Hi Davey,

I had an anatomical TSR 7 weeks ago today. I'm a 70 y/o male. I ran marathons in my 30s and 40s (a few under 3 hours, so decent times) and I'm in the gym now spinning 5x/week for cardio, and working on resistance with a trainer 2x/week.

I'm only telling you all this so you hopefully feel better about your decision to have the TSR. Sounds like you are very fit, and that will help you a lot in recovery.

My rotator cuff was intact, so I had an anatomically correct TSR, not a reverse., As for the recovery:

- The first few days are painful. You'll likely be given an 18-hour nerve block before surgery and stay one night in the hospital - which I highly recommend cause your arm will still be very numb.

- The first night at home for me was hardest. This was the most uncomfortable night in recovery, so don't get discouraged, the persistent pain subsides quickly. I had a lot of swelling and later bruising as blood followed gravity down my side and arm. For the first two weeks, all I could do was simple arm dangling motions. (See "Codman" exercise.)

- At two weeks, I started on a continuous passive motion machine - 4x/day, one hour per session. Ya gotta do this as instructed. You'll increase the range each time you start a session. Have a Kindle, TV, or portable speaker handy. This is a very important phase as you rebuild flexibility. The swelling should have subsided significantly. The bruising lasts a while. Don't freak out.
- At 4 weeks I started in-person PT. I'm at week 3 now, and we've focused on isometrics and range of motion.
- I expect to be in PT another month to begin strengthening exercises. This will be the longest phase, rebuilding strength.

FWIW, I was back in the gym after 5 weeks, working on core and legs. I wore my sling so as not to do anything stupid.

Are you having an anatomical TSR or reverse? I'm guessing anatomical. If so, the subscapularis is detached during surgery, for access to the joint, and reattached to the scapula before closing. This takes the longest to heal.

Every surgery is different and there are no guarantees. I've had both knees replaced (my running days are long over!), my right hip, and now my left shoulder. That have all been very successful, and all reduced the pain I was in pre-op.

One tip - treat the first 4 or 5 weeks like a vacation from working out. That helped me a lot. Oh and you'll need to sleep on your back with your back propped up and arm on a pillow. I'm a side sleeper, but adjusted eventually.

All the best to you Davey. At 7 weeks I feel great, but it will be a few more months before my strength is built back up. If you have other questions, please let me know.

(The two most important things - 1) the skill of the surgeon and 2) the patient's absolute commitment to doing the rehab. You mentioned debridement - that's just a cleaning of loose particles in the joint, or the cleaning out of an infected joint. Sounds like yours was the former.)

You've tried everything Davey, Go into this feeling positive and committed. Hope this helps.

Joe

(One last thing - use ice, a lot!)