Pec Major Rupture (Check out my injury)

Deepsea · Oct 19, 2007

Right Pectoralis Major Rupture (This is Shitty) Must See!!

This happened about a year ago. Most doctors won't even consider fixing it because they say it will just rip again. When it first happened I went to the doctor and he said the pain I was feeling was just residual pain and that I probably just dislocated it. Anybody can see that's not the case. It was too swolen at the time and I didn't want to seem like a pussy if in fact it had just dislocated so I let it go. 6 months later after swelling was gone this is what it looks like. Pretty shitty huh.

Here are some updated Pictures. The first picture is still the one prior to surgery. The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th are post surgery. It's been about 11 months since I was operated on. As you can see it's still pretty bad looking, but better in comparison to where it was. I've only been lifting chest for about the past two months. The doc said it could take a couple years of building to get it looking close to where it was before the tear. Keep in mind they could not unroll the pec, it had been way too long. What they did was attach an achilles tendon to the pec to lift it into place, and then attached the tendon to the shoulder. It was more to keep the pec for just freely hanging.

Tman2002 · Oct 19, 2007

looks like a boob

I'm sure theres someone out there will to fix it at least for asthetical purposes. I tore mine a few years ago it bruised bad but opted not to have surgery. Started back benching with the bar worked up to 405.

Deepsea · Oct 19, 2007

Every time I try to bench it feels like I'm doing it with all shoulder. Was your rupture this bad? If so did you just continue to lift and it eventually healed itself.

Kcm3000 · Oct 20, 2007

wow dude thats sick. hope everything works out for ya

thebrick · Oct 21, 2007

I would definitely get some other opinions from competent surgeons.

grumpy69 · Oct 21, 2007

??

Why would you even think about benching with that kind of injury? Makes me wonder sometimes with the hell people are thinking.

Deepsea · Oct 21, 2007

You continue to try to bench in hopes that you can fix something that doctors are telling you can't be fixed. It's not like I was trying with the same amount of weight... I'm not a complete jackass. But you should try to understand something before you make a comment like that. Understand that when something that you love to do is taken away from you it completely eats at you. Not only do you lose strength in your chest from this injury but you lose strength in every muscle that uses the pec major. I went from 208 as a Navy Diver down to 174lbs after the injury. I was benching 365lbs at the time of injury and then was unable to lift anything after that until about 5 months ago. I am currently back up to my previous weight plus one pound at 209lbs. That's why I attempt it, That's what I was thinking. What would you do bro if you were told it couldn't be fixed....? Just let your self wither away to shit...
And to let you know before you decide to comment back and say "I would get a second opinion" you can rest assured knowing that I've seen several types of doctors regarding this injury and their response is "some doctors will try, but only if you are a professional athlete"

speedbacker · Oct 21, 2007

Dude, I would just keep trying until you find somebody that can help you. That doesn't look good.

mr.e01 · Oct 21, 2007

We are only seeing this one pic- is it the same when you are relaxed? Does it still look distorted or normal? I am not saying take more pix , but maybe that look only occurs when you do a front double bi type pose. i mean if you are gonna do shows or if it really bothers you, then i would try and get it fixed-but if it dont affect your lifting or life, why worry?

Deepsea · Oct 21, 2007

It has a hanging look when relaxed. I'm not really worried about shows because I don't do shows but It does consciously mess with me. It looks like the right side sags because there is nothing holding it in place. It doesn't really hinder my lifting in any other way than bench and I've learned to supplement other lifts in place of that.

grumpy69 · Oct 21, 2007

Deepsea said:
You continue to try to bench in hopes that you can fix something that doctors are telling you can't be fixed. It's not like I was trying with the same amount of weight... I'm not a complete jackass. But you should try to understand something before you make a comment like that. Understand that when something that you love to do is taken away from you it completely eats at you. Not only do you lose strength in your chest from this injury but you lose strength in every muscle that uses the pec major. I went from 208 as a Navy Diver down to 174lbs after the injury. I was benching 365lbs at the time of injury and then was unable to lift anything after that until about 5 months ago. I am currently back up to my previous weight plus one pound at 209lbs. That's why I attempt it, That's what I was thinking. What would you do bro if you were told it couldn't be fixed....? Just let your self wither away to shit...
And to let you know before you decide to comment back and say "I would get a second opinion" you can rest assured knowing that I've seen several types of doctors regarding this injury and their response is "some doctors will try, but only if you are a professional athlete"

Bro I was around when you were still shitting yellow. I am sorry about your injury, but you asked for help and I told you what anyone with any sense would say. It looks like you have a B Cup sticking out of your chest. If something is torn, how do you think lifting weight will help? I was only trying to help you, but go ahead and keep benching if it makes you happy.

Deepsea · Oct 21, 2007

grumpy69 said:
Bro I was around when you were still shitting yellow. I am sorry about your injury, but you asked for help and I told you what anyone with any sense would say. It looks like you have a B Cup sticking out of your chest. If something is torn, how do you think lifting weight will help? I was only trying to help you, but go ahead and keep benching if it makes you happy.

Like I said before bro. What would you do if they told you it couldn't be fixed? Would you just let it go to shit.....? And don't give me that shit about being around since I was shitting yellow because when your old and shitting yellow I'll still be around. The only thing is that the tables will be turned bro.

grumpy69 · Oct 21, 2007

Question

Deepsea said:
Like I said before bro. What would you do if they told you it couldn't be fixed? Would you just let it go to shit.....? And don't give me that shit about being around since I was shitting yellow because when your old and shitting yellow I'll still be around. The only thing is that the tables will be turned bro.

How many specialists have you been to? Have you extinguished all options? Bro not to be an ass but it seems you are not big and probably have not been lifting long? Just take a break, and let it hear and/or get it fixed. Surgeons are around to make money, I can't see too many ignoring someone as serious as a pec tear. Just get it fixed, and hit the gym and diet harder, you should be back to where you are now in no time.

Deepsea · Oct 21, 2007

grumpy69 said:
How many specialists have you been to? Have you extinguished all options? Bro not to be an ass but it seems you are not big and probably have not been lifting long? Just take a break, and let it hear and/or get it fixed. Surgeons are around to make money, I can't see too many ignoring someone as serious as a pec tear. Just get it fixed, and hit the gym and diet harder, you should be back to where you are now in no time.

Hey bro.. I'm not trying to be an ass either but I have been to several specialists. When I say several I mean probably around 10-12. I am always trying to seek an additional opinion but get pretty discouraged when I keep being told that it cannot be fixed. I guess after time you just start believing it. And I know that I'm not huge bro but I'm definatley in good shape, I'm a solid 210. I play football and I was a Navy Diver. It's not like I'm a pussy because I'm not juiced out of gord. I work hard and I train hard. But seriously, no hard feelings bro. I can take your critizisms.

muscle96ss · Oct 22, 2007

Deepsea, I definitely understand your reluctance to accept that it can't be fixed and your determination and persistence to continue on. However, from a medical perspective I can tell you that any doctor that tells you he can fix it is full of shit. You have a short window of opportunity after a pec rupture(roughly 4 weeks) before things start to scar down and changes start to take place that make things very difficult to undo. Most patients seem to think that when you suffer a pec rupture that the tendon tears and that the tissues just sit there inside your chest in tact and all you have to do is go in an re-attatch. Unfortunately that is not the case or even close to what has transpired to the tissues. In addition, there is no way it will ever heal itself as you have suggested. Also let me add that continuing to bench will only lead to further injury. If by some chance it was a partial tear and not a complete tear(which is not likely but not impossible either) then whatever you have left will undoubtedly tear with any significant stress. If it is a complete rupture then there is absolutely no possible way that benching will have any positive effect on the ball of muscle in your chest that is not connected(its physiologically impossible). In fact, it will only cause an overload on the other muscles that are activated with the movement and the result will be injury to them as well. I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news but the reason that 10-12 specialist have told you the same is because they are correct. Just to give you some background info I am a physical therapist with quite a bit of orthopedic experience. I take pride in being 100% completely honest with my patients and up front about what the realistic expected outcome is going to be along with the possible options that they may have. Very rarely do I have a patient that I cannot fix and where a surgery cannot fix them either. In fact one of my pet peaves is doctors who tell their patients they'll never be able to do something again when I know we have at least a decent chance to get them better. Unfortunately in your case there truly is nothing that can be done due to the amount of time that has transpired from injury. Unfortunately I have seen this way to often with pec and bicep ruptures where they are misdiagnosed at first and it isn't discovered until it is too late.

grumpy69 · Oct 22, 2007

Oh damn, I didnt even see it had been over a year. Yea I dont know what to tell you, all I know is that you need to convince yourself mentally thay benching will not help out and only make things worse.

muscledoc1 · Oct 22, 2007

Itore my l-pec about 3-years ago(was torn almost all the way and the tendon that was connecting it was shredded),i had a surgery 4-5 weeks later,im fine now ofcourse and strength is back to where it was,but THE BEST advise i can ever give to anybody who is considring a surgery,is make sure that the surgeon who does it did that type of surgery before-VERY VERY IMPORTANT!!.
Now in your case it is a little too late to fix it from an orthopoedic stand point-just because the muscle fibers that were torn are already pulled back and lost flexability,see the way they fix it is the surgeon has to drill 3- holes in your bone(where the pec tendon connects)and then he pulls the torn muscle and saw it to the holes that were drilled ,then you have to wait unti a tendon grows out.(long recovery,i had a sling for 4-5 weeks after the surgery,and then did physical therapy for a couple of months before i started doing upper body workouts)-but 4iu's of serostim

for 3-4 months helped also.you will need to look for a good experienced plastic surgeon.

Deepsea · Oct 22, 2007

Thanks guys for the info. I appreciate it. It's not what I want to hear but maybe what I need to. Thanks again.

Big B · Oct 22, 2007

Deepsea said:
You continue to try to bench in hopes that you can fix something that doctors are telling you can't be fixed. It's not like I was trying with the same amount of weight... I'm not a complete jackass. But you should try to understand something before you make a comment like that. Understand that when something that you love to do is taken away from you it completely eats at you. Not only do you lose strength in your chest from this injury but you lose strength in every muscle that uses the pec major. I went from 208 as a Navy Diver down to 174lbs after the injury. I was benching 365lbs at the time of injury and then was unable to lift anything after that until about 5 months ago. I am currently back up to my previous weight plus one pound at 209lbs. That's why I attempt it, That's what I was thinking. What would you do bro if you were told it couldn't be fixed....? Just let your self wither away to shit...
And to let you know before you decide to comment back and say "I would get a second opinion" you can rest assured knowing that I've seen several types of doctors regarding this injury and their response is "some doctors will try, but only if you are a professional athlete"

I feel you man. last year I injured my right shoulder doing something stupid and couldnt move my arm for a day or two...I was stuck with the pain for maybe 5 months...it felt like CRAP I know...believe it or not I couldnt even put my arms on bar when I was doing my squats for 4 months!!! I used to put them on the weights instead...but thank God the next day of the injury I took an X-Ray and the doc. told me that I was fine...yet I felt like crap just not being able to be like I was for a period of time...so I can really see how you feel.

Respect to the high dedication that you have...keep it up

mygunshowsoldout · Oct 22, 2007

Some bad luck there mate.

Hey I wouldnt leave that too long. It looks like alot of muscle has disconnected, and leaving it in a bunch like that can cause some pretty nasty complications with calcium depositing and the fact that the longer it stays there like that, the harder it will be for it to return.

Good luck with it mate, hope it all works out well and your back to hearing the sweet sound of clanging plates off your chest.