Rotator cuff surgery with a cadaver graft?

[Ryan Avery]

It sounds like I will have this surgery soon. Has anyone had it done? What was the recovery time like?

 

[Gstew1930]

Yep., it sucks dick, right arm or left arm? it took me a year to recover completely but i was 22 when i had it

 

[2muchhp]

No help but following, im not far behind you

 

[WyoWild]

It sounds like I will have this surgery soon. Has anyone had it done? What was the recovery time like?

I work in sports medicine and have worked with lots of patients before and after shoulder surgery. All surgeons have their own protocols but in general after a rotator cuff repair you will have 6 weeks of immobilization in a sling. That means no lifting or use of that arm whatsoever during that time. Only passive range of motion to keep the shoulder from stiffening up and losing range of motion. This allows the graft to scar down and the tendon to heal up enough to start taking some strain without breaking down.

From week 6-12 plan to twice weekly PT to start restoring range of motion and slowly rebuilding strength. You want a PT that focuses on exercise based treatment and teaches you what to do at home between visits. After about week 12 you can generally transition to a mostly home based program to keep progress going. Then plan to check in with your therapist every two weeks or so to upgrade your program and adjust to any speed bumps.

It takes a long time for the muscles to start working normally again and to regain full strength and control of the shoulder. If you are compliant with therapy and consistent with your exercise program you should be fully recovered after about 9 months. However you should be fully functional prior to that and if you had surgery soon I think you would most likely be good to go by hunting season. You would just need to be aware that your shoulder strength might not be 100% by fall and plan accordingly so you don't re-injure yourself.

 

[2muchhp]

Damn

 

[180ls1]

I work in sports medicine and have worked with lots of patients before and after shoulder surgery. All surgeons have their own protocols but in general after a rotator cuff repair you will have 6 weeks of immobilization in a sling. That means no lifting or use of that arm whatsoever during that time. Only passive range of motion to keep the shoulder from stiffening up and losing range of motion. This allows the graft to scar down and the tendon to heal up enough to start taking some strain without breaking down.

From week 6-12 plan to twice weekly PT to start restoring range of motion and slowly rebuilding strength. You want a PT that focuses on exercise based treatment and teaches you what to do at home between visits. After about week 12 you can generally transition to a mostly home based program to keep progress going. Then plan to check in with your therapist every two weeks or so to upgrade your program and adjust to any speed bumps.

It takes a long time for the muscles to start working normally again and to regain full strength and control of the shoulder. If you are compliant with therapy and consistent with your exercise program you should be fully recovered after about 9 months. However you should be fully functional prior to that and if you had surgery soon I think you would most likely be good to go by hunting season. You would just need to be aware that your shoulder strength might not be 100% by fall and plan accordingly so you don't re-injure yourself.

This is great advice.

You also need to find the best PT you can and take it serious. I'd argue a quality PT is just as important as the surgeon. See if you can find the guy who has been doing it a long time to at least look you over and check up on you, not just the young "intern" types.

Same goes for you, quality sleep, no booze, healthy living...

 

[WyoWild]

I tore my cuff and labrum in March of 2025. Pushed thru summer and fall and got surgery in Nov 2025. As a result of putting of surgery I lost some range of motion that I may not get back. My surgery was a success and I am steadily improving. I am now about three months out and for reference I just graduated from using resistance bands to doing some light work with weights (but we are talking like 5-10 pound dumb bells). I have got back about 80 % of my range of motion so far.

 

[WyoWild]

This is great advice.

You also need to find the best PT you can and take it serious. I'd argue a quality PT is just as important as the surgeon. See if you can find the guy who has been doing it a long time to at least look you over and check up on you, not just the young "intern" types.

Same goes for you, quality sleep, no booze, healthy living...

100% a good PT that knows what they are doing and pays close attention to your progress and adjusts your treatment will make a big difference in your recovery.

 

[Gstew1930]

This is great advice.

You also need to find the best PT you can and take it serious. I'd argue a quality PT is just as important as the surgeon. See if you can find the guy who has been doing it a long time to at least look you over and check up on you, not just the young "intern" types.

Same goes for you, quality sleep, no booze, healthy living...

Very good advice. If its your right arm, learning to wipe your ass with your left hand is fun. Usually the tp is on yhe right side as well. If your arm is in a sling its tough to get to lol

 

[TradLife406]

It sounds like I will have this surgery soon. Has anyone had it done? What was the recovery time like?

Get it done and pick up a stickbow again! You me and Josh shooting that buffalo ranch 3D shoot this spring!

 

[Ryan Avery]

Does the cadaver make the recovery longer?

 

[HSolo]

The idea is that it would actually make it quicker since you are using real human tissue, not something that was made in a factory.

 

[WyoWild]

Does the cadaver make the recovery longer?

My guess would be that your surgeon would use cadaver graft to repair a large/complex rotator cuff tendon. This will help beef up the repair and make it less likely to fail in the future. It probably will not change the short term recovery/therapy process or timeline much.

 

[Antares]

@Ryan Avery if you can find a GameReady icing machine to rent, do it. Insurance probably won't cover it, but it's still worth it (I think I paid $100/week to rent one). I iced my shoulder A TON for the first three weeks after I had surgery and I had almost no pain and recovered really fast; I was seriously considering going mountain goat hunting 7 weeks post-op... not that that would have been a smart idea, but that's how good I was feeling. Good luck!

 

[Gstew1930]

Take BPC 157 & TB 500 during your rehab as well. The rehab sucks but in the long run its worth it. My shoulder is solid now

 

[180ls1]

@Ryan Avery if you can find a GameReady icing machine to rent, do it. Insurance probably won't cover it, but it's still worth it (I think I paid $100/week to rent one). I iced my shoulder A TON for the first three weeks after I had surgery and I had almost no pain and recovered really fast; I was seriously considering going mountain goat hunting 7 weeks post-op... not that that would have been a smart idea, but that's how good I was feeling. Good luck!

I don't want to turn this into a pissing match but icing and other methodology (pain killers etc...) should be used for comfort or pain relief when needed. Sleep is vital for recovery.

On the other hand, generally speaking, inflammation is vital for healing. That's how your body is coded to fix itself. Icing will not lead to better healing and can in fact slow healing.

 

[WOOD5045]

Also, a powered recliner chair may help. I slept in one for the first week and it was home base for the six weeks while in the sling.

 

[WOOD5045]

Recovery time, I’m guessing, depends on the individual and the severity of the injury. I had a torn rotator cuff, torn labrum and three torn tendons. Surgery was just under six months ago and I’m almost pain free and have my full range of motion back.

I’m still working on getting my strength back, but I was able to shoot my bow at reduced poundage at about 3-months. I was told I would be off work three to six months and was back to work just short of three months. Mentally, just know that it’s gonna suck for a while.

Good luck sir.

 

[wysongdog]

Had mine done 2 weeks ago yesterday and bicep tendon. Did pt the morning after. Been doing pt daily at the house to keep scar tissue at bay. Doing bc 157 & tb500. Have been off pain meds since last Monday. Have follow up appointment today. Actually feels really good right now. Wish it would hurt worse to prevent me from doing something dumb