Please call our office at 219-395-2109 if you develop a fever greater than 101°F, increasing pain that is not responding to pain medication, redness around incisions or shoulder, increased swelling, persistent bleeding or drainage, or drainage other than clear fluid or blood. If it is after hours please call (219) 921-1444 and the answering service will contact the physician on call. It is normal to develop bruising to the operative arm. Some people have bruising across the chest all the way down to the hand. It can also be normal to develop swelling to the arm and hand. Gravity tends to pull fluid down the arm- your body will be able to reabsorb this fluid but it may take a few weeks. If the swelling becomes increasingly painful and more tender to the touch, please let our office know.

PAIN MEDICATION: Your prescription for pain medication will be given to you before you leave the surgery center. After the first day or two, as the pain lessens, you may decrease the frequency with which you take the medication. Remember, the medications are not necessarily meant to completely eliminate your pain, only to make it more bearable.

Narcotic pain medications can cause constipation; you may wish to use an over-the-counter stool softener to help prevent this.
Use ice or a cold therapy unit constantly for the first 48 hours, then as frequently as needed.

You will have a soft dressing applied over your incisions. It is meant to absorb any leaking blood or fluid from the joint, and to protect from infection. Leakage immediately after surgery is normal and actually helps to drain some of the fluid that accumulates in the joint during surgery. The dressings may become moist or blood-stained; this is normal and usually not a cause for alarm.

Your dressing will be changed 2- 3 days after surgery. Your dressing will be removed during your first therapy visit. If you plan on going to an outside therapy office that does not offer nursing care, you must call our LBJI’s physical therapy department to get the dressing changed. If there is a clear dressing over the incisions, this should be left along until you follow-up with Dr. Levenda.

We ask that you keep all incision areas free of perfumes, lotions, deodorants, etc. You may develop blisters around your incision due to your skin stretching and swelling. Please refrain from popping the blisters. You may cover them with a Band-Aid free of ointments.

For showering, you may remove your entire sling and let your arm rest at your side. You need to cover your surgical dressings and incisions with the Press-N-Seal.  After your sutures have been removed,  you may have steri-strips over your incisions (small white strips of tape). Please leave them in place until they fall off on their own or until they are removed at your first post-op appointment. You may let soap and water gently wash over your incisions, but do not scrub them. Pat them dry with a towel, then recover each of the incisions with a band-aid if desired. You may not soak your shoulder in a bathtub or go into a pool or hot tub until incisions are well healed (usually takes a few weeks).

Physical therapy typically starts 2-3 days after surgery.  Physical therapy is a vital part of your recovery, it is important to follow the protocol exactly as prescribed. If you do not have a physical therapy appointment scheduled, please call (219) 921-1401.

Please do not attempt driving for about 3-4 weeks after surgery. This is for your safety, as well as other drivers- please do not attempt to drive with only one hand. Reasons for no driving post operatively: A quick, reactive motion of the shoulder while driving could damage your surgical repair. Secondly, you should not drive while taking any narcotic pain medications.

The sling has 2 components: sling and waist portion. The sling should be worn at all times when you are up and walking around. While you are sitting/resting, you may remove the sling as long as your upper arm/shoulder stays near your body. You may take off the entire sling up to 3 times daily to bend and straighten your elbow while keeping your shoulder near your body.  Your sling should also be worn while sleeping.  The sling is normally used for 6 weeks unless instructed otherwise.

Do not lift shoulder out in front of body, out to your side, or reach behind your back until your physical therapist has progressed you to that point in therapy. Usually, it is 6 weeks before you’ll be moving the shoulder on your own. It is ok to bend/straighten your elbow and use your hand to do things like typing (as long as your shoulder stays near your body). For example, you should put a computer keyboard in your lap instead of reaching out on a table for your keyboard). Initially in therapy, your therapist will do “passive motions,” which means your muscles won’t be doing the work. This protects your surgical repair and allows your body to heal.

You need to wear the sling while you are sleeping for 6 weeks after surgery- this provides good support to the shoulder. Some people find it more comfortable to sleep upright (in a recliner chair) for a few days to weeks after surgery- this is optional.

This depends on the nature of your job. If you have a desk job or can work from home, you may be able to do computer/phone work within 1 week of surgery. However, you may not drive yourself to work for 3-4 weeks. If you have a labor job, or job that requires heavy lifting/repetitive use of your shoulder, you may need to be off work for months. You will have restrictions for up to 6 months after your rotator cuff repair. Some employers allow light-duty, and we can give you work restriction notes at each post operative visit if necessary.

Avoid anti-inflammatory medication (Ibuprofen, Advil, Motrin, Aleve, Aspirin, Celebrex, etc) for 2-3 months after surgery as some studies have shown it may actually slow down or prevent soft-tissue healing.

If you are having minimal pain and would like to switch to a milder medication, please take Tylenol/acetaminophen. Do not take Tylenol and Norco together (this would be too much acetaminophen). Do not exceed more than 4000mg of Tylenol/acetaminophen in a 24 hour period.

Allow yourself to rest and recover during the weeks following surgery. Even if your shoulder is feeling better/less pain, don’t overdo it.

Plan ahead- if you need a refill on pain medication, our office requires 24-48 hours notice for your request to be processed. We cannot refill medications after hours or on weekends.

Rehabilitation is one of the most important aspect of shoulder surgery. Work hard in therapy to get your motion back!

Please follow the instructions of your physical therapist. Once you are nearing the end of physical therapy (typically 3 months post-op), your therapist can create a safe “return-to-lifting” program. Physical Therapists and Athletic Trainers can outline a specific plan for you.

2-3 months post-op: depending on your progress and motion you may be allowed to start doing gentle set shots from free throw range or shorter

3 months post-op: light dribbling drills

4-5 months post-op: passing drills, “shooting around,” but no contact

6 months post-op: No restrictions