Possible Rotator Cuff Surgery?
Question by john s: Possible Rotator Cuff Surgery?
I injured my arm back in 2005. The day it happened, I felt immediate pain. That night was almost unbearable. At the time I did not have insurance and just lived with horrible pain day in and day out. The pain was located in my bicep/shoulder area. More focus on my bicep then the shoulder. The pain gradually went from a constant unbearable pain to something I could deal with. Dull pain in when in some ranges of motion. In 2007 I went to the Dr. because I started to get worried that the pain was not going away and was getting worse. I received an MRI and they told me I had, “Moderate Bursitis” in my shoulder. I did not believe them. I thought the diagnosis was wrong. I know this was due to trauma. I did not go back. The pain has come and gone, and then in June I went to the Dr. again and they scheduled a visit with a specialist and another MRI. He told me he would be doing a surgery on my called decompression at the end of September, but does not know if itis the Rotator Cuff unitl he goes in, for the MRI does not show any problems. HE gave me some Cortozone shots in my bad arm and I was on my way. My arm felt fine for almost a month. The best month I ever had. Now the pain is back.
Does it sound like this Dr. is doing the right thing? I am willing to get the surgery just to help with the pain. If it does not show on the MRI, why go in?
Best answer:
Answer by Aspasia
The doctors have sophisticated imaging equipment to diagnose problems, but sometimes they have to do more invasive procedures, such as surgery, to determine the correct diagnosis. During this surgery, the problem is alsocorrected. Sometimes the pre-operative diagnosis differs from the post-operative diagnosis.
I have been in a similar situation with my knee. The orthopedic surgeon said he would try to use an orthoscope (scope in the knee, mimimally invasive) to try to get a look at what was going on inside the knee. He was also going to try this approach to try to correct a dislocated kneecap. He advised me that the scope was needed to determine how the doctor was going to approach the problem. He also advised me that the orthoscope might not work, and I would need a full incision and screws in my leg to hold the patellar tendon in place, along with bone grafting. I went into this surgery not knowing the extent of the procedure. I woke up with my knee immobilized, with the full incision. He had to do the more invasive approach, which happened to involve much more work than originally anticipated.
Same with my back surgery. The doctor had X-rays, CT scans and MRIs of my lumbar spine, but sometimes the exact problem and surgical approach cannot be determined until the doctor is able to SEE exactly what the problem is. I have a different type of fixation to stabilize the problem area of my spine than what was explained during my pre-op appointment. I felt like you when I was told I needed surgery; I wanted the pain gone and my mobility back, and I was willing to give surgery a try.
Ask some questions about how much pain relief you can get from this procedure. Ask about how long it will take to recover from the procedure. Make a list of questions to ask, and if you are still in doubt, seek a second opinion.
Cortizone shots just treat the pain and inflammation. The steroids eventually wear off, and then you need another injection. Sometimes, the doctor will only do so many injections within a certain period of time. I had injections in my back that wore off quickly. If you want the problem corrected, then surgery may be your only option.
Good luck.
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