Not sure what category to throw this thread in since there really isn't a shoulder related category that I could find.
I've been having pain in my right shoulder for nearly a year now. After attempting physical therapy with no success, I went for an MRI. The MRI revealed a tear in the Glenoid Labrum. The tear is severe enough that it will not heal on its own and surgery is recommended immediately.
The surgery is scheduled for this morning 12/8/08... about 6hrs from now. It will be arthroscopic surgery to repair the torn labrum. The surgeon will also try and remove some cysts forming in my shoulder joint and smooth down any rough bone in that area. I was told the cysts occurred from the bones in my shoulder joint grinding together for so long. During the surgery the Dr. will also examine the biceps tendon to make sure it is not detached (this does not always show on the MRI).
The type of tear I have is called a SLAP tear (superior labrum, anterior to posterior). It's also considered a grade 2 SLAP lesion. My symptoms are basically pain with any overhead activity (throwing, tennis, etc.). Pain at night when arm is outstretched. Decreased range of motion, loss of strength and grinding and popping when I rotate my shoulder.
I did not find much information regarding my surgery on the Health Boards, so I have decided to document my procedure and my recovery for all of you. Hopefully this will inform others who are considering this type of surgery or who are having symptoms similar to mine. I'll try and let everyone know how much pain is involved, what meds are prescribed, what the physical therapy is like and overall progress of my rehab. Typing might be a little challenging as my arm must be in a sling for 3-4 weeks.
Right now I'm feeling pretty nervous, this is my first surgery EVER!! I am a 40 yr old healthy, active male who has played sports all his life. In fact, the injury is probably related to overuse versus anything acute I can recall. I never thought my body would simply start to wear out... old age is wonderful isn't it?
OK, I've got to get some sleep now and be ready for the morning. I hope to update you all tomorrow, or maybe the next day if I can't type.
Good luck with your surgery. You can find some shoulder threads under the bone chats. Two people who have had recent experiences were feelbad and Sammy.
I had a portion of your surgery last spring. It was a subacromial decompression. They removed some bone from under my shoulder to keep the constant rubbing down. It was a laproscopic surgery that had good results.
I have a colleague who recently had surgery to repair the tears in his shoulder. He had extremely good results and was out 4-wheeling after a couple months. It was ackward for him in the sling, but with help from his family, he did really well getting through that period.
The best advice I could give you would be to find a good PT and keep up with your exercises throughout the healing process.
Wishing you well.
Mountain Reader
Last edited by MountainReader; 12-08-2008 at 05:16 PM.
hey MR,thats "feelbad'. i haven't quite gotten to the "feelgood' yet. just wanted to also wish you luck with the shoulder surgery. we really DO NEED a good shoulder surgery or injury boards here since it appears ever since sammy and myself have gone thru this,everyone who looks up shoulder surgery just gets sent here. it would be nice to have one place for all the threads.
jimmy,if you want to look up the old threads on mine and sammys surgerys,they were back in feb of this year(08)just look up rotator cuff repair,or even CPM machine,since this was part of our at home excercise that we had tio do thru out the day.that may bring upthose threads a bit easier. i think they got stuck on the general health boards and the bone boards if i am not mistaken. i do think ours were a bit more in depth,but you can get alot of useful info from them. espescially trying to wing it with one arm in a sling(you just get very creative). now that sucked.
as long as you follow what your surgeon tells you to with regards to the post op excercises and any hands on PT they Rx for you,you should be fine. but that PT IS very crucial in really recovering all your ROMS after any shoulder surgery that is simply going to immobilize your shoulder joint,which this does with that sling. if you don't just do every excercise,you can end up with whats called frozen shoulder and trust me,you don't want to even go there. you will more than likely start some level of excercises the very next day or the day after that. just do what you can to get that joint moving as soon as possible. always take your pain meds first(just a little FYI based upon experience).ice is a wonderul pain reliever too,espescially after excercise.
please let us know how things are going when you get the chance. hope all went well for you. just give a hollar if you need some help. FB
__________________
3-22-01,herniated C-6-7
11-20-01,placement of hardware for failed fusion
9-22-03,removal of cavernous hemangioma that was inside spinal cord. Neuro damage to L hand L leg and R leg.
Overall, everything went well. The actual tear was not as bad as originally thought and only required one anchor suture. However, there was a significant portion of cartilage material missing from the socket. The surgeon performed a newer technique by drilling into the bone in a few areas to encourage the growth of new cartilage I will have to ask about this during my follow up visit in a week.
Pain was very minimal all day yesterday, probably due to the block that numbed my entire arm and shoulder. Today the pain was more signifacant and I had to up my vicodin from 1 pill to 2 pills every 4-6 hours. I also started my excersises today that include a pendulum type exercise, doing little circles with my arm hanging and lifting up my shoulder and letting it fall back down.
I did sleep in the lazy boy last night as this was the most comfortable position to be in. I've spent most of the time watching movies or sportcenter and constantly dozing off
This cryo sleeve with a recirculating water cooler is the best thing ever. This alone has made things much better than ice bags alone. The motor does make a fair amount of noise every 25 seconds, but you get used to it.
This is also the first time I have tried typing... and it's not so bad. I have a wireless laptop that does the trick. I can remove my bandages tomorrow, however, I still can't shower until the 5th day. I have to wear the cryo sleeve for 10 days (I don't mind at all though as this feels so good) and then I can wear it as needed. Besides that, I go back for post op appointment in 1 week and start PT in 2 weeks.
I have to say, things are better than I expected at this point and I can't wait to be able to use my arm again.
I'll check back in a couple days or if anything changes...
glad you got thru everything. one thing i can say without a doubt here is that ice is probably doing much more as far as pain control than even your narcotics are. that ice was a lifesaver for me post op after my tears were repaired. i love ice. i DO remember well,all the little pendulum excercises. they really do help alot in getting that joint moving tho without involving any muslce or tendon,make certain to follow those to the letter. i also had to use that continuous passive motion chair thingy too. that was also a big help. i really noticed the difference in my abilitys once that chair was done and i had to send it back. i kind of took a couple steps back after that. but once i got into the very important hands on PT,things got much better. it sure does hit you once that block dissipates doesn't it? thats when we really hit the ice. i didn;t have that cryo sleeve,and believe me i wish i had gone with it. luckily from what you have stated,the overall surgery wasn't really as in depth for you and believe me,that alone makes a big difference in pain levels and healing too. by the time my supra had completley torn,it was a big mess inthere which required alot of sepoerate repairs,and i felt every single one post op,lol.
hopefully things will continue to progress,just do everything your surgeon tells you with regards to any excercises and PT. its all Rxed for a good reason. good luck and please keep us posted jimmy. FB
__________________
3-22-01,herniated C-6-7
11-20-01,placement of hardware for failed fusion
9-22-03,removal of cavernous hemangioma that was inside spinal cord. Neuro damage to L hand L leg and R leg.
After one full week, things appear to be going great. Pain is very minimal, unless I move my arm the wrong way. However, range of motion is very minimal too. Still wearing a sling, still using cryo-sleeve occasionally. Doing my exercise routine every day as directed and not missing any reps. Not taking any pain medication after day 4... this is a big issue for me, cause I cannot stand the feeling of being medicated. Finally moved bowels after one full day off pain meds.
Here is what I have found to be the most difficult issues to deal with:
Sleeping - Still cannot lay down flat in bed and be comfortable enough for any significant sleep. Sleeping in recliner is still the best way to keep comfortable. Pain Meds - Upset stomach and constipation. I've been taking stool softeners with my pain meds and still had problems with moving bowels. The inactivity does not help at all. Wound Dressing - For some reason this caused a lot of discomfort for me. Even after taking the dressings off (tape), there was some residue left behind that itched like crazy and felt like strands of fiberglass in my skin. This caused my skin to break out and was very irritating. Armpit Rash - With your arm constantly tucked to your side, this creates lots of sweat. I've started using baby powder and that helps a little, but there is just no preventing the constant sweating and odor. Stir Crazy - This is a big issue for me. I made a goal early on to get out and go to a college basketball game 5 days after surgery. This was a big milestone for me as getting out of the house seemed to help me feel better. Don't just think you are going to lay around and watch movies for a week. This will drive you insane.
So all in all, I feel pretty good. My first post op appointment is this Friday and my stitches will be removed then too. Rehab should start shortly after. I'm looking forward to it... although I'm sure it will be painful.
i fell into a beam about a month and a half ago and when i had my mri done two weeks ago the results said it looks like i have a slap repair (had the dye injected in) it didnt say it was for certian but still hurt when i move my arm and i am in a sling they say i need the slap repiar surgery i go into the ortho doc. on monday kind scared about the surgery but after reading this it helps me a little bit knowing it went well for you
Still recovering. Not very much pain at this point however, my shoulder does feel very stiff and my range of motion is lacking. First PT appointment was a few days ago. They showed me some exercises for working on my range of motion (pulleys and bands). The exercises are a bit painful, but I realize they are doing good, so I'll try not to miss any. Therapist plans on seeing me just once a week for four weeks until I get my range of motion back. Then it's time to start strengthening the shoulder again.
Sleeping is still causing me some problems four weeks later. I'm a side sleeper, so the shoulder still gets sore at night and causes me to toss and turn quite a bit. The doc did prescribe some sleeping aids, but I don't like the way I feel the next day after taking those.
I've also stopped using my sling and the cryo-sleeve. I'm using a heating pad occasionally for comfort. If the PT starts to cause any swelling, I'm sure I will break out the cryo-sleeve again. Doctor won't let me take any Ibuprofen as it interferes with the healing process of the micro fraction procedure I had done.
Overall, I'm still very positive surgery was the right choice for me. I can't wait to get my range of motion back and start strengthening my shoulder. Doctor says I should have no problems golfing this summer if all goes well.
Oh yeah - today I raised my arm up over my head on its own for the first time since surgery. It wasn't easy... I had to concentrate hard to make it happen.
congrats on that arm raise,it IS a big deal. glad things are going well for you jimmy. just following everything your ortho and PT have you doing is really the key to getting the full ROMs back properly without impairments. it all just takes some time. but it does sound like everythig is on track for you.
the one thing that helped me sleep,but i am used to sleeping only on my back becasue of my spinal cord injuries,is just keeping that shoulder solidly supported before you go to sleep,and during sleep? just place small towels or pillows in various ways til you find that good comfortable spot. if you happen to move around alot in your sleep like sammy(the other woman who was going thru this with me?)did,she was all over the place. she finally actually placed a bed pilow around her arm with duct tapping that pillow so it kind of 'cuffed" the arm in a way? and just slid her arm into it before she went to sleep. you could try that too if you move around alot in sleep. just something i know she said really helped her sleep. the thing i noticed right away when sleeping without that sling was alot of pain when that arm/shoulder was down to low and not supported at just the right level/angle? getting that part situated will really help you.
i am glad things went well and seem to be continuing on the upswing for you. like i said above,just follow ALL recommendations for PT to the letter. please keep us updated jimmy. good luck, FB
rom my research, this should be a good result for you---if you follow the doc's orders post-op. My problem is that I have a detached labrum on one side and three obvious tears on the r cuff on the other (no arthroscopic, just MRI so possible labrum coldn't be seen). On my first visit to sports medicine dr., she bounced in, assured me that I was NOT crazy, that the excruciating pain, the inability to lift or push pillows, etc...was indeed real, the result of injuries. I returned after another MRI--with dye contrast with a diagnosis of detached labrum-both anterior and superior in the other, left shoulder. This time, in five minutes, this young dr. informed me that there was nothing to be done....that I was too old for surgery..."I only do 20 to 40 years olds"....and gave me a prescription for PT (which I had done previously and religiously for my primary care dr., but which aggravated first the most painful one on the right...then inflamed the left one, so the therapist stopped the movement). When I informed her that for 4 months of being in such pain that sleep became impossible had become intolerable---(and I was trained to ignore pain and just get on with life...even teaching school with migrained headaches)(actually, without being aware of it, tears ran down my face), she wrote a prescription for me to see a dr. who dealt with pain management. I can't find anything on the WEB putting an age limit for fixing tears...I already meditate to manage the pain, sit in hot baths, and trained other people to manage pain. Does anyone know what to do besides being disabled with this pain? I jumped out of airplanes a couple of years ago and am not a pansy...lol...but my life is crippled and I'm not ready to be thrown out like a piece of used toilet paper.
congrats on that arm raise,it IS a big deal. glad things are going well for you jimmy. just following everything your ortho and PT have you doing is really the key to getting the full ROMs back properly without impairments. it all just takes some time. but it does sound like everythig is on track for you.
the one thing that helped me sleep,but i am used to sleeping only on my back becasue of my spinal cord injuries,is just keeping that shoulder solidly supported before you go to sleep,and during sleep? just place small towels or pillows in various ways til you find that good comfortable spot. if you happen to move around alot in your sleep like sammy(the other woman who was going thru this with me?)did,she was all over the place. she finally actually placed a bed pilow around her arm with duct tapping that pillow so it kind of 'cuffed" the arm in a way? and just slid her arm into it before she went to sleep. you could try that too if you move around alot in sleep. just something i know she said really helped her sleep. the thing i noticed right away when sleeping without that sling was alot of pain when that arm/shoulder was down to low and not supported at just the right level/angle? getting that part situated will really help you.
i am glad things went well and seem to be continuing on the upswing for you. like i said above,just follow ALL recommendations for PT to the letter. please keep us updated jimmy. good luck, FB
Feelbad, the advice about sleeping with the pillows was gold for me!!! I haven't been comfortable in months...did what you advised Jimmy B to do---and lay down for the first time and napped....pillows duct-taped to my arms. I kiss your feet!!!
Hi, I just discovered this site and could use some advice or encouragement. I had labral tear surgery on my shoulder a month ago (also had some bone spurs removed). My PT started the same week. I continue to have sharp pain when my elbow is not supported when I lay down. Today, I began to have the same sharp pain in my shoulder and near my arm pit just when sitting or standing or even sneezing. It hurts to the point that I tear up. How would I know if something was wrong? I should add that a couple of days after my surgery, a heavy glass lid slid out of my kitchen cabinet and I relexively reached out to catch it with my bad arm (still in the sling). I did catch it but it hurt. My PT thinks I am progressing normally but this recurring pain is messing with my mind. Any advice? I thing you said in a post that after 1 month you were able to get your arm over your head. I can barely get mine straight out in front of me! Thanks for your help.
first of all, marvelina?? as far as i am aware here too, there IS NO age limit with this type of surgery. just how old are you by the way? i was 47 hen i had my rotator repair. it comes down to more of how YOUR overall health is really with ANY actual surgery. i would SERIOUSLY obtain a very badly needed second opionion from a much more experienced ortho. there is simply NO reason you cannot have this repaired to at least bring down that overall pain level and regain full to at least better use of that arm right now. i would push this, really push this with another ortho.
trust me when i say here that not all specialists are created equal, no way no how. this has been my ongoing experience with having to have six seperate surgeries and an aneurysm coiling just becasue it was soo much fun. had many stupid assinine opinions from so called specialists who were honest to god at times plain stupid and lacking even remote basic common sense. i am thinking the idiot ortho you saw likes to have the best possible shot at the best outcomes with ALL patiens here? does not want someone to possibly mess up his "perfect' record by taking any chance on doing a flippin surgery on someone who does not just 'fit" HIS criteria he set for HIMSELF at some point and not any real standard protocal that requires any patient to be within a certain age frame, ya know what i mean? just seek out a better more knowledgable and CARING ortho to do this for you. geez,what an ego. i am sooo glad acvice i gave was able to help someone. those pillows are a true lifesaver when placed just right and then held there too. believe me,when we are suffering, we can really get pretty creative can't we.
HM, did you call your surgeon at the time this happened or does he know at all about this? while everyone kind of heals in there own timeframe and in very individual ways, what you are feeling could be another type of actual injury considering the catching thing you did right at the beginning? believe me,there were times where if that sling had not prevented me from doing it, i would have shot that surgical arm out when something was falling or other things just popped up during the day too. its just that 'natural reflex' in us.
what you are describing just with this pain actually being 'sharp" in nature really does sound like something may have changed either up in the actual surgical area itself or how the nerves are now lying too. i would seriously see your surgeon and even possibly get another MRI done if this stays the same and does not get any better soon? depending upon just how really 'good' your actual PT person really is, they may know what they are doing or they may not. its kind of a crap shoot when it comes to good knowledgable PTs. been there done that one to death myself. i have an excellent one now who i was seeing even before my tendon snapped for alot of other muscle and c spine nightmares i have been dealing with. he is one of those who simply can 'feel" whenever there has been a real problem in any area in me he works on.
any NEW pain that develops during any surgical healing course really just does need to be much more thoroughly checked out. i really would see your actual surgeon for another eval ofthis area and se just what he feels and wants you to do here. while some increase in overall pain IS expected with PT, you should NOT be having "hypersensive pain" like you are that brings you to the verge of tears, ya know what i mean? thats just kind of above and beyond the 'norm' espescially this far out and having started PT so early on post op.
in your particular case, i would pretty much be demanding to see your surgeon if anyone gives you trouble here. this just really NEEDS another eval right now. that type of pain is just NOT the norm. like i mentioned already, just obtaining even a new MRI could possibly show something new that was not present post op or even pre op either. it really would be the best way to truely tell how things just are inside the surgical area right now.
i really am sorry things are not getting better for you. but you DO need that eval from your surgeon just to obtain his impression of this and possibly sending you for that MRI too. something just does not sound 'right' about how this is going or how it presented either. good luck and please keep us posted MH, FB
__________________
3-22-01,herniated C-6-7
11-20-01,placement of hardware for failed fusion
9-22-03,removal of cavernous hemangioma that was inside spinal cord. Neuro damage to L hand L leg and R leg.
I had surgery to repair my labrum about 4 and a half months ago. I'd been following this thread to gauge how my recovery was going and it seems like it's turning into the general labrum discussion thread. Anyway, I've heard my surgery called both a Bankert and a SLAP by the ortho, his nurse and my PT so I'm not really sure which I had. I was under the impression that I'd be feeling very little pain this far out and that instead I'd be working on strengthening and extending my range of motion. Ever since I started PT, my PT and ortho have stretched my arm out and I feel pain at the end of my range of motion. They both seemed assured that it was just my muscle feeling tight and needing to be stretched out. While I haven't been completely diligent on the PT front (I'm unsupervised) for a three week stretch while I was on vacation, I've been back on it for the last week and a half and I still feel the same pain. It's pain in all the same directions I felt pain before the surgery (rotating my forearm with my elbow pressed against my side and lifting my arm laterally) but to a lesser degree. I was also able to slide my shoulder out of joint voluntarily without pain before the surgery. I can still slide it out of joint voluntarily but now it causes a lot of pain. This occasionally happens involuntarily when I'm running.
I last saw the ortho at the beginning of July and he reiterated to me that he thought it was just muscle stiffness. He also said that even if it was something else, my options were to wait and see or do a scope and he'd rather wait and see. So he told me to call back in two months (early September) if I'm still feeling pain. As far as being able to slide my joint out, he said that the instability wasn't in the direction that he repaired. My question to you labral reattachment veterans is how much pain or discomfort were you feeling after 4+ months? How about stiffness? I should add that I have a lot of muscle mass by nature and I'm currently lifting pretty light weights (benching the bar, shoulder pressing 7.5 lbs., etc.). I still feel enough discomfort that I have a hard time taking a shirt off over my head or reaching back to put a coat on.
Hello this is my first post and this thread is primarily the reason i joined this forum
My name is Jacob. I "was" an avid climber, i say "was" b/c I am no longer able to climb as hard or as much as i would like becasue of my injury
I began climbing when i was 19, im 23 now, and was injured when I was 21. I had my arm pulled behind my back and pushed up towards my head. I believe this casued "sublaxation" correct me if im wrong. When this happened i believed my arm was broke, i've broken each arm twice when i was a young kid, so i knew the feeling.
All the points of insertion on my left arm hurt, there was acute pain ( like fast lighting bolts) at the tip top of my shoulder, behind my elbow, at the base of my wrist, and i was unable to bring my forefinger and thumb together to make a circle for months and months following. It was like the tendons couldnt be stretched any, and if i did..super pain
Two years passed and for some reason i thought one day my body would have just fixed itself, im young right? Wrong. This past summer i finally went in for an MRI and it said that I had a glenoid labrum tear from the 2 o'clock position to the 5 o'clock position on my left shoulder. The MRI also said there was an unusal amount of cysts on/around the labrum, I guess from where it tried to heal itself. Well ive been doing rigorous PT since then, 3 times a week, for almost 8 weeks now and although the muscules are stronger, my range of motion is a tiny bit better, and my forearm doesnt get as pumped when i do climb, i still feel super burnt and fatigued in this shoulder after i climb even though i work it to death in PT. The recovery time is twice as long even though it gets worked more, which doesnt make sense. If its stronger and worked more, as compared to the other arm, it should be fatigued less, and the unworked shoulder should be fatigued more? This led me to bleive that this so called "fatigue" was really dull feeling inflammation
Note: I take PT super serious! do as much as i can at home, therma bands, internal and external pulls, 2 lb to 5 lb side lifts, etc etc, and really take it serious when im there with the trainers, making sure to warm up and cool down and ice. I cant stress how much ice i use even now. Its married to my shoulder all night after PT and Climbing, and even the next day
Well the pain is still there, its been 2 years and it seems to hurt right in the middle of the front of my shoulder, its like i can feel where my labrum is at from where the pain is. My left pectoral muscule also sometimes hurts near the center of my chest. I also get super fatigued neck muscules even though i stretch and hour before climbing/PT, rest and hour, then climb, and the same for PT... stretch hour, rest hour, PT for 2 hours.
I had the Corticoid shot last week after 8 weeks of PT. It was actually Depo-medrol and maricane (spelling?) Wow was that a pain ive never felt, that night the lymph nodes on the edges of my leg swole up so much that they where discolored and prevented me from walking. I saw the my Doctors PA the next morning, she ( the PA- administered the shot and said she also had a labral tear) prescribed more anti-inflammatories/pain meds, i didnt fill the RX, i didnt want more pills after already eating Mobic for a month and having the anti infammatory shot, why do i need more anti-inflam pills? The lymph node problem went away in the next 24hrs
Its been a week, and the pain is still there. Its not as bad as before, but the super fatigue is there along with very, and I mean very acute pain place-ment right where im guessing my labrum is. I also have been feeling some dull pain in the same place on my opposite (un-injured) shoulder??? I dont understand how the shoulder can become so fatigued when i work it out so much and dont work the other one and its fine?
From what i understand, the shot stops inflammation, thus decreasing pain, its not a pain killer. But its just temporary, and i have heard many say they need another one 6,8months to a year later? But when i read the literature online, it says "could fix you for the rest of your life" ? I dont ever want another one of these and even if i did theres still pain... If i sleep on it, it hurts, if i stretch my rotar cuff to end point...it super hurts ( like you make 90 degree angles of your arm in a door way and lean forward ) Used to do this before climbing to stretch RC out really well
Even my Doc's PA said when i went in for the shot and was talking to her about the future of my arm, " Oh my arm/labrum hurts some when i forget my PT" I dont want to have to do PT for the rest of my life and then worry that if i dont this pain will come back
I have another follow up the 24th of OCT ( 2009 ) and will decide then if PT is working...
I dont want to go under the knife, im scared shizless about forzen shoulder, loss of range of motion, and all that... But i climb with a guy now who had a torn labrum from the 11 oclock to the 5oclock, with 8 bolts in his shoulder, who is right back climbing where he used to before he was injured?
I dont know what to do? I was a very physical person before this and now everything has taken a back seat. Im afraid to go running, ive stopped all ab work - crunches and such, b/c they say it will aggervate the labrum with such movement. And im slowly stopping going to the gym to do any body work
I dont want to have to do PT for the rest of my life and still have pain, i want to wake up one morning and it be gone... go climbing and have my shoulder feel like the other one, not super fatigued on the left and plain jane on the right??
Its been 2 years, and almost 2 months of PT and the shot, and i still dont feel "healed" for the shoulder capsule to close so much to physically push the labrum back to the bone, my shoulder would have to look like arnolds when he was on roids...
Im thinking now surgery is the answer, and a year from now i will have pain free climbing like i did before, with 1 day recovery time.
My girlfriend tells me that i didnt do anything for 2 years, and that i would most likely need PT for an entire year supervised, plus even more on my own... but im thinking this still wount fix the underlying direct casue of all the pain and inflammation - My torn Labrum -
my therapists keeps saying that where stabalizing the joint and strengthing the muscules. But now ive been getting pains in my biceps and chest, i dont know *** is going on?
Please oh great ones with wisdom beyond my years, help a confused young man fullfill his dreams of climbing once again
Last edited by BigJakeBear; 09-29-2009 at 12:16 PM.
Glenoid Labrum Tear - Arthroscopic Surgery 
I will have to ask about this during my follow up visit in a week.
