brief lull in symptoms. Partial thickness tears can, sometimes, heal themselves. Be very careful with that arm .... if healing is occurring you do not want to re-injure it! If this feeling better/working better does continue for another week or so, do contact your surgeon's office to discuss the situation.

 

[Pinkone501]

I will for sure, it just really surprised me after having all this pain for so long

 

[Pinkone501]

Morning everyone, well I think I am cancelling my surgery, the pain is so much better and I am finally sleeping without waking up in pain, I see no sense in going through the surgery and rehab right now, maybe later if it starts bothering me more I can always do it then, any input?

 

[Layla]

Only you can decide that because you're the one dealing with the pain. I understand your dilemma somewhat because my mom just went through the same thing. Appointments with the OS, surgery info, PT sessions and she now maintains it's not bothering her much at all and she feels she can live with it. I guess its a personal decision and I wish you the best in making that decision. We're here for you either way...just shout if you need us!
@Pinkone501

 

[Pinkone501]

Looking back now, I wish he had shown me the MRI, I would like to know how big the tear is at least , he never told me all he said was you need surgery and I said what if I don't have it and all he said was well you might tear it more where I can not fix it at all

 

[benne68]

You should request a copy of the MRI report, @Pinkone501, so you can read the radiologist's report yourself. It's yours, so don't be shy about asking for it.

Does your health care system make online reporting available to patients? I am able to log on to a website for my hospital/health care network and read all of my reports. It's great to be able to look at them anytime a new question pops up in my head.

 

[Pinkone501]

I did get in the patient portal but nothing is in there, all it says is high grade partial thickness tear of the supraspinatis

 

[benne68]

Sorry there wasn't much in the portal. It if was me, I would request the full report.