rotor cuff surgery?

[kbertsch]

just wondering if anyone has had surgery on there rotor cuff, and what a guy can expect insofar as recovery time and if a guy is as good as new or are you limited afterwards. just wondering what to expect.

[joe skipp]

Had my rotator cuff repaired this past February. Plus my bursula cleaned up. 7 weeks in a sling only taking it out 10 minutes a day to ATTEMPT the few exercises to start arm movement.

Easy at the beginning when trying to stretch or slide your arm across a table or lift the arm up from a standing position. Very painful...ain't gonna lie to you.

After 7 weeks, sling removed, I started Physical Therapy. Wow..talk about the stretching they do will bring tears to your eyes. You have to keep up every day with home exercises they give you. I went 3x a week for 6 weeks, worked out hard at home.

Started using medium wt bands I got from Modell's. They have handles...started using them 2x a day simulating drawing back my bow. It's now September and have 90% of my strength back and 80% of my full right shoulder arm movements back.

Hurts when I stretch certain ways BUT..the hard work allowed me to now shoot my RH 55# and 58# bows comfortably along with my LH bow. Last fall I could not draw back 35# RH. Dr says it will take a full year to regain full mobility(stretching) in my right shoulder...if I keep up with the stretching exercises.

4 days after I had surgery...wished I didn't. Now...real glad I did. Finally, the day you have surgery...that night make sure you pop those pain pills every 4 hrs. When that nerve block wears off...your going to wish you did. Trust me on this one....Good luck, take it slow then work hard.

[sweet old bill]

Joe had it done about 10 years ago and the key is the rehab and yes it sure hurts. but after a period of time for me 6 months I was back shooting a bow in the recurve 50 lb peak weight range and my compound in the 60 lb range. good luck and hope you have a full recovery in the near time...

[K.S.TRAPPER]

I pretty much destroyed my shoulder in 08 in a accident at work. Everything was torn up and torn lose and I have 9 anchors drilled into the shoulder to pull all the muscles back together. Like Joe said its going to hurt and therapy is the key, stay on your pain meds listen to your therapist and finish all your exercises and you will be back to normal in a few months.

I had my surgery in June and started hunting in November with a mid 50's pound bow after working my way up from a 25# then 35# and 45# bows.  I did not want to be like several other guys I talked to that pushed everything to fast and ended up tearing the cuff again and had to start all over.

Take your time and it will be good as new, I can honestly say it took about a year for all pains to go away but I had a lot more work done besides my rotator. I have zero pain the shoulder is strong as ever and feels like it did when I was a youngster.

Good luck and look around and find a good sports doctor with a good success rate preferably one that does mostly rotator cuff surgerys.

Tracy

[Tim Finley]

Kasper we can do that surgery with a bear razorhead , and I know several who have voluntered to assist. We'll even do the rehab for you .  Seriously, If you have it done now you get over the pain quicker and you maybe healed enough to shoot the state indoor.Can you draw and shoot left handed . Check out Mathis medical in Fargo . Im  not sure about shoulders but hip and knee replacements one of the best in the country.. So is hunting the breaks off this year ?....Tim

[achigan]

I've had both of mine repaired. X2 on the rehab diligence. They say it's heh second most painful surgery there is(I don't wanna know the 1st) My rehab was a bit different from Joe's. Within a week I was bending at the waist, GENTLY swinging my arm in small circles to keep the scar tissue from building up. I was off work for 3 months( I'm a photojournalist, heavy cameras).
  Used to be guys had all sorts of horror stories about not being able to draw back a bow after the surgery, not so any more.
   Find someone who has done a bunch, like the advice on Lasik eye surgery.

[Greg Dearth]

I had surgery a few years ago to repair a partial tear. I was back to work in 2 months . 6 months after the surgery I killed a spring bear with my 62# recurve. The rehab is very important. Good luck with your surgery.

[achigan]

As an aside. Two of the tendons that attach to my bicep were 90% abraded. If the tendon had broken, the muscle would have retracted, making it unable to be re-attached. An MRI will reveal this. The doc said sooner rather than later.

[valleysniper]

I have had surgery on both rotator cuffs, I wouls second what everyone has said, and when  Joe said to make sure you take the pain pills every 4 hrs----he aint kidding. You got stay ahead of the pain, I didn't on the last surgery, and I was sure I was gonna eat a bullet after 4 days-IT IS BAD---my right shoulder was done about 7 yrs ago and is better than ever, my left was 2 years ago, and lets just say it leaves alot to be desired, feels week and not sound and tight. I'm sure it will get better with time. Good luck and remember vicoden will be your new best friend for a while

[Linwood Hines]

DITTO ALL ABOVE, tho' mine had a few other complications, but am getting along (now my OTHER shoulder hurts, damnitall).  I've not been able to find an exercise that even if done consistently, builds up what muscles I have left that work...maybe just didn't have a good P.Therapy clinic...so that's why I'm at 40-45# bows now.

BTW:  do you have a recliner?  I couldn't sleep lying down for over three months - the level of pain was just too much doing so - had to sleep half upright in the recliner for some reason that made it tolerable.  DO YOUR P.T. as the gentlemen above said.  And MORE.

[achigan]

Linwood brings up a good point. Physical therapy MIGHT take care of it. A very few people I know have been able to put off surgery indefinitely with diligent PT. X2 on the recliner. I got to where I couldn't find a comfortable position to get to sleep.