crb1988
12-02-2006, 11:54 PM
I am scheduled to have an acromioplasty and bursectomy on my left shoulder on 12-11. Can anyone tell me about this surgery, from personal experience?
Sponsor
jroland
12-06-2006, 04:59 PM
I am scheduled to have an acromioplasty and bursectomy on my left shoulder on 12-11. Can anyone tell me about this surgery, from personal experience?
I had acromial decompression, which I believe is roughly the same thing as acromioplasty, about two years ago. Before the surgery, I had persistent pain in my shoulder, a pain that my lift-weighting regimen exacerbated. My doctor, an excellent orthopedic surgeon (and excellent isn’t a term I use loosely on doctors, by any means), told me the pain was probably caused by my acromion rubbing into something—tendons or ligaments or muscle, most likely—and that acromial decompression would eliminate the pain. I was hesitant about having the surgery, but the pain was persistent, so I eventually agreed.
The surgery itself, if I recall correctly, took about an hour and a half, and the recovery time maybe an hour. At home that night, I felt my first post-surgery pain, and it was a bear, as though a moving blade were stuck between my shoulder and the surrounding tissue. I took a few pills for the pain, but found that the pain lessened almost right away when I repositioned my arm. Now, I can’t suggest one specific position that helped—I think it’s different for everyone---but if you find the right position, you’ll know it. For me, lying on my side (not the side where I had the shoulder surgery, of course) and propping a small pillow between my elbow and my ribs really did the trick. When I woke up the next day, I had some discomfort, but it wasn’t all that bad. After a few days, I felt no pain at all. Now, when it came to being able to lift again, that was a different story. I started back too early and ended up needing to see a physical therapist for a few sessions. One day, I just said “to hell with it,” and took a good long time off from the weights---six weeks, I believe. When I went back to lifting again after that, my shoulder felt a little odd, but there was no pain, and after a few days lifting again, the shoulder felt just fine; in fact, I “felt” I could do any exercise again without pain—and I was right. I’d lost almost no strength during all that time off, and in hindsight, I’m thrilled I had the surgery. To this day, the shoulder has given me zero trouble, and it’s stronger and more flexible than it’s ever been.
Good luck with your surgery.
Joe
I had acromial decompression, which I believe is roughly the same thing as acromioplasty, about two years ago. Before the surgery, I had persistent pain in my shoulder, a pain that my lift-weighting regimen exacerbated. My doctor, an excellent orthopedic surgeon (and excellent isn’t a term I use loosely on doctors, by any means), told me the pain was probably caused by my acromion rubbing into something—tendons or ligaments or muscle, most likely—and that acromial decompression would eliminate the pain. I was hesitant about having the surgery, but the pain was persistent, so I eventually agreed.
The surgery itself, if I recall correctly, took about an hour and a half, and the recovery time maybe an hour. At home that night, I felt my first post-surgery pain, and it was a bear, as though a moving blade were stuck between my shoulder and the surrounding tissue. I took a few pills for the pain, but found that the pain lessened almost right away when I repositioned my arm. Now, I can’t suggest one specific position that helped—I think it’s different for everyone---but if you find the right position, you’ll know it. For me, lying on my side (not the side where I had the shoulder surgery, of course) and propping a small pillow between my elbow and my ribs really did the trick. When I woke up the next day, I had some discomfort, but it wasn’t all that bad. After a few days, I felt no pain at all. Now, when it came to being able to lift again, that was a different story. I started back too early and ended up needing to see a physical therapist for a few sessions. One day, I just said “to hell with it,” and took a good long time off from the weights---six weeks, I believe. When I went back to lifting again after that, my shoulder felt a little odd, but there was no pain, and after a few days lifting again, the shoulder felt just fine; in fact, I “felt” I could do any exercise again without pain—and I was right. I’d lost almost no strength during all that time off, and in hindsight, I’m thrilled I had the surgery. To this day, the shoulder has given me zero trouble, and it’s stronger and more flexible than it’s ever been.
Good luck with your surgery.
Joe
crb1988
12-07-2006, 10:03 PM
Thanks for sharing your experience with me. For a while I felt like I was the only person who even knew what a subacromial decompression was. I'll let you know how things go.
Chelsea
Chelsea
jroland
12-20-2006, 04:11 PM
Thanks for sharing your experience with me. For a while I felt like I was the only person who even knew what a subacromial decompression was. I'll let you know how things go.
Chelsea
Please do, and I wish you the best of luck with the surgery and your recovery.
Joe
Chelsea
Please do, and I wish you the best of luck with the surgery and your recovery.
Joe
ICC
12-21-2006, 07:24 AM
I have a cus-acromial impingement in my rotator cuff. is that the same as a decompression? i am assuming it is. after 2 steroid injections and months of PT i still cannot raise that arm out to the side more than about 1/4 the way. still have extreme bicep pain and a dead tricep that i believe is from my neck. dr. has outruled surgery i am assuming due to my age (52). but i am wondering with just PT how long this will take and if my arm will ever be right. sounds like surgery fixes the problem.:confused:
jroland
01-04-2007, 06:10 PM
I have a cus-acromial impingement in my rotator cuff. is that the same as a decompression? i am assuming it is. after 2 steroid injections and months of PT i still cannot raise that arm out to the side more than about 1/4 the way. still have extreme bicep pain and a dead tricep that i believe is from my neck. dr. has outruled surgery i am assuming due to my age (52). but i am wondering with just PT how long this will take and if my arm will ever be right. sounds like surgery fixes the problem.:confused:
I'm sorry it's taken me so long to reply to your question: I was away for the holidays.
I think there are several ways a shoulder can be impinged; it may involve your acromian, but I don't believe it must. Your pain sounds more severe than the pain I had. I don't know if your doctor is an orthopedists or perhaps just a general practitioner, but if it’s the latter, it might not be a bad idea to see an orthopedists directly. It was when I saw my orthopedists that surgery, as well as a whole hosts of options, were put on the table.
At only 52, I can't imagine why age would be a factor in your doctor not recommending surgery. Also, and I almost hate to suggest it because I know many people think of it as quackery, I've read reports of people being helped with 'classic' shoulder impingements symptoms by a chiropractor (frozen shoulder, I think, is one of the shoulder impingement problems I read about, where the patient was helped by a chiropractor). If two steroid injections didn’t resolve or even help with the problem, then there might be something structurally wrong with your shoulder—I know such a thing might sound really bad, but even if that is the case, such a problem can be fixed. I can imagine how tough it must be for your right now, but if you find a more proactive doctor, you'll get through this, and your shoulder will feel like new again.
Let me know how it goes, okay?
Joe
I'm sorry it's taken me so long to reply to your question: I was away for the holidays.
I think there are several ways a shoulder can be impinged; it may involve your acromian, but I don't believe it must. Your pain sounds more severe than the pain I had. I don't know if your doctor is an orthopedists or perhaps just a general practitioner, but if it’s the latter, it might not be a bad idea to see an orthopedists directly. It was when I saw my orthopedists that surgery, as well as a whole hosts of options, were put on the table.
At only 52, I can't imagine why age would be a factor in your doctor not recommending surgery. Also, and I almost hate to suggest it because I know many people think of it as quackery, I've read reports of people being helped with 'classic' shoulder impingements symptoms by a chiropractor (frozen shoulder, I think, is one of the shoulder impingement problems I read about, where the patient was helped by a chiropractor). If two steroid injections didn’t resolve or even help with the problem, then there might be something structurally wrong with your shoulder—I know such a thing might sound really bad, but even if that is the case, such a problem can be fixed. I can imagine how tough it must be for your right now, but if you find a more proactive doctor, you'll get through this, and your shoulder will feel like new again.
Let me know how it goes, okay?
Joe