Rotator cuff surgery ?

My right shoulder has bothered me for a long time. For the last ten years I have just tolerated the pain. About a month ago I was coon hunting and hurt it even more. MRI showed torn bi-cep, torn labrum, and 2 of 4 rotator cuff tendons are torn. They said the rest of it looked great. Meet with surgeon on January 8. Last thing I want is surgery, but probably inevitable. Just curious about recovery time for those that have dealt with this. TIA

Following. I too have been "suck it up" for the last 13 years.

Ive sucked it up in both shoulders for 15 yrs......swimming helps me immensly.....physical therapy 3 times didnt. What i saw uncle go thru after surgery showed me I could get thru it. Torn forarm tendon since may....still using it like an idiot. orthopedic surgeon said in 4 months man you heal fast. I just work it.

My right shoulder was done in 2015.
No moving it for 8 weeks
Then about 4 months PT ,it was workers comp
Do exactly what your told by the medical pros
I didn't, still messed up

Doc said the best thing I could do for my shoulder after my surgery was to crank my bow down to the lowest poundage and shoot. Said it used all the muscles in my shoulder.

I had my right one done, do all of the exercises like they are prescribed, I had an old timer tell me that prior to surgery. It was good advice, can’t remember how long it took to heal, but if you have a good surgeon it’ll feel better.

Been embracing the suck for a lot of years. They healed before to being useable but it seemed to take longer to heal each time. Damaged my left one 3x it’s still on the mend from last spring with slow progress. Did the old one step stick trip, step on one end of a stick that stops your other foot in mid stride. I flopped like a fish banged up a few ribs then we hunted a new place full of old fences took two more falls one about as bad. Not a great week for the shoulder.

Walked around like a stroke victim for months now it’s more useable. I can lift and carry wood with it but upward movement above shoulder level or reaching straight out is still limited. My therapy is I keep using it and I’ll live with it as long as I can I don’t have time to sit around healing just don’t.

Good luck do what you gotta do I’m just not a surgery guy myself I’m in the “all things heal group.”

I've had both done, right and left. Do what the Doc and PT says, and don't do what they say not to do. Recovery time is individual, but at least 8-12 weeks in a sling, good behavior for some time after.

Just had my fifth rotator cuff surgery, and all were full thickness tears. Last was September 10 th, and it was most severe. No pt for 6 weeks to allow it to heal. Still in pt.

I suggest sleeping in a recliner a few nights. If the surgery is on your dominant side, start practicing to clean yourself on the toilet. That is the most:foreign motion.

The pt is essential following the repair. Warm weather will be your friend.

I'm not sure how bad waiting a long time to repair them makes it. Never been diagnosed but I'm sure mine was torn back when we farmers had a one day tomato war in 1981. Used to throw things like a major league picture...ever since that day I can throw like a nine year old girl.

I would suggest either a Cryo Cuff or Breg Polar Care cube System during recovery - helped me very much.

The surgery isn't bad, according a friend of mine. But, recovery and therapy is horrible.

I had torn Supra spinatus and bicep. Bicep caused most pain. Talk to folks in your area, find out who had surgery and their outcomes. Find the surgeon with the best results. This is important, you want one who has treated other patients successfully.

Had my surgery in June, started pt mid July, did pt until end of Sept. was given choice of another month of pt. Declined because I am pretty active and general use finished rehabbing it the rest of the way. Trapped that fall, but was very careful, did not want to fall on that shoulder.

By Oct 1 I was pretty much able to do whatever I wanted. However there are some activities that you will need to avoid for around a year or so. Rototilling and using pruning lopers were two big no-nos. Anything that may kick or suddenly release are activities you want to avoid.

Finally, after surgery you have a 50% chance of another tear, compared to 35% for those who have never had a tear.

Should not of read this before checking traps today. I carried in my cat bag in one hand and a jackrabbit/chicken in the other both shoulders hurt the whole day, still do. LOL

Cortisone shots help me a lot. I get almost a year out of them. I'm not having surgery on them.

Sissy.

Left shoulder had a torn labrum and bicep from chest wall…thought I was gonna show up those kids in the gym.
I was 8 weeks immobile…the next 3-4 months in therapy.
Follow Docs orders which are do EXACTLY what your PT tells you. If she/he says you are at the point you can lift 5lbs…only lift 5lbs.
I’d leave therapy in a cold sweat and nauseous. I picked this PT cause I’d dated her sister in high-school. Apparently we didn’t part as good of friends as I thought cause this girl put me through the wringer, lol.
BUT my left shoulder is now better than my right, lol. I was back lifting at the weight I hurt myself 9 months after surgery.
I had surgery Jan 2 and returned to work full duty June 1. That putting my thumb of my left hand behind my back between my shoulder blades was the absolute worst and what kept me from returning a little earlier. This chic wasn’t releasing me until she checked every block off the list.

Well, Swamp, here's my tale. I went through it last winter. First go-round on January 30th I showed up at the hospital well before dawn (70+ mile one way). Got all the pre -surgical prep and had a nerve block shot in my rt shoulder/neck to help deaden everything......the darn shot paralyzed the right side of my diaphragm by mistake. Literally thought I was going to croak . Was held overnight to make sure I didn't. Rescheduled for 1 week later. Had the surgery and spent 6 weeks in a sling and sleeping on my back propped up. It was awful. I have never been able to sleep well on anything but my right side. Also.....the oddball position had my sciatic nerve screaming. Fun. After the sling came off I had about 3 months of PT. I am an admitted sissy, so it was a real pain, but I got stronger and had less pain when I did the PT. Through the whole ordeal my shoulder ached bad enough at night to keep me eating ibuprofen by the peck. A few weeks after the PT was done I started having the same pain any time I used the arm. Now it is to the point that I'm sure it came undone. My bicep bothers me all the time as well. The surgeon cut the big upper ligament on that, said it would be less likely to irritate the repaired 3 rotator cuff tendons. I will put a second surgery off until I can't lift my own finger. For a short while I was quite happy with things. Not now.

I let mine go for several years. When I finally couldn't take it anymore went in to get surgery, the doc opened it up scraped out the arthritis as best he could and sent me on y way. 4 weeks lifting 5 pounds then back to an aching shoulder. I get a cortisone shot every 3 months until I decide to have a shoulder replacement. Don't wait , it won't heal on its own.

I've had my left shoulder done. I let it go so long that it froze up from the scar tissue. Stubborn? According to the wife, yes. According to the dr. , yes. The surgery was not fun, when i went under they wound my arm around like a windmill to break all the tissue loose. Glad i was sleeping for that. Now my right one is barking and i'll put it off till i'm dead.
When they gave me the pain shot in the neck , my left lung collapsed and didn't want to kick back in so i would suffer through a little more pain than have that happen again. Good luck on your fix up.

recovery is terrible. TAKE THE PAIN MEDS !!!!!!!! You won't get hooked. I had to stop the weight work out of the PT because it was 3 days after I still couldn't use my arm . Even 2 months in. I used the pulleys that helped range of motion. Hung them from my skinning machine hoist in my building. Did 2 sets of exercises each morning.Now is time to do it, You don't want to be nursing a shoulder in the spring and summer.

No fun trying to skin a deer with torn rotator cuff. No fun after surgery either. Can’t rush the recovery or the weather. I never got well until hot weather came. In fact I do my home isometric exercises in the shower under hot water spray.

I have had both shoulders done both took 14 weeks then total release for work.
My right shoulder had two tendons torn in to they reattached both got about 80% usage lol