8 Things I Wish I Knew Before Shoulder Surgery

There are many things that you want to know before your shoulder surgery. This 8 things I wish I knew before shoulder surgery, will help you get through. Arthroscopic procedures are never easy. So, shoulder surgeries (or rotator cuff surgery) always result in a major discomfort in the recovery phase after surgery, as that’s when we realize how important shoulder movements are in our day-to-day life. So, if you are scheduled to have one soon, you must be wondering, “I wish I knew a few things before shoulder surgery.” 

Don’t worry! I will share 8 things I wish i knew before shoulder surgery. This is for you to learn and be prepared from my experience.

It is imperative to mention here that no matter how much you keep preparing for the surgery day, it is completely normal to be anxious. Your doctors and surgeons will, in fact, help you with medications for the same.

Another thing you must keep in mind is that NEVER try to take everything upon yourself to handle pre and post-surgery chores yourself. You are definitely going to need some help from a person to support you with tasks that you aren’t able to undertake with one shoulder completely out of action for a few days.

But what exactly are things to know before going into that arthroscopic surgery? Read on to find out and be prepared for your own surgery day and beyond.

1. Keep Your Surgeons & Nurses Up-to-Date

Your surgical team will need you to fill in a lot of details as you head into this surgery. So, be sure you fill them out properly and honestly. Your surgical team clearly needs to know if you have any allergies or are going through some medications.

Do let your doctors know if you have any illness, health issues, or concerns before going into this surgery. Typically, your doctor will schedule this meeting a week or two before the actual surgery.

Be frank with the doctors and nurses. Normally, they will also share tips to alleviate anxiety and help you with tips and tricks to be best prepared for your surgery day and post-surgery recovery.

2. Keep Your Support System Ready for Your Rotator Cuff Surgery

Be it your significant other, a family member, or a close friend, you should always enlist your support system in the form of a person. This person should accompany you to the hospital on the surgery day and then help you throughout your recovery phase.

As you must already know that you won’t be able to function with the shoulder that has just been operated on, and the recovery will take up to a few weeks, so you must have a person take care of you when you are one-armed and in pain.

Your enlisted support will help you with chores, bathing, eating, or sometimes even just getting up and moving around. No one can mentally prepare you for the pain, but someone can always help and support you when you go through it.

3. What to Do on Surgery Day

So, after discussing everything and enlisting support, how do you have to prepare on the day of the surgery? 

Based on my professional experience, I have prepared a list of the following things that you must ensure on the day of surgery:

• Typically, your surgical team must already inform you that you must not have food or drink on the morning of (or even 12 hours) before the surgery. A
• Drink LOTS of water in the days before your surgery.
• Do not wear moisturizer, perfume, or any deodorant or body spray that day.
• Be prepared with the time you need for the actual procedure. You’d need to spend at least 3 hours during your surgical stay.
• Wear XL, extra loose clothes. Ladies can skip the bra.
• Avoid anti-inflammatory medications a few days before the shoulder procedure.

Just follow all these guidelines, and you should be ready to take on the surgery with confidence and a brave face.

4. Pain Medication

Pain alleviation is going to be your major challenge post-surgery. The pain doesn’t “hit” so much within the first few hours as it hits after that. So, take my advice, don’t try to be brave by avoiding it, and just trust the pain meds for neck and shoulder pain for at least 2 weeks.

Take the pain killers and other pain meds as recommended by your doctors for pain relief. An ice pack treatment or the shoulder pack will always come in handy in calming the excessive pain points, especially during the first week.

Your doctor should typically use an Interscalene block (or nerve block) and anesthesia injections to tackle the pain. Also, you should be prepared to be take the meds for at least a few days after surgery to manage pain.

5. Prepare A Bathroom Routine for First Few Weeks

You definitely need a bathroom routine and some manual help in basic bathroom tasks such as showering, brushing, washing hands, or other things. Be ready for a mess if you have to do your hair.

It is good to prepare to be one-handed in the bathroom for at least a few weeks so that you can do these chores with minimal support from other people. Your doctors might also advise you to use a special surgical soap, also known as CHG.

However, it is advisable to not shower for at least 2-3 days after the surgery to avoid discomfort and to let your joint have a rest for that period of time.

6. Prepare A Food Routine

I recommend doing meal preps in advance for the ease of eating healthy food for at least a week post the surgery. This is something a lot of people wish they knew before shoulder surgery, as it’s a struggle to cook and get proper nutrition afterward.

Keep your pantry filled with healthy foods and ingredients. Your fridge can be filled with cheat delights and guilty food to help you feel better after sleepless nights and horribly painful days.

A long-handled bathing brush will be your best friend if you’re shy about taking help during showers. Otherwise, you can take sponge baths and use handheld showers to help you.

7. Take Leave from Work and Other Responsibilities 

This goes without saying that you must take an off from your job, school, business, or other responsibilities to properly recover from your arthroscopic surgery.

It is good to inform your institutions in advance and get done with your responsibilities to concentrate just on your shoulder for a few weeks post-op.

8. Consult Therapy After A Few Weeks for Physical Therapy

Now, after 2 to 6 weeks post-surgery, consult your professional physical therapist to help you with very light exercises and movements that are good for the recovery of your shoulder.

DO NOT pick up anything heavy or too active to let your shoulder, neck, and arm recover properly from the surgery. This is an important thing to know before this surgery to help recover properly.

Final Thoughts

8 things I wish I knew before shoulder surgery is now complete. Now you must feel confident that you know everything you need to know before shoulder surgery for a shoulder rotator cufff or any other condition. At the end of the day, just breathe and trust the recovery process.

Eat healthily, avoid much shoulder movement, and don’t be shy to ask for help post-op.

Rest assured, your surgeons will take good care of you. Good luck!