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cosmokramer
Feb 19, 2005, 5:10 PM
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Registered: Jun 1, 2004
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Well, it's been six LONG agonizing months since I injured both shoulders trying to send a roof route all day long at the local rock gym while ignoring my body's fatigue signs (brilliant, I know).
I strectched out my shoulder ligaments (and tore my right supraspinatus tendon in the process) and now my shoulders are completely disfunctional. I went from benching 300 and leading 5.10d to barely being able to lift my arms over my head.
I am set to have my right shoulder capsule shrunk via open-shoulder surgery on April 6th. (I am getting the left shoulder looked at this week through enhanced MRI) I am hell-bent on climbing again, I miss it dearly, and I have faith that I will get to again someday in the future.
Anyone here ever been through this procedure? How are things for you now?
Any comments you can share about your own personal experiences with surgical shoulder capsule shrinkage would be beneficial to me.
Thanks in advance,
Mike in Texas
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rck_climber
Feb 20, 2005, 5:02 AM
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Registered: Aug 28, 2001
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Mike,
I know I answered a number of your questions via PM, but are you now talking about a "Thermal Shrinkage" procedure where they heat up your capsule with a laser and it shrinks in response to the heat?
If this is the procedure you're scheduled to have, I can not stress enough that you seriously re-examine the decision to go with that procedure. I just had an open posterior/inferior capsular shift (another capsule tightening procedure) a few weeks ago and researched the thermal procedure extensively before settling on the shift vs. the thermal.
I saw a number of studies on the internet that showed the thermal procedure worked great for ~ 1 year, but nearly all who underwent the surgery ended up with recurring instability and were forced to have a more traditional procedure done at a later date.
Beyond that, I spoke to a couple of guys from a Yahoo! group (http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Shoulder_TLC/) that had it done. To a person, all raved about it initially - praising the speed at which they recovered and were astonished at how much better their shoulders were feeling/working. But over the course of 12 months or so, all said that the instability returned, worse than before. Each had to go back in for a second surgery to repair the instability, the odds of success (statistcally, at least) go down with each additional surgery.
You only get one first shot at it, so I just want you to be aware that the thermal shrinkage procedure has been shown to be ineffective in the long-term. Hope this helps.
Mick
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skidawg
Feb 20, 2005, 7:03 AM
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Registered: Jan 6, 2005
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I have a shoulder problem too...to be honest though, only take my post for a grain of salt because I probably don't have the same thing you do, and to be honest, I'm not really to sure what's wrong with mine anyway (neither are my doctors). Mine is more genetic than anything. My shoulders are so loose (for lack of a better term) that when that are in a bad position like fully extended for example, and force is applied, then they sublux. Each time this happens it is is very painfull (depending on how sever...sometimes I have to force it back into place) and I am out for at least two weeks. I went through physical therapy, and learned to add muscular bulk to my shoulders to hold them in place better...it has helped, but does not prevent it alltogether by any means. I was given the option to get something done with lasers, or full blown surgery, but opted out of both, because surgery is just...well...a thing to avoid if you can live without it, and (if my memory serves me) my mom talked to the doctor later on, and he said the laser treatment did not prove to be very effective in studies done with it (I think that's the case anyway...again...not an expert). I've had it sublux while climbing, and realize I take a big risk climbing at all, but...I guess I just don't have the sense or willpower to quit.
Good luck, I feel your pain.
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cosmokramer
Feb 21, 2005, 3:51 AM
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Hey Mick!
Yeah my doc (Dr. Wirth) told me flat out that he doesn't buy the long term benefits of thermal shrinkage, so this isn't the procedure that I am going to have done; I will be getting the capsular shift as well. I am still debating holding off until I have better insurance so I can see a SPORTS MEDICINE surgeon who appreciates my appetites for extreme movement. But then again Dr. Wirth has been a shoulder specialist/surgeon for over 25 years. Decisions, decisions...
Thanks for your responses.
Anyone else out there have a capsular shift done?
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