I've got this going on. X-ray yesterday, consult with orthopedist next year:

Moderate glenohumeral osteoarthritis with large inferior humeral
osteophyte. There is mild to moderate a.c. joint arthrosis. No
fractures or dislocations.

What that means is my left shoulder is wore out and there's a large bone spur. It's in the primary joint between the upper arm and the shoulder but there is also mild to moderate upper joint deterioration.

Is this the 6 month recovery surgery? This is not about the rotator cuff which is I think what Rob had.

How screwed am I? It for sure hurts and limits mobility.

Shop for a good orthopedist who specializes in shoulders and does multiple procedures per day on them. Don't be shy about asking for copies your x-rays or MRI's to take to a second opinion. You would not have your house worked on without multiple bids.

From my experience pain and interference with your life will tell you when you need to have something done.

As one doc told me " If we scheduled on x-ray results I would schedule your surgery next week, but you are going to have to tell me when you are ready for the procedure." I got the knee replaced five years later when there was not enough ice or drugs in the world to let me do what I wanted. Just remember each day you don't do it is another day of limits on your life. There is NO good time to go under the knife but your body will tell you when.

As I have often said: If I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself.

TD

What, trying too hard to get into the Handstand Challenge thread, LOL?

As a physician and anesthesiologist I think I might be able to offer some advise. Sounds to me that you may well be looking at a shoulder replacement surgery. Knee and hip replacement is very common, shoulders not so. You may be able to get by with debridement of the shoulder arthroscopically with removal of the bone spur and acromioclavicular arthritis. Either way this surgery is one of the more painful and takes a long time to recover. Could be 6-12mos but everyone is different. Remember that surgery is not perfect and may not be the end of your shoulder problems. If an infection occurs you may never use your shoulder again. When I put people to sleep for this I tell them the simplest part of the whole deal will be the surgery. The recovery and rehab is the hard part. I warn people not to look on surgery lightly. It is not as simple as going to Jiffy Lube and getting an oil change. The risks for devastating complications are relatively small but if it happens to you it could change your life forever. As I say I would never let them operate on me unless I was pretty much only able to lay on the couch. That being said as you get older your shoulder will get worse and it will get harder and harder to recover from surgery if you wait. It is a tough decision. Dont rush into it

TomD wrote:From my experience pain and interference with your life will tell you when you need to have something done.

I like that; it is up to me to decide how much pain I want to deal with and what I count as interference in my life. I no longer play on my wife's work softball team because of a bum shoulder but I never wanted to play anyways so I don't consider it interfering. I'm fine if I don't lift my hand above my head or I don't do anything stupid but if I do I have to deal with a numb arm for a week or so. I'd get it taken care of but I got kids to raise and an airplane to build...once the numbness goes away from my dumb little handstand attempt this morning.

To be totally honest I don't even know what is wrong with it. I haven't seen a doctor for it because I don't want to report the visit to my AME and I'm not going to have it fixed anyways. When I'm ready to get it fixed I'll see a doctor and report it to my AME at my next medical renewal.

Good luck 701, hope they determine it isn't as bad as it sounds.

My shoulder surgery was a 98% good. I would do it again.Good luck with your shoulder.

Cheers...Rob

Well, thanks all. Coyote, I'm thinking about holding off at least 6 months during which time I'll really try to get the airplane finished. I'm going to get the shoulder done on medicare about mid 2015 unless the orthopedist really thinks it needs to get done right away. I'll see what he says in January. The shoulder has not been totally disabled but the symptoms have changed. It used to kind of catch and then SNAP! when the muscle would get caught on the spur and then rip through. Wham! That kinda hurt. Now the damn thing just hurts all the time and the strength and mobility is going away. Can't sleep on that side etc. The only other surgery I've had was a 4/5 lower left lumbar laminotomy. I would call that one 100% successful but I was just a 49 year old kid at the time. I was back to limited work duty in 5 weeks. The recovery for that one hurt plenty but from what Rob and others have said this one will be worse. We'll see. Maybe cortisone shots for a few months. Whiskey?

Dan

I am a Ortho PA by trade. I have done this stuff for the last 20 years (Did total shoulder two days ago) so take my advice for what it is worth. The AC joint osteoarthritis is most likely not a issue. Lots of people have osteoarthritis of the AC joint on X-ray and no pain. The real issue is osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint. The inferior osteophyte is only a side effect of the arthritis. Without seeing the X-rays and doing a full exam I would say you need a total shoulder replacement not a scope. There is no hurry!!! See how long a shot lasts try some PT. Total shoulder replacement in the right hands is a great surgery but do not expect to be 18 again. I tell people the reason to replace the shoulder joint is so you can pick your nose and wipe your ass. NOT TO DO HEAVY LABOR!!!! Be happy if you can use your hand over you head to change lightbulb, but do not expect to change a muffler with a over head lift. 6 mo you will be doing most things with your elbow at your side, but it will improve for up to 18 mo. Most orthopedic hand surgeons do total shoulders, general guys not so much. Total hips and knees are common, shoulders are not, so ask around. Also just because a surgeon is fast it does not mean they are good.
DENNY

The AC joint osteoarthritis is most likely not a issue. Lots of people have osteoarthritis of the AC joint on X-ray and no pain. The real issue is osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint. The inferior osteophyte is only a side effect of the arthritis.

Just what I was going to say.

I broke out the ice water circulatory pump yesterday for a good friend. My old HS buddy fell on ice a month and a half ago. He is in surgery right now, this second.

G'Day

Wow! Drs Denny and Coyote, thanks for the feedback. I'm feeling better already. I can screw in a lightbulb left handed now! I just can't put the turkey platter on the top shelf left handed. It hurts but I'll paraphrase Zorba the Greek here: "All life is pain, only death is no pain". I can handle this easily for now. I'm taking me off the self imposed schedule. I'll see somebody after asking around to get the right one. The guy who did my laminotomy had done over 100 of them and had trained the guy who did one on him! That's the type guy I'll need if this gets too much. Sounds like a trip to Chugiak is in my future eh? It won't be out of my way as we visit AK every couple of years. Family ties.

As an add on here let me just say this about that. All my life I've been of the opinion that my dick is a Harley you know? You kick it to start. One hundred and fifty-five pounds of pure gristle. Nine feet tall and ready to fight the grizzly over the moose carcass. But I think the take away here is to hire youngsters to polish the undersides of the wings now. Or paint them. Save the wear and tear on my body for things I really want to do. I think I'll get a crew in here to cut back the jungle in the backyard for instance. It's not worth it at 64.8 years of oldness to use up what I got left on stupid shit. Just saying; I've got a different perspective today. This is an incredible group of people.

Again...thanks!
Dan

I am 69.5 years old and have had a few bumps along the way. When i college I was on the gymnastics team and had a few injuries. Flag football at 23 when in the navy and out of shape. At about 32 I lost my footing while playing capture the flag with a bunch of boy scouts and fell off a very steep rock formation. That along with half a century of screwing pipe together. Started that at 12 years old.

I had my right shoulder done ten weeks ago yesterday. Rotator cuff and bone spurs. Also the worst was that the Supraspinatus tendon was torn away from the bone. Well there was about 5% still hooked up. Had a visit to the doc today and he said that there was no need to see him again and that I could quit PT as soon as I thought I was not getting anything from it or when the insurance company stops paying for it.

Flew the plane a few days ago and there was no problem pulling the flap handle. I hope that in a month I will have no problem cast from the bank for steel head. I am very pleased with the outcome and if you are in the Medford OR area I know a really good doc.

Last year a knee replacement, this year shoulder work, next year and augmentation of some sort.

Tim

Looking at a scrotal lift myself. Dont want to be dragging them while flying low and slow. Kind of add new meaning to draggin it in. Watch those cacti.

I will second the PT. I have a small full thickness tear in my right rotator cuff from racquetball in pilot training. 20 years later, I get checked into a brick wall playing floor hockey during the war. Arm goes numb for a minute...yikes. Arm goes dead every night while I sleep and wakes me up until I start PT. Two months later and my shoulder feels better than it has in 20 years. Still mad at myself for not going to PT 19 years ago.

Jake
Jake

I've been lucky, that very few times in my life have I had to make a decision about whether to do something to my ol' bod--circumstances decided it for me. So I don't envy anyone having to decide whether to do some reconstructive surgery now or later.

But gosh I've had a lot of friends who have had to make that decision. Some waited, some decided to do it now. Most were satisfied with their decision.

That being said, though, there is no such thing as simple, safe surgery. As the docs here said, even when the percentages of success are in the high 90s, there are those few which don't work out--that's why no one will say 100%. Even the most skillful doc can't make an absolute guarantee, and when you're in the 2% of non-success, that everyone else you meet had a successful outcome, it doesn't make you feel any better.

So the question always is, can you live with it right now, and if not, can you live with the possibility that it might be worse?

In any event, I wish you well. If it were me, I'd be getting a second opinion and doing some PT and see if that helps. But that's me--it's within my religion, to be a very devout coward!

Cary

Cary wrote:That being said, though, there is no such thing as simple, safe surgery. As the docs here said, even when the percentages of success are in the high 90s, there are those few which don't work out--that's why no one will say 100%. Even the most skillful doc can't make an absolute guarantee, and when you're in the 2% of non-success, that everyone else you meet had a successful outcome, it doesn't make you feel any better.

So the question always is, can you live with it right now, and if not, can you live with the possibility that it might be worse?

In any event, I wish you well. If it were me, I'd be getting a second opinion and doing some PT and see if that helps. But that's me--it's within my religion, to be a very devout coward!

Cary

I agree with Cary. I had a arthroscopic knee tune up, my lower back cut on, and my shoulder cut open. I would not have done any of those if I could have had a normal life with out surgery.

Whiskey and Vicodin is not normal!

G'Day....Rob