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View Full Version : Long-time shoulder pain


Mel817
Jan 4, 2008, 05:08 PM
Hi. I have been having severe pain in my left shoulder for 15 years! I can't tell you how many "specialists" I've seen over the years. Only ONE was gunho about it, so he performed an acromioplasty in 1996. He's also the one who told me I had a rotator cuff tear, but never did anything about it during the surgery. Anyway, the acromioplasty didn't solve the problem, but the doctor was sure he "fixed" me (he didn't). When I told him I was still in the same kind of pain, he brushed me off, saying that I "just woke up from anesthesia", and to give it time. Other doctors have told me he never should have done this without repairing the actual problem (they didn't know, they are only guessing). Other doctors have told me I do NOT have a RCT.

Went to every shoulder specialist I could, only to be turned away every time with the doctors saying "There's nothing we can do for you. You'll have to live with this the rest of your life." What?? They didn't bother taking x-rays, MRI's, nothing. How could they know what the problem was. Even though I brought older x-rays and reports with me, they never bothered to look at them, and just shrugged me off. I waited 5 hours for a specialist to see me (supposedly the best in the Philly area), only to be given a cortisone injection and sent on my way. My family doctor finally gave me anti-inflammatory meds and morphine for the pain, which has helped tremendously, but that doesn't solve the bigger picture.

I've had x-rays and MRIs galore over the years, all showing negative. Today I got the results of an MRI I had done on Dec. 31 which shows substantial tearing of the tendons around the shoulder and biceps area, along with severe arthritis.

My questions are:

1) Is it too late to file a lawsuit on the surgeon who originally did the acromioplasty, and
2) How would you handle this legally? I feel like suing for pain and suffering since none of the other doctors seemed to want to get involved in "someone else's patient".

I'm at wit's end here. My family MD wants me to see another surgeon to discuss this, and I plan to, but what recourse do I have at this point? It's not like I didn't seek treatment immediately; the doctors have just been putzing around over this, so the diagnosis wasn't made until today.

Choux
Jan 4, 2008, 06:12 PM
Have you been working for the last 15 years?

Mel817
Jan 5, 2008, 10:28 AM
Hi. I have been having severe pain in my left shoulder for 15 years! I can't tell you how many "specialists" I've seen over the years. Only ONE was gunho about it, so he performed an acromioplasty in 1996. He's also the one who told me I had a rotator cuff tear, but never did anything about it during the surgery. Anyway, the acromioplasty didn't solve the problem, but the doctor was sure he "fixed" me (he didn't). When I told him I was still in the same kind of pain, he brushed me off, saying that I "just woke up from anesthesia", and to give it time. Other doctors have told me he never should have done this without repairing the actual problem (they didn't know, they are only guessing). Other doctors have told me I do NOT have a RCT.

Went to every shoulder specialist I could, only to be turned away every time with the doctors saying "There's nothing we can do for you. You'll have to live with this the rest of your life." What??? They didn't bother taking x-rays, MRI's, nothing. How could they know what the problem was. Even though I brought older x-rays and reports with me, they never bothered to look at them, and just shrugged me off. I waited 5 hours for a specialist to see me (supposedly the best in the Philly area), only to be given a cortisone injection and sent on my way. My family doctor finally gave me anti-inflammatory meds and morphine for the pain, which has helped tremendously, but that doesn't solve the bigger picture.

I've had x-rays and MRIs galore over the years, all showing negative. Today I got the results of an MRI I had done on Dec. 31 which shows substantial tearing of the tendons around the shoulder and bicep area, along with severe arthritis.

My questions are:

1) Is it too late to file a lawsuit on the surgeon who originally did the acromioplasty, and
2) How would you handle this legally? I feel like suing for pain and suffering since none of the other doctors seemed to want to get involved in "someone else's patient".

I'm at wit's end here. My family MD wants me to see another surgeon to discuss this, and I plan to, but what recourse do I have at this point? It's not like I didn't seek treatment immediately; the doctors have just been putzing around over this, so the diagnosis wasn't made until today.
Yes, I work. Have to because I need the insurance desperately. There are many times that I've had to call out sick due to the extreme pain.