Bilateral shoulder labral tears&bicep tendon tears

@dhorner8004 What a tough problem! When you say "treatment isn't necessary", what kind of doctor made that assessment?
Last September, I had the same, and had a consult with a highly rated shoulder surgeon. His assessment was that the labrum tears were mainly from "wear and tear" complicated by an acute injury to the attachment at the top of the shoulder and the biceps tear. He told me that "at your age (over 70) surgery is not recommended", which I found disturbing. When I described all the things I usually did, he admitted that I could not recover that use without help.
We settled on rotator cuff repair on the side with the biceps tear, with no biceps repair because in his experience it was unlikely to be successful. That was followed by 6 weeks immobilization, and 3 months of no-load PT, followed by increasing weight loads. The post-surgical report stated he had done "a massive rotator cuff repair" on 3 separate tears (one complete rupture.) His post-surgery protocol was extremely conservate, but his success rate at 2 years for people who follow it is 90%. Surprisingly, the labral tear on the unoperated side mostly healed during the period of inactivity. I finished PT at 9 months with an 80% recovery of my pre-surgery strength, and 95% of my range of motion.
Now I wish he also did elbows...

It was a Orthopedic surgeon who stated that. This was all back in April 2024 and due to never being able to get them to do any kind of treatment my shoulders now have worsened severely due to my job working in a warehouse for 10 years now. Both labral tears have now became chronic, caused osteoarthritis and lots of nerve damage. When I had recent MRIs done here a few months ago due to worsening symptoms and pain it showed due to the degenerative wear and tear the labral tear had worsened and the slap tear was now a extended slap tear with ruptured long head bicep tendon. I just turned 45 and am very healthy and have never had any type of injury my entire life. So it just seems odd to me they have continued to wanna only address pain and not the tears or damage that's being caused. The Orthopedic surgeon Im seeing stated he wasn't worried about the chronic tears, damage to joint, or the denervation to all the nerves on both sides only helping with managing the pain and inflammation im in and sent me to physical therapy. It continues to worsen the more I do overhead activities and lifting and I worry my shoulders are going to just give out at some point.

@dhorner8004

I think you need 2nd and 3rd opinions from other orthopedic sports medicine/shoulder/bicep specialist. Surgery should be an option if conservative treatment won’t help regain better function.

Here is what ChatGPT says:

Causes

Trauma: Sudden impact, such as a fall or sports injury, can lead to labral and biceps tendon tears.
Repetitive Motion: Activities that include repeated overhead motions can strain the shoulder structures over time.
Age-related Degeneration: As people age, the cartilage can weaken, making it more susceptible to tears.
Symptoms

Pain: Usually felt in the shoulder joint and upper arm, often worsening with overhead movements.
Instability: A feeling that the shoulder may dislocate or "give way."
Clicking or Popping Sounds: Noticeable during movement of the shoulder.
Reduced Range of Motion: Difficulty in raising the arm or performing everyday tasks.
Diagnosis

Diagnosis typically involves:
Physical Examination: Assessment of the shoulder's range of motion and stability.
Imaging Tests: MRI or CT scans are common to visualize the labrum and biceps tendons, confirming the presence of tears.
Treatment Options

Conservative Management:
Rest and Activity Modification: Reducing activities that exacerbate pain.
Physical Therapy: Strengthening exercises for surrounding muscles to stabilize the shoulder.
Medications: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to manage pain and swelling.
Surgical Intervention:
Arthroscopy: Minimally invasive procedure to repair the labrum and biceps tendon.
Rehabilitation Post-Surgery: A structured recovery plan focusing on restoring function and strength.

I had shoulder surgery in March. Two complete tendon tears and my bicep was also detached and torn. Three and one half months of minimal to no movement, only forearm work. My other shoulder repair failed due to going into PT too fast. I started PT in July very slowly. Range of motion and light activation only. We’re now in November and I’ve been able to lift, do weight bearing exercises and strengthen my shoulder way past what I could do before. I hated the non-movement months, it felt non-productive but today I’m so thankful my doc insisted on it! It is true that most bicep reattachments fail due to not waiting for it to heal. I’m just so relieved that I am mostly pain free (that bicep is a grumpy one) and able to move freely.