I will be scheduling laproscopic shoulder surgery to suture up a partially (70%)torn shoulder (rotator) ligament.
My doctor is hesitant to give me an indication of how long to wait before I again begin shooting my 375 H&H.
The involved shoulder is the one that receives the rifle recoil.
Anyone out there have personal experience or knowledge I could benefit from.

No personal experience with laparoscopic shoulder surgery, but whenever you resume shooting, begin with something with less recoil, like a .223 or .243. If you do not have soreness afterward, move up to a .30-06 or similar.

The .375H&H does not have a sharp recoil impulse, so it shouldn't be too jarring in any case.

George

Bob ,

IMO it matters what type of rehab program you are in and how well you are progressing.

Depending on age and progress that could be six months to a year or longer.

In other words it's an individual thing.
________________________________________________

General INFO:


Healing period

After a cuff repair, the tissue remains quite weak until your body has time to complete the bonding of the tissue to bone. This may require as much as six months. Use of the arm before the healing is complete can cause the repair to fail. On the other hand, immobilizing the shoulder for a long period of time to protect the repair can cause shoulder stiffness. For these reasons, careful postoperative rehabilitation is an essential part of your surgery. Because each patient and each surgery are different, it is essential that the postoperative management be tailored by the surgeon to meet the patient's individual situation.

Rehabilitation program

There are two aspects of the rehabilitation program: preventing unwanted scar formation and protecting the repair.

Protect your repair by being careful that your arm does not participate in lifting, pushing, or pulling and that it is not raised away from the side under its own power. Unless we tell you otherwise, you may use your hand for typing or writing as long as the elbow is kept at your side. Raising the arm even a small amount places demands on your repair and should be avoided. We will tell you how long these restrictions need to be in effect. During this time you should not drive!

While your shoulder is healing, passive motion is necessary to prevent unwanted scar tissue formation. Passive motion means that the shoulder is moved, but not under its own power. These exercises must be comfortable for you--if you have problems doing them comfortably, let your doctor or therapist know. Your operated shoulder is moved by your other hand while the muscles of the operated shoulder are completely relaxed. You can move your shoulder passively by standing up and bending over at the waist, allowing the operated arm to dangle down in a relaxed way. Passive motion is also easily done while you are lying on your back. Grasp the arm of your operated shoulder with the opposite hand and slowly help the arm up to a vertical position and then over your head. On lowering it back down you will need to concentrate on keeping the operated shoulder completely relaxed.

A second exercise is performed while you are lying down with both your elbows bent to a right angle. Using a cane or dowel or yardstick, gently push the wrist of the operated shoulder out to the side while keeping your elbow at the side .

These precautions against active use and the passive motion exercises are continued until your surgeon tells you it is time to start the next phase of exercises. Please do not change your program just because it seems time to do so. If you have any questions, please let your doctor know.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Bob

I've had both shoulders done. Plan on a six month recoup. Several months to just get your range of motion back, then strengthening.
A 375 H&H--beter pack it away til next year.

Phil

Thanks Guys,
My surgery will be the result of what is called entrapment, where the arm bone and shoulder trap the ligament and abraid it in a rubbing fashion. I was told that there would be a small amount of suturing of the worn part, bringing it close together for healing and bone shaving to prevent future entrapment. One doctor said that after the bone is shaved, it is unlikely I would ever experience this problem again.
Thanks,
Sr Technology Protection Engineer
US Army Research & Technology Protection Center
Redstone Arsenal, AL 35898

I had my right shoulder done similar to yours. I didn't have much rotator cuff damage but had a cyst on my nerve and had the bone shaved away and some ligaments removed to give clearance to the cyst (couldn't be removed). I have a 6 inch scar across the top of my shoulder/collarbone area with at least a half dozen 1/2" orthroscopic holes.

I don't remember how long before I shot my 375 H&H but did buy a Past Magnum recoil pad (strap on style) and used it for my 30-06 for a while and finally did shoot my 375. It was months before I attempted the 30-06 and a few months after before I tried the 375. It took a couple of years to have confidence to shoot the 375 without the Past pad.

I didn't shoot until my rehab was done; I didn't do the full rehab as it was on my dime, not workman's comp. I went until I could pretty much use my arm; that was still a few months. That is a slow process.

Aug 16, 2009 -- i broke all my right side ribs and had an AC 5 seperation -- 2 surguries later, and at the time, 9 months of healing, I am back to shooting my bigbores, with little trouble.

it is ALL in the rehab -- i went to PT a couple times, got the routines, did them 3 times a day, including the "fingers to wall crawl", and after 2-3 weeks, went back. I was released to shoot 100% in december -- but i wasn't prepared to risk it, and took a couple more months to do it.

Had my shoulder done two years ago and it still hurts and burns. It has made my shooting less fun but I still do it. I was shooting my 470 maybe 4 months after having surgery. Do all the theropy you can stand and the more the better.

From my own torn RC, I would give it 4-6m, depending on your age & physical fitness going into surgery. I laid of my 12ga for 4m, but I was only 40 then.

I had super spinosa repair. Six months before I even shot a 22 rimfire. Four more months before I got back to big bore rifles. But, I have had no issues or pain since.


Rich
DRSS

Hi Guys,

Maybe I am the exception to the rule, but I moved ahead sooner. 5 years ago at age 52, I fell on the Ski Slope & tore part of my rotator cuff off the bone. They had to put in a screw to attach it to. Six weeks later I was shooting my 12 gauge shotgun with sabot slugs at the range with a sissy pad, shooting over 20 rounds at the first sitting. After a couple weeks, I dumped the pad. No problem & no pain. BUT, my Dr. felt I recovered very quickly. Maybe you will too.

taylorj,
I'd say--"exceptional" recovery"

a very high percentage that resume such activities would have damaged the repair at that early time frame

I am happy for your unusual experience

Many years ago I had my shoulder reconstructed. Two months after the surgery I was shooting a 243. But needed to wait at least 6 months before shooting anything with any significant recoil. Did not want to have another surgery to fix it again.

There are certainly varying degrees of shoulder surgery. I had a pretty extensive job done on my left shoulder (4 screws ; 6 anchors and some cadavur (spelling?) bone). It took 3 years before it felt normal and I did quite a bit of rehab. Fortunately it was not my primary shoulder; I am right handed.
My doctor told me that the shoulder is the most complex joint in your body. I have had two ankle surgeries' They were a cake walk relative to shoulder surgery.
Take your time and let it heal correctly; You will not want to go through it twice!

I should add that my freind Ray had trouble for at least 6 months & was still limited in his shooting for about one year after his rotato cuff surgery. He has since regained his form and now hunts ducks & geese again. He is about 35 years old.

I still struggle to throw a baseball though. I had sighted in one of my handguns to use ahead of time just in case. I felt very lucky to be back shooting so quickly off the shoulder (my right one) that I had surgery on. Yes, I remember the finger wall walk, reaching up higher each time, plus the rubber band stretchs, the hand rotor, etc.

Hi Bob, sorry to hear of your injury. Shoulder injuries can unfortunately take ages to come right. I had a bad A/C joint separation, and have had 2 operations removing part of the clavicle to stop it becoming arthritic from grinding on the scapula (and being an eye-sore). This happened several years ago, but it is only starting to feel right again now, but I still have problems lifting heavy things above my head or sleeping long periods on my right side. I remember shooting a .243 off a bench about 6-8 months after the first op and one round was enough for me to call it quits. I grew up shooting right-handed but now shoot left-handed, but am in fact left-eye dominant, so I probably should have shot left-handed all along. I havent tried shooting anything heavy right-handed again, but don't think that I would ever be able to handle something really heavy like a .458 right-handed as there is no joint separating the bones any more. The advice of others here saying to give it plenty of time to heal is good. Doing all the stretches and light exercises also keeps the shoulder becoming stiff, and it will probably ache and ache after exercise, but don't worry, it will eventually come right!

I have had to modify my shooting style because of shoulder injury. I had an injury in '95' that come back to bite me last year and the resulting debilitation means I can no longer shoot prone for varmints so made a shooting trolly that is very stable, and since I have trouble holding up the forend of my heavier rifles have had to go to shooting from either a stoney point sitting bipod or a standing bipod I made. This is the trolly I built. The rifle side wheel is adjustable in and out for stabilityand are both off the ground when shooting.





At least we can find a way to keep shooting.

Von Gruff.