Dislocated shoulder surgery...Info required (Doctors please)

Since this January (say in the last 6 months) I have dislocated (not pop'd out of joint) dislocated both my shoulders. My left shoulder I have dislocated about 5 times now, twice in the last two days and my right one 3 times. Everytime it happens, it just fucking hurts more and more, takes longer to recover, and holy fuck does it get harder to get the fucker back into place. The doctors and specialist want me to have surgery, they didn't go into detail about the procedure but did mention putting screws and wires in to hold the shoulder(s) into place. Is anyone familiar with this procedure and how it works. Also I like to play rough, and i can't see a tiny wire and two screws holding my shoulder in place when i run at full speed and dive on it. So i ahve avoided surgery to date cause i am not convinced it will work, unless there are different methods? if anyone knows of any or has had one, how did it go? how long were you out of commission for (my biggest problem) and are u able to go hard now without having to ever worry?
thx

Dude........been there done that.........left shoulder 15 times or so and right shoulder once. The surgery went fine. But that was in '94 and I would say I am still not 100%. It wasn't until about 3 years ago that I dislocated my left shoulder again and 2 more times after that. Some Fookhead cop made my right one go out but have been good sense.

About the surgery........I think my surgeon didn't tighten the tendon enough. No screws or wires here. I used to like to play rough, motorcross and such, but I CAN'T anymore. Say I'm laying on my bed, I can't put either arm behind my head. I persoanally think my brain has been trained to not let my arms go into stupid positons. I feel like a puss sometimes........but what do you do.


First couple times.......hurt like a bitch and had to go to the doc to get it placed. After the 3rd time or so I was able to pull on something that was knee height and pull it back in myself. No shit like Mel Gibson.


Bro, I FEEL YOUR PAIN.

If I could do it over I wouldn't go to the same doc. But look at C Web and Ray Lewis. Both have had dis's and both have had surgery and they have not had a dislocation since. I would get REF'S from the doctor who is going to do the deed.

Recovery time???? I work for my father and I was probably w/in 2 weeks I had the sling off and was working. If your breathing you can work is his motto. I was in the hospital over night.



Hope this helps.

Kato

Fuck my dislocation happened yesterday when i put my arm behind my head, but i dislocated bad the day b4 trying to jump onto a skid above me. So i guess everything was loose. and by grabbing something and pulling my shoulder wont go back in..its bad u have to bend my arm at the elbow, raise my shoulder so its level with where it came out again and lift and rotate upward and tug repeadedly till it goes in. hurts like fuck

My recovery time and pain decreased w/ each dislocation. The first few times it was the worst fooking pain I ever experienced!!!!

Get ref's bro and educate yourself.......I was a stupid kid and didn't know any better.


Bro that repeated tugging sounds HORRIBLE!!

Good luck!!


Kato

well i'm thinking of going hte surgery route, but then i'm worried that if they stick pins in or something and it dislocates i'll definately have to go to the hospital to get it back in

Before I go into a detailed answer, do you know if your orthopedic surgeon is recommending a closed surgical technique (arthroscopy) or using an open surgical technique?...

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Recovery time???? I work for my father and I was probably w/in 2 weeks I had the sling off and was working. If your breathing you can work is his motto. I was in the hospital over night.

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Didn't your doctor hammer home the importance of post surgery rehab? The sucess of the procedure is largely dependent on the rest and recovery phase followed by the physiotherapy phase. Each of these should take about 6-8 weeks, or so the Orthopaedic docs( I've seen 2 ) told me. Also, I would cut out rougher activities for at least 1 year...no crazy snowboarding, martial arts, dirtbiking, snomobiling or hockey! Sucks but you have to remember that what you get out of your prodedure reflects the care and effort you put into it.

I've been putting off shoulder surgery because of the interuption to my life. I don't want to be fucked around for a couple of months, but eventually I'll just have to bit the bullet and do it.

Check out this link for a cool vid of an open Bankart procedure, I found it when researching, and incedentally popping Vioxx for an unrelated injury, the job I'm gonna have done.

http://www.vioxx.com/rofecoxib/vioxx...ries/index.jsp

I don't know anything about that shit, but I wish you good luck and a speedy recovery.

FI, a friend of mine here has the worse shoulders you could imagine, they'll pop out at the slightest thing. It really sucks for him because he can never go heavy on the weights, and he's a big boy. Any case he's been putting the surgery off for something like six years now and he's finally decided he's had enough and he's going in for the surgery as well. I'll drop a line on you on how things turn out for him; I think he's going in next month.

How are you guy's putting you're shoulder back in? Just forcing it back in hurts like hell, you are some tough bro's for sure. How about this; take a weight (I'm guessing 20lbs should do the trick, please any one who knows the proper amount of weight pipe in) use something to tie it to you hand, lay down on a bench tall enough to let you shoulder hang over the side with your arm straight and the weight not touching the floor. Now just relax and don't tense up at all, keep relaxing and the weight will pop it back in own it's own and might be a little less painful. Just an idea I saw somewhere long ago and it popped into my head when I read the post.

Jugg

Jugg........your idea is right on man. I would step up to a cars wheel well and pull......crazy feeling, but its easier and faster than going to the doc's.

Chic......if you would have read my second post you would have seen I stated that I was a stupid kid. Thanks for the advice but its been almost 10 years now!!!!!!



Kato

I think you need to ask your consultant more information. I have had the open surgery and the athroscope (camera) unintrusive surgery on the same shoulder. The type of operation will be dictated by whether the shoulder dislocates through the front or back. Mine came out through the back and they used an open posterior repair which is generally the longer recovery as they usually put you in a cast.

If the shoulder is dislocating through the front they will put you in a sling most probably, which is much easier as at least you can shower and change clothes, something a solid cast wont allow.

An MRI scan is usually used to determine which type of dislocation you are experiencing.

Finally, I have no screws and pins in my shoulder, they basically cut out the damaged cartliage and shortened the ligaments which had become too slack.

Thanks a lot guys! and keep me posted on ur buddy'd surgery. I think the doc wants to do the closed surgical technique but i can't remember off the top. I can't do the weight trick while laying flat cause my shoulder pops at the front and that would just pull the skin and tendos further that are stopping it from falling off. So i have to get a buddy to yank on it

I had a Bankart type surgery by arthroscope about 6 months ago, my labrum was destroyed. At this time i'm not 100% yet but at least i'm for sure more potent than I was before the surgery. I can train semi-hard while not abusing on weights and I'm going to do a little cycle soon to get back in shape. I started back to train a little since month 3. I think you won't regret if go for the surgery and I recomend it to you....
Good luck.....

thx bro!

bro ... PM me if you have any questions ... sports medicine sales is what I do. I've logged hundreds of hours in the O.R training orthopods on various surgical techniques.

The "wire and screw" simply holds the soft tissue to the bone long enough for a natural healing response to occur. Some products are absorb (ours 9-12 months) post op so nothing is left a year out.

Also RF shrinkage of the capsule may be an option, or an addition, to surgery.

Whether you have a scope or opened procedure will depend on your injury and the surgeon. Some guys do most everything in a 'mini-open' while others like to repair through the scope. Personally, unless its a massive rotator cuff tear I'd rather have my shoulder scoped. Less down time.

Anyway .. I could go on for hours ... PM me with any specific questions. Also, don't just assume every surgeon is a good surgeon because he has an MD after his name. Some guys are better carpenters than others.

Overdrive is absolutely right, choose carefully your doc, find the one everybody are saying to be the best of the best....That what I've done, this is one of the most important things.....as important as rehab.....

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Chic......if you would have read my second post you would have seen I stated that I was a stupid kid. Thanks for the advice but its been almost 10 years now!!!!!!

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Sorry guy, my bad. I didn't take kid the part literally.

Full Intensity - talk to people involved in sports in your area like WHL or university coaches and trainers, or any other high level sports associations. They will for sure know who the best orthos in your area are.