Medical question

[Whodat]

Greetings all.

Here is the deal. I am getting ready to go up under the knife for my service connected disability. The doc says that it might six months to a year to heal. Can I get a temporary 100 and if so, how do I go about getting that. 

Thanks. 

[broncovet]

I have been through a TKR (total knee replacement) and, my comment is this:

"IF" you can avoid or postpone the surgery (back, knees, shoulder, etc) then do so.  Some docs will do those injections and they work for a while.  

And, of course, try herbals which tend to be anti inflammatory, such as tumeric (use the kind with pepper added, the work better), ginger, etc.  

Not to mention NSaid's, (Etodolac, Naproxen, Alleve, etc), which also help some.  

"Only after" you have tried everything else, "including" Physical Therapy, if applicable, should you go through with the surgery.  

My knee doc "would not even do it", until I tried everything else, and I was 100 percent certain.  I put it off once or twice.  

Never "run to the knife" first, because there are risks with all surgeries, "including" the real possibility that there is no improvement or, rarely, its worse.  

And, do a little reasearch on the doctor, too.  Find out his name, if you dont know.  

Personally, I waited in the surgeons waiting room until I found a few Vets that had had similar surgery and I asked them if they would do it again.  

With this knee doc, all the Vets were pleased and the VA employees "raved" about this doc.  He was meticilious, thorough, and absolutely experienced.  Only then would I consent to the knee surgury.  I also asked "what brand" of knee would I be getting..and looked those up, too.  

Its amazing how being prepared and doing your homework make a better outcome.  

Finally, do not neglect the follow up.  Do the exercises to restore your shoulder the doc/physical therapist recommend.  

By doing this, I got an amazing outcome on my TKR, and most of the people I Know who got TKR's, did not fare as well.  Often it was their own fault, for not doing the physical therapy afterwards.   If you are not gonna do what the doc says as far as PT afterward, then reconsider moving forward.  You need to commit to the PT and their program.  

You may be able to find a forum, such as by searching "shoulder surgery" problems, outcomes, discussions etc.  I found one on the knee's.  

[Whodat]

Thanks Bronco..

I do hear what you are saying. I have tried everything from a to z but my shoulder isn't getting any better. 

The good thing is that my local VA cannot perform the surgery. 

[john999]

I had shoulder surgery about 20 years ago.  It did not help and made my shoulder much worse.  I had it done under Worker's Compensation.  That was a mistake!  Unless you have a serious tare in your RT Cuff I would not risk it.  Try PT from a good therapist.  Mine really helped me!

[broncovet]

I agree with John.  Try physical therapy "first".  If that does not work, and you have 

tried everything else, then the knife.  

Most of the surgeons "wont even do" the surgery unless you have tried other stuff. 

Exception, of course, is if you were just in a car accident and broke a bone which needed

repairs.  (Emergency surgery).  

A shoulder surgery from a years old problem is elective.  Not emergency.  

[Vync]

@Whodat
I wanted to wish you the best of luck on your surgery. By chance, are you SC for your shoulder? To get temporary 100%, I think it might have to be related to an SC disability. Recommend checking on that first.

 

@broncovet makes some great points. If it is being done through the VA, keep in mind that many resident docs are very eager to jump in and do procedures to build up experience. For my TMJ, the resident oral surgeons said they could fix me up. However, when I visited several non-VA oral surgeons, they gave me the success percentage for my specific issue. That's when I learned resident surgeons are craving to get experience under their belt. 

When you are under anesthesia, you really have no idea about what happens in the OR until you wake up. Prior to surgery, consider looking into the surgical release form. There are a few things you might want to verify. First, will your surgeon merely be in the room, place hands on you for a second, and then let the residents do the work? Second, will it allow you to choose having the surgeon and resident both work on you? Last, some forms allow the patient to restrict the procedure to being done by the surgeon only, not residents or trainees. Prior to surgery, make sure they mark the correct shoulder with an ink pen. Yes, mistakes can happen...

In 2000, the VA denied my SC claim saying the x-ray was WNL but disregarding my complaints as usual. The problems just got worse. I had a younger ortho surgeon who missed the injection target in the acromioclavicular joint. I passed out cold and woke up with frozen shoulder. He was not using a flouroscope to guide the injection home. Three months of physical therapy helped a lot.

Next, I did my homework. I found a private non-VA specialist who was a legendary surgeon famous for performing surgery on pro sports athletes and training his entourage of student surgeons. They gave me an injection and relied on a flouroscope to do it right. I did get some relief. The MRI showed the rotator cuff was fine, but I had some impingement and bone spurs developing in the joint. The surgeon required me to attend three months of physical therapy and a another MRI to see if there was any improvement before determining surgery was our last option. The recovery from arthroscopic surgery was not pleasant, but was much more pleasant than if they would have opened me up. Ice and physical therapy were my best friends. When I woke up from surgery, they had my arm in a velcro immobilizer splint. I got to work a week later and everyone was cracking Napoleon jokes based on the way my arm was positioned.

 

 

[Rattler]

I just had a total knee done March 14, last year. everything broncovet said is right on the money. Warning It is not like the brochure says. It will hurt more than you think and take more time than you think.  It takes 10 weeks at a minimum with the are strap to you before it will heal. PT is your best friend. 

I applied to increase my rating after the surgery and the VA included SMC @ 100% for 4 Mo.

I would check out the Community Care Doc's in your area. The one who treated me for 20 years was on the list and that's who I used.