Trouble recovering after rotator cuff surgery

[Riven]

My step-dad had rotator cuff surgery the 9th of Dec. He still has a LOT of pain, the cuff was really, really bad. I actually think the doctor made it worse trying to put him through a intense therapy program which they said "might avoid the need for surgery"... They did the surgery and it took twice as long as it should have, and the cuff was torn in a diamond shape, as if it was simply ripped by the socket popping out for lack of better description.

He has gained very little use back so far, and he has NO grip in his hand. Now he's also having troubles with severe swelling, blood pooling, and numbness is in his hand. Like he said if he can't use his hand, his shoulder doesn't do much good. Prior to the surgery he had no issues with the hand. And he also has a locked shoulder blade, the blade moves when his arm does.

He is doing therapy 3 times a week including water therapy. Finally after 2 months he can sleep without the pain waking him up, and to fix the locked shoulder blade they want to put him under and break it loose... They also messed his medications all up, and were not giving him enough pain meds, they had him on high doses of tylenol for the pain, and he has 5 stents in his heart and is on BP meds, the pain was so bad he was in the hospital twice because it was making his BP shoot through the roof. Finally his heart doctor had to call the ortho and tell them what to prescribe for pain meds.

Has anyone else had any issues like this? Do they have any suggestions? Tips?

Honestly we think the surgery went wrong, the doctor was way over booked that day anyway, and the surgery didn't start until 5 hrs later than it was supposed to. He didn't get out of the surgery center until 8:30 at night, and he wasn't even the last surgery for that day. I understand that doctors have emergencies, but this is not an OB or cardiac surgeon, this is a ortho surgeon who books his surgeries a month in advance. He was supposedly one of the best ones around... uhm so yea. Thoughts? Advice?

 

[ChinchillasByDesign]

My dad had rotator cuff surgery in October. It is a major surgery. He is still having alot of pain. He goes to physical therapy as well. He still has trouble sleeping and can't do alot of things he was able to before ther surgery.

He was told it is just a very long process getting back to normal. I know I'm not much help, just letting you know your stepdad is not alone.

 

[lauralynne]

Many of hubby's friends who play softball have had that surgery and it is a LONG painful recovery. Wish I had some advice, but all I can remember them saying is that it was never the same.

 

[CTChin]

Are you serious? Tylenol for pain??? Even high doses of Tylenol codeine are not going to help. I had shoulder surgery two years ago and just a small rotator cuff repair and I was vicodin'ed up for a while. ESPECIALLY for physical therapy. It is h*ll no matter how you do it. My hand was NOT affected at all. Second opinion please.

Is there a reason why they don't give him something stronger? Dr.s are so paranoid now about turning patients into addicts that when you really need pain meds, you can't always get it. It's ridiculous.

 

[Pyronymph]

Rotator cuff injuries can be tough, and very painful. You father should not have been put through a "rigorous therapy" -- he should have allowed it to rest and heal, with massage therapy and some light physical therapy to keep the range of motion.

Something definitely went wrong during or after the surgery, and he should get a second opinion and possibly seek legal council.

A CranioSacral therapist may be able to help with the pain and numbness.

 

[jags]

Jeri has been in pain for 20 years with hers. 4 surgeries later and it is still not doing well.

 

[Riven]

He talked to a lady in a different town here who works with stuff like this. He said that there is so much scar tissue that is so hard he thought it was bone at first and it actually blocks his range of motion. This lady he spoke with thinks he had Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, and she does some sort of therapy for it. She wants his doctor to send him to her for about two weeks, then back to them for the physical therapy. I'm not sure what she does exactly, I'm going to look into it more next week with him, but I believe it's some sort of laser therapy. I know that she told him that she couldn't remove the scar tissue but could help lessen it. He talked to her because he knew of someone who referred her and worked with her after their shoulder surgery.

I don't know exactly what happens at his therapy but he says that Mike "cranks on it"... so I don't think that sounds good. This is coming from a man who after breaking his neck the second time was out throwing hay to the horses a week and a half later... He doesn't care what they have to do, he just wants his arm to work again.