Shoulder surgeries and recovery time

FineAgain · Oct 13, 2014

I was out of work for 12 weeks after my SLAP tear. You could probably manage school after a few days but it is really, really painful (just warning you). You also need PT.

Mine was an open repair, don't know if they can do a lap repair or not but that may be easier to recover from...

MissChloe · Oct 13, 2014

As far as I know, this will be arthroscopic. It sounds like clinical wouldn't have been possible for you? I'm really not sure how I'm going to make this work.

FineAgain · Oct 13, 2014

As an employee I wasn't allowed back without clearance. But I doubt I would have been able to manage clinicals. Don't know about an arthroscopic repair.

And yes I meant arthroscopic not lap. Night brain.

Cricket183, BSN, RN · Oct 14, 2014

I had arthroscopic surgery to repair a SLAP tear of the right shoulder in Dec 2010. Classes probably won't be an issue but clinicals will be out of the question. As far as how long, that's going to depend on how well you heal and progress through physical therapy. (I have RSD and my recovery was complicated because of it. My shoulder froze at about 6 weeks post-op requiring a second surgical procedure and additional physical therapy.) Would it be possible to wait for surgery until summer break? I know that's a lot to ask as SLAP tears are painful. I wish you the best of luck.

JustcallmeNurse · Oct 15, 2014

I have previously had my rotator cuff/labrum repaired with the shaving down of a bone spur in the shoulder joint, all done arthroscopically under general anesthesia, and with a nerve block. I couldn't lift anything of substantial weight for about 8 weeks. I was also in PT 3x week for 6 weeks or so. It was fairly painful. For the first 4 weeks or so my Percocet was a pretty close friend. If I recall correctly I was in a sling for 1 week.

At the time a worked as a tech in the hospital and I couldn't do that for ~12 weeks.

Good luck and I hope that helps!