I probably get more emails about shoulder problems than anything else.\u00a0 Most of the emails center on rotator cuff and SLAP tears, as well as whether or not to have surgery.<\/p>\n
Let me be clear – I am not going to tell you TO or NOT TO have surgery in this post.\u00a0 That is for you and your MD to decide.\u00a0 However, I will give you my thoughts on key considerations with respect to this major decision.<\/p>\n
Below are some major considerations to take into account if you are facing this dilemma.<\/p>\n
Indications for having surgery:<\/span><\/p>\n Now, some contraindications for surgery:<\/span><\/p>\n These thoughts are mostly relative to rotator cuff pathology.\u00a0 SLAP tears are a much different animal in that they often do not do well conservatively with rehab, particularly in active patients.\u00a0 I approach SLAP tears in rehab much like I do a cuff problem, but the varying degrees of SLAP tears and associated involvement of biceps tendon pathology and\/or rotator cuff damage make the treatment algorithm more challenging.<\/p>\n What I san say with confidence is that shoulder surgery is never quick and easy.\u00a0 The shoulder is such a complex and pain sensitive joint that whether or not you have arthroscopic or an open repair, the rehab and recovery process is often painful and laborious.\u00a0 This is not to deter you, but more so to make you aware that once you wake up from surgery your shoulder will not be back to normal, nor is there\u00a0any guarantee your shoulder will be as good as new again.\u00a0 You understand that there is no problem surgery cannot make worse (quote from Dr. Jack Hughston).<\/p>\n Finding a skilled and competent shoulder surgeon will certainly lessen the complications and recovery window.\u00a0 So, when faced with the prospect of surgery, be certain to exhaust conservative measures first, seek multiple MD opinions, get an X-Ray\/MRI, and weigh the current functional deficits with the desired functional level to determine the best course of action.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I probably get more emails about shoulder problems than anything else.\u00a0 Most of the emails center on rotator cuff and SLAP tears, as well as whether or not to have surgery. Let me be clear – I am not going to tell you TO or NOT TO have surgery in this post.\u00a0 That is for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,8,22,36,11],"tags":[131,128,130,129],"class_list":["post-755","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","category-rehab","category-rotator-cuff","category-shoulder","category-shoulder-injuries","tag-rotator-cuff-surgery","tag-shoulder-surgery","tag-slap-injury","tag-slap-tear"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
\n