Doc says I may need my sutures removed 4 months after torn pec surgery

[Jake LaMotta]

As some of you know I had surgery on May 9, 2006 to repair a torn pec major tendon I suffered while bench pressing. My surgeon repaired 75% of the tendon but 25% he couldn't because it was too scarred down. I went through 12 weeks of PT but I still have some pain in the arm. I got a post op MRI last month and it said I had some inflammation at the insertion site. My doc put me on a course of Prednisone last month but it didn't do anything. I went to see him yesterday and he said he had a plan:

He believes my irritation is coming from the permanent suture wires. He says although they are intact they are probably rubbing against the bicep. He said eventually over time the body will build 'a wall' around them (whatever that means) and the pain should subside. He said if the pain doesn't subside the only other alternative is to go back in and operatively remove the sutures. He said by the time we were to do that, the pec tendon will be healed enough where I would no longer need the sutures to keep the tendon intact.

He said I can go back to lifting as tolerated and he prescribed me another 6 day pack of the prednisone. He said that I should wait a month (Oct.) and if I'm still sore than he'll than give me a cortizone shot. He said if I'm still sore a month after that (November) that he will do a revision/exploratory surgery on me and remove my permanent sutures and clean out scar tissue. He said something about removing the bicep tendon from the groove and removing scar tissue and the permanent sutures. He said a scope would not be able to look at the attachment so he would have to cut me open. He said that by opening me up he would tell if the sutures are irritating the bicep. He said after that surgery is complete I would NOT have to wear a sling or go to PT, just rest for 6-8 weeks and than I would be able to go back to lifting.

So I guess the $ 64,000 is...should I go throught his plan of waiting and possibly getting the surgery in Nov...or...should I just get the surgery now?

 

[Jake LaMotta]

Anyone have any advice on what I should do?

 

[xcelbeyond]

Ask your doc if there's ANY alternative to prednisone. That shit's acutually a "catabolic" steroid and will make you lose muscle and gain fat!

 

[MatureMuscle]

And

Will give you the ''moonface'' like.....adrol!

 

[lynx]

I think that I'd just want it done with, why wait months and months just to see if it will be ok? Also he told you your body will build up a wall, that sounds like scar tissue to me. In my own opinion, I'd get it done, get it over with and get back to lifting.

 

[Jake LaMotta]

My doc says he doesn't want to do it until November for 2 reasons:

1) He says seeing my surgery was only done in May, it's too soon there is alot of healing left to be done and going in right now might disrupt healing and cause more problems.

2) He says by November my pain might go down alot and I don't need the surgery.