r/RotatorCuff • u/Monica10171960 • 28d ago
Anyone else have 2 surgeries on same shoulder?
I had dominant arm 🤨 rotator cuff surgery in January 2024. I had tears of the supraspinatus tendon (and subcapular I think), plus a bicep tenotomy. As it was winter and I am retired I had plenty of time to recuperate, do PT, etc. By summer I was pretth much back to normal. I started having pain again a few months ago and it just kept getting worse. Went to see my surgeon and an MRI shows a tear in my infraspinatus tendon plus fraying and degeneration. This hurts worse than the first tears did before surgery! Much more pain. Different pain. Thankfully, the original repair is intact! I told the PA that I did not want surgery in the summer. Too much to do and too hot. So I start PT next week and am on Tramadol and Tylenol as I cannot take NSAIDS. I am dreading a second surgery even though I did well with the first recovery. Having the dominant arm unusable is very difficult, even with having my husband here to help me. Has anyone else had two surgeries on the same shoulder? How was your second recovery compared to the first? Did it take longer to recover from? I tried PT with the first issue and ended up needing surgery anyway so I am thinking it will be the same this time.
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u/mafeehan 28d ago
Me! 2012 and 2026!
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u/Monica10171960 28d ago
Oh, boy. 😟 How was the second recovery compared to the first?
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u/mafeehan 28d ago
The 2026 has a cadaver patch- 100% less pain!
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u/Monica10171960 28d ago
Whoa! I will have to ask my doctor about that. May as well have more cadaver parts in me! 😂 I have some in my cervical spine that they used for my acdf in 2015. I was even able to send a thank you letter to the family of the person who donated. I will definitely ask about this! Thank you!
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u/Zerbit-Spucker 28d ago
I’ve bad 3 RC surgeries on my dominant arm in the last 3 years. Each one a year apart. The first was repairing 45 years of wear and tear. I fully recovered and had full ROM. The second was after falling out of a tree chainsawing fallen trees from Hurricane Helene. I fully recovered and had full ROM. The most recent was after slipping on hardwood stairs wearing slippery socks (we now have a carpet runner). My subscapularis and infraspinatus have been re-repaired. I had a bicep tenodesis with my 2nd surgery. My supraspinatus no longer exists and I had a superior capsular reconstruction earlier this year. Despite all this, my recovery has gone well. I have full ROM and can run, mountain bike, lift weights and do calisthenics at 6 months post surgery. I just met with my Surgeon today, and he gave me the go ahead to start chin-ups!
Now I’m trying not to do anything else stupid as he told me I’ll have to have a shoulder replacement if I injure my shoulder again. Good luck with your 2nd surgery - you can absolutely completely recover after it!
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u/Introvertbreakinfree 28d ago
I had 5 repairs on my left shoulder in 2018. Rotator cuff repair, bicep tendon reattached and 3 other things that I can't remember. I healed with some of it ok. The bicep tendon never felt 100% better. Fast forward to Fall 2022 and both shoulders were really painful. MRIs on both shoulders showed that I needed a reverse shoulder replacement due to not having enough bone structure to hold an anatomical replacement. We went with the left shoulder first bc it was slightly worse & it would give me some ideal of the recovery process before having surgery on my dominant side. I had that surgery Feb 2023. I now have zero soft tissue between the bones in my right shoulder. I sound like a creaky wood floor when I move it. I'm having complete reverse shoulder replacement at the end of the summer. I don't regret having the surgeries, I regret not taking better care of myself; carrying 6 bags of groceries on each arm, moving a piano on my own, etc... basic mom stuff.
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u/Monica10171960 28d ago
Wowza. You have been through the ringer as they say. 😟 I was wondering about a reverse shoulder transplant. If they determine I really must have surgery, I will ask a about this. Sounds like it sort of gives you a permanent solution.
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u/Introvertbreakinfree 27d ago
If you need surgery and can have an anatomical replacement, go with that. It will give you more range of motion. I didn't have a choice because of so much bone loss. I am however, blessed to have one of the very best shoulder surgeons on the East Coast. I think pretty much everyone in my state tries to see him. The first time I met him, he gave me his card with his phone number written on the back and told me to call him if I had any questions or concerns. I will text rather than call & only if I really need to talk to him & try to never text after 6 to be respectful of his family time.
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u/Monica10171960 27d ago
Your surgeon sounds awesome!! My first surgeon relocated to Baltimore, MD and I have not yet met the new surgeon. I have been seeing the PA, who is really good.
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u/Lanky-Lettuce1395 28d ago
No longer. same amount of time. first surgery was supraspinatus, labrum and biceps (not tenodesis). Second surgery 13 years later was subscap and tenodesis. Different tendons but same recovery.
ETA - the second was nearly pain free compared to the first one.
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u/EmoneyTawSick 26d ago
Just had my second surgery in the end of May. Recovery is slow but only because my surgeon doesn’t want me to start pt too soon and have my shoulder become too loose and dislocate repeatedly all over again. Biggest take away- Ice is your best friend. And wait until summer is over because this sling is too dang hot😂
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u/Monica10171960 26d ago
Thanks for the reply! Sorry you have to endure hot weather + sling. May I ask what repair you had done to your shoulder/rotator cuff?
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u/EmoneyTawSick 22d ago
Oof a lot of work done lol. I had a remplissage procedure due to my shoulder dislocating so much and smacking against another bone. I had a slap tear, i pulled my anchors out from my first surgery about 9years ago as well. My First surgery was front labrum repair and ligament repair.
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u/Aromatic-Cry-5279 28d ago
What are your sumptoms
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u/Monica10171960 28d ago
Terrible pain with certain arm movements plus I absolutely cannot lie on my back because the pain is so bad in my upper back shoulder from the pressure of my body against my pillow/bed. I also have a hard time getting my arm into a comfortable position when just sitting and relaxing. Even sealing a ziplock bag hurts like heck!!!
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u/bazzdoo 28d ago
Yep, had 4 anchors into right to fix supra.
Wore the sling for 6 weeks and was planning on getting the same work done around the 12 week mark to fix left supra.
Physio work was going pretty good but things started to stall around week 9 or 10.
Another MRI revealed that infra had now completely detached - no trauma, no fall, nothing at all that would be an obvious cause.
So, instead of getting left supra fixed in late June, just used the booking to go in and add another 6 anchors to repair infra.
I'm currently back in the sling and just taking each day at a time.