# Continue PT or Get Surgery?



## ClassicRockr (Jul 23, 2014)

Had RC surgery on right shoulder, fall in ice/snow, in early 2007 and shoulder is fine now. That happened in Colorado and the company I worked for medical insurance helped.  I had a tendon that was shredded and two partial tears the MRI showed. A little "frozen shoulder" had sit in right before surgery, so surgeon had to take care of that during surgery.

Wife and I have moved since then and I've been on VA Medical. Last year, August 2013, I fell in our apt. complex parking lot. No emergency. My VA doctor had me get an x-ray that show no broken bones, but shoulder pain continued. I was taking 800mg of Motrin and my doctor ok'd that. An MRI was scheduled for me, but I didn't get it until Dec 31st due to all the Veteran's in the medical system now. The MRI report showed a full tear of a major tendon in the back of my shoulder and a couple of partial torn tendons. In a consultation/review of the MRI, that my wife attended with me, the VA Ortho Dr. asked me if I wanted surgery. Even though he asked about surgery, he is VERY "for" PT as the alternative for any of his patients. Well, wife said, "surgery" and I said "I don't know", so dear old doctor sent the MRI to a VA Ortho Surgeon at a VA Hospital. The recommendation from him was PT. At PT, I was told that PT wouldn't repair the tears, but strengthen the muscles surrounding the tears. After 4 PT sessions, I decided to stop PT and seek a 2nd opinion from a doctor outside the VA since I'm now on Medicare. I'm still looking for a 2nd opinion Ortho Dr. and hope to find one soon. I'm still taking the Motrin, but my PCP gave me a prescription of Tramadol (non-narcotic) pain med last Nov. 2013. Either the Motrin or the Tramadol can take the pain away for upwards of 12 hours and sometimes 24 hours........depending on how much I use the shoulder. 

Wife and I want the tears fixed and if PT doesn't do that........


But, if the 2nd opinion Ortho doctor says PT, don't know what to say. If he says surgery, will have to "grit the teeth" and go that route. 


I've read a few horror stories involving people in their mid 60's, and above, getting surgeries. The old body doesn't rehab nearly as fast as when younger. I don't want to take Motrin or pain med the rest of my life, but also don't want the shoulder worse than it is if that was to happen with surgery.

Recommendations/Advice..........PLEASE!!


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## Falcon (Jul 23, 2014)

Get the surgery.


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## Mrs. Robinson (Jul 23, 2014)

Ugh. Watching someone go through terrible complications from a very similar sounding surgery right now. It`s hubby`s boss,he`s only 57 but was in a horrific motorcycle crash when he was just 17 and has dealt with all the severe injuries he suffered his entire life. His body is so full of metal he just aches all winter long. Left leg four inches shorter than right,shoulders both messed up,the list goes on and on. 

Anyway,he had some shoulder surgery 5 years ago but has suffered horrible pain since then. Recently found out that tendons that were repaired had come "undone". So he went in for surgery about a month ago. Two weeks ago they had to rehospitalize him for a severe infection. 

Hubby had been telling me all week about how bad it was but he didn't go to the doctor until Friday. His wife is an RN-I can't believe she let him sit that long with such an infection. They,so far,have not been able to get it under control and hubby says that every day when he comes by the shop he looks and sounds sicker and sicker. 

They have sent samples to the CDC in Georgia to try and determine what type of infection it is and how best to treat it but no response yet. They say it`s not staph but I have my doubts as my brother went through something very similar and the CDC came back saying it WAS staph,even though the hospital had said it wasn`t. I truly hope it isn`t staph as they told him that if it was,he would most likely lose his arm. 

The infection rate in hospitals is just so out of hand these days that I would think long and hard about having any surgery if there was a chance that PT would take care of the problem. Hubby got a staph infection after knee surgery 5 years ago and it ruined his knee-ate all the cartilage. Now he needs a knee replacement but he keeps putting it off,not wanting to go through anything like that ever again.


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## ClassicRockr (Jul 23, 2014)

Well, here are two situations that I was told about:

My wife's girlfriend had hip replacement done. After surgery, her doctor told to take care of the hip and not do anything real physical. She didn't listen, was doing too much physical stuff around her home and ended up messing up the hip.........had to go to ER and back into surgery. She is sort of the "mancho" type of lady. Because of her size, tall/big bone built, my wife affectionately calls her an "Amazon Woman". Wife doesn't say that to her, but has told me that before, and knowing/seeing her, I had to agree. 


While having breakfast one morning, I noticed a guy, turned out to be in his lower 60's, who was wearing a Muscle T-Shirt and had two small scars on his right shoulder...........like mine. I asked him if he'd had shoulder (RC) surgery and he said "Yes, and the shoulder is doing fine. I also had RC surgery on my left shoulder, but it continues to get me problems." Well, after talking to him some more, found out that he continued doing construction work after his left shoulder surgery. He told me "my doctor told me not to do that type of work for a couple of months, but I didn't want to listen to him. Now, I'm finding out why I should have listened!". 


For me, I was off of work for 6 weeks with my hip replacement, doing rehab at home and at a Center. And, my job was primarily behind a desk on a computer. I got my regular 2-week paycheck b/c I used Disability Pay that I had accumulated.  
I was off of work for 7 weeks after my RC surgery. Done home rehab as well as at a Center.  I got the same kind of pay after this surgery. I took care of both my hip and shoulder..........just like my surgeons told me to.


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## Ina (Jul 23, 2014)

I hope I never have to do that. I've had both feet, hands and knees rebuilt in the last 15 years. Now they want to do surgery on my upper and lower spine. I said no, enough is enough. I'm already in a wheelchair most of the time as it is. I was starting to think of myself as a surgery dummy for the medical field. And I admit saying no to the doctor felt good.


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## Mrs. Robinson (Jul 23, 2014)

Well,today hubby`s boss got good news. Turns out they had actually told him that they were most likely going to have to amputate his arm. Pretty much explains why he`s been in such a foul mood the past week or so. Today they told him that he`s not going to lose it after all-sure made a difference in his mood (of course!) I think he should still be taking it easier than he is though. He really shouldn`t even be coming in-he can`t do anything anyway so staying home and recovering is what he should be doing.


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## ClassicRockr (Jul 24, 2014)

PT could be the easier way to go, knowing some of the pain I went thru right after surgery and during rehab on the right shoulder..........*BUT*, the 4 sessions (1 weekly x 4) didn't seem to help a thing. After the sessions, I still continued to need Motrin and Tramadol for pain relief. 

Anyway, during my first PT appointment/consultation w/ the VA PT Supervisor/Doctor, she told me that I had been doing a great job by using ice packs on the shoulder since the injury happened. She was pretty surprised at how much ROM I had in the shoulder, but a couple of ROM tests did give me some pain. When I told her about the surgery in my right shoulder, she said "most Ortho Surgeons will quickly recommend surgery for the money they get". *Well*, that sure wasn't the way I looked at it! The surgeon in Colorado did highly recommend surgery, but also told me that if I decided against surgery,  I could get full "frozen shoulder". 

Getting surgery does bother me some, but needing to use ice packs and take Motrin and Tramadol the rest of my life bothers me more! 

I guess there have been older folks that have opted out of RC surgery and done PT only, but, I have never heard from any or read about any.


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## Mrs. Robinson (Jul 24, 2014)

The one thing I will say is,since hubby and I have both experienced shoulder injuries,that shoulders take for.ev.er to heal. Many,many,many months. My oldest grandson messed up his shoulder in high school when the pitching coach seemed to think it was OK for the kids to throw for three hours every day. He ended up having to have surgery, but his shoulder has never been right and gives him trouble a lot when he`s climbing poles. His younger brother took a hard hit when he was quarterbacking and separated his shoulder. That was almost two years ago and he still has a large bump on the top of his shoulder and looking straight on at him,it all looks really weird. He was only able to pitch a really limited number of games this past season without it bothering him. He starts Lineman school in about two weeks so we`ll see how he does with climbing.


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## ClassicRockr (Jul 24, 2014)

Mine didn't take that long, as in "many, many, many months". I was done the first week of March 2007, I was 57 yrs old and by the first of June I was completely using the shoulder w/no pain. Of course I had done a number of hours of rehab at a Rehab Center and "at home" exercises using 2 pound weights. My Ortho Surgeon was very impressed w/me during my last evaluation of the shoulder with him. He was really afraid that I would get Frozen Shoulder and he would have to "break" it. Nope. The "at home" exercises really done it's work for me. 

I don't really want surgery, but I also don't want the shoulder to continue the way it is either. Guess wife and I could only pray that, after surgery, *IF *that is what happens, there won't be any complications, pain will eventually be gone and I'll have full use of my shoulder. 

What I'm wonder is this: The MRI was done last Dec 31st (2013). I will take a copy (CD) of it with me when I do get the 2nd opinion, but will the Ortho Surgeon need to have a more current MRI? 
Actually, I can't believe that the 12th of next month (August) it will be an entire year since I fell.


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## ClassicRockr (Sep 2, 2014)

Seen a regular Ortho Surgeon today....one that is not with the VA Medical. Due to my fall/injury being a year ago (Aug 2013), still taking Motrin and Tramadol and the tears are partial and a full one, Surgeon recommended RC surgery. He looked at the MRI, and Report, I got from the VA. That is, when I can. The 4 weeks of PT, that was recommended by VA, apparently didn't help. Because of some upcoming events, will have to wait a month or so for surgery. Still wondering if surgery is the right thing to do, but if not surgery and PT didn't work, only other choice would be to live with it the way it is and take daily pain med (OTC and Prescription) the rest of my life. I really don't like the daily pain meds option, so guess it will be surgery. Dr. told me, "with a full tear, PT won't help. Just like my right shoulder injury in 2006, but different tendons. 

What do you think of the recommendation??


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