Dislocated Shoulder

[Bandit_Driver]

I have an old football injury caused by getting too many dislocated shoulders over the years. Now if I sleep wrong or attempt to throw a ball I can throw my should completely out. I have always been able to get it back in without medical attention.

I saw several specialist while in college and they said the tendons and ligaments need to be fixed as they are no longer properly doing their jobs. At the time this involved major surgery with a long recovery time. They recommended if I can perform my job and don't have issues with it daily leave it alone due to long and painful recovery.

Has technology changed in the area of surgery? Can it be down with cutting my shoulder wide open? Is it really that painful of surgery with a several month recovery period?

The reason for having it done is that I would like to be able to throw the ball around with my kids when they get older and play racquetball again.

[My Flight Surgeon]

Technology has advanced but I would guess by your history you have pretty much destroyed the ligaments around the shoulder. Orthopedic surgeons are doing arthroscopic surgery but you will probably require an open repair to get the best results.

The most important thing you can do before this surgery is meet with the physical therapist to learn how to do the rehab exercises. After surgery really push the rehab. It usually takes 3 months of good, hard rehab to gain full motion of the shoulder. (Been there, done that!)

As far as flying, it depends on the equipment you operate. If you are not in a cockpit with overhead switches, you can probably be back to flying in 6 weeks or so. If you have overhead switches, like in a 737, it may take 10-12 weeks to get there.

Best of luck to you.

[Bandit_Driver]

Thanks for the info and being on this board.

[Bandit_Driver]

I know it hard to say. But is it true that a shoulder surgery is one of them most painful areas to have operated on?

How stable are these repairs usually. I am afraid of going through all of this then throwing my shoulder out again and being back to square one..

Thanks again for the info..

[My Flight Surgeon]

The immediate post-operative period is painful If the surgery is done well (and most orthopefic guys are good - get one who has had a fellowship in shoulder surgery) it will not come out again unless there is a major injury.

[adreamer]

Shoulder surgery. I feel your pain just thinking about it.


adreamer

[jtrain609]

Originally Posted by My Flight Surgeon

The immediate post-operative period is painful If the surgery is done well (and most orthopefic guys are good - get one who has had a fellowship in shoulder surgery) it will not come out again unless there is a major injury.

Man how the heck do you know all this stuff doc!? From anti-depressants to shoulder surgery's! I thought doctors specalized in what they practiced?

[adreamer]

He is the man... Maybe JC members get some discount if we go there for physical.

adreamer

[My Flight Surgeon]

That is like asking a 40,000 hour lipot how hw knows so much --> EXPERIENCE.

[Bandit_Driver]

Originally Posted by My Flight Surgeon

That is like asking a 40,000 hour lipot how hw knows so much --> EXPERIENCE.

Great Reply...

[quikie]

As someone who's had a few shoulder surgeries let me say that the repair is really pretty good. For daily use, it's fantastic. For high level contact sports (ie. grappling, martial arts, tackle football) not really, no.

Definitely worth doing. In 2 months you'll be using your arm for daily tasks. Raquetball might take 6-12 months.

[amorris311]

as a current div 1 football player i have had two shoulder surgeries. they were for total reconstruction since i broke my shoulder. i have been just fine since my last surgery 4 years ago. believe when i say the rehab sucks but it pays dividends when you are fully recovered.

[Bandit_Driver]

Thanks for the info guys...

[amorris311]

if you dont mind me asking, how did you dislocate the first time? i had a couple of guys on the team get it from pass blocking and cut blocking.

[Bandit_Driver]

Diving on a fumble in practice. Had my arm straight out reaching for the ball and a big guy dropped right on my shoulder.

[amorris311]

Originally Posted by Bandit_Driver

Diving on a fumble in practice. Had my arm straight out reaching for the ball and a big guy dropped right on my shoulder.

yes that hurts a lot! i am willing to bet though that you would go through that again to be able to play collegiate football right now.

[Bandit_Driver]

Originally Posted by amorris311

yes that hurts a lot! i am willing to bet though that you would go through that again to be able to play collegiate football right now.

In a second.

[sharkey]

I'm probably going to get this surgery in a few weeks as well for what the MRI guy called a Hill-Sach's deformity. Will I need to get a new medical afterward and if so should I wait until I've done a bunch of physical therapy so I've got a good range of motion? What if the surgeon recomends an orthoscopic surgery, does that make a difference to the AME? Is there even an orthoscopic option for a this kind of thing?
Thanks Doc.
Sharkey

[My Flight Surgeon]

First, many surgeons do arthroscopic surgery for shoulders. Whether or not they "open" the joint has to do with the extent of the injury and whether or not they think they can get adequate enough exposure to effect an good repair.

Second, the AME doesn't care what type of surgical exposure is done.

Third, if you get your flight physical before the surgery, then you will not have to worry about "passing" until the next one. You will need to "ground" yourself (FAR 61.53) until you have an adequate range of motion of the shoulder to be able to safely fly. Some of this decision is based on what you fly (i.e., a B737 has overhead swithches you need to operate while a Bonanza does not require as much overhear movement).

Good luck, been there, done that!

[amorris311]

yea good luck man the rehab is a bitch.

[Bandit_Driver]

Originally Posted by amorris311

yea good luck man the rehab is a bitch.

Thanks, I don't see myself getting done too quickly...Need to build up the savings account first before taking unpaid leave...