Rotator Cuff full tear and retraction of supraspinatus tendon

Hi wwalker,

I just had an anatomical TSR 5 weeks ago. Because I waited too long, some of the muscles in my upper back near my bad shoulder weakened/atrophied. I didn't notice because it can only be seen from the back. My PT showed me. I'm 70 y/o and otherwise in excellent health. I should have had the surgery 6 months to one year earlier. Lesson learned.

As for your husband, I suggest asking his surgeon about doing RC surgery versus a reverse TSR versus PT for now. It seems that joint replacements heal faster and better than RC repair.

I hope that helps. My best to you and your husband.

Joe

Hello, Joe,

Joe happens to be my husband’s name too.

I am undergoing anatomical shoulder replacement surgery on Halloween and would like to dialog with someone who has had that… I have questions about how the different stages of recovery went for you and how you are presently doing.

Thanks,
Lynn

Hi Lynn,

Well it's good you're having an anatomical TSR. That means your rotator cuff muscles are intact. The Dr will need to free your subscapularis muscle and the tendon for the long bicep head. This allows access to the joint. The subscapularis is then stitched back onto the scapula and humerus. This makes the first month of rehab difficult, but certainly doable. (My surgeon did not reattach the tendon for the long biceps. I'll be interested in what your surgeon suggests. Sometimes surgeons will re-arttach this tendon, but it has to be lower on the humerus.)

My Dr. had me do nothing but easy arm swings while bent forward and simple bicep lifts, palms up for two weeks, then two weeks in a continuous passive motion chair, and then in-person PT.

What I found is that there is a lot of swelling and bruising/blood trails in the bicep, blood trails and bruising down the bicep and forearm and down the operated side. It looks worse that it is. My swelling went down within two weeks, but the day after surgery, my bicep was twice its normal size.

You will also work with a therapist to deal with getting dressed and a few other things. I was limited to one arm, but was surprised at the easy way to put on a t-short and take it off. The therapist will go through that with you.

You will probably also spend the first night in the hospital, I did. I think the reason is the nerve block administered before surgery. I couldn't feel my arm or shoulder for 18 hours after the shot.

As for icing, they may give you an ice machine, but that didn't get cold enough for me. I suggest using some decent sized gel packs that you can place on and around your shoulder on top of a wash cloth.

Sleeping is a bit tough - best position is on your back, back propped up at an angle with support under the operated arm, all while wearing your sling. My first two nights home were really painful, and then that stopped pretty quickly.

The best thing you can do with an aTSR is have patience. I had my shoulder replaced two months ago and have about three weeks left of PT, but my shoulder is now pain-free and it is glorious.

Anyway, please let me know if you have any questions. And please also remember that no two operations for the same joint are the same, especially in different patients. I do a lot of work at the gym, and did some work a theraband to strengthen my rotator cuff pre-op. It's not that important to do this. I did it because it's part of my normal exercise routine.

So yeah Lynn, good for you for getting this done! I hope your experience isn't as bad was what you may be thinking. I was pleasantly surprised at the recovery. The hardest part was adjusting to sleeping on my back!

All the best.

Joe

@lzamarra I had full tear shoulder repair a few years ago. I agree with all the tips that hey Joe gives. I actually followed a woman on YouTube that journaled her full recovery and even though it was a few years old, I really followed. My tip is when you are recovering with a PT, try Dry Needle procedure when a few weeks in. Also, the rented “ice” machine was a must for sleeping! A good recliner is the key!