The Journey of a Labrum Repair

Friday, June 3rd, waking up well before the sun, I hopped in the car to drive my boyfriend to Columbia Presbyterian hospital. It was a strange day, not because we were going to the hospital or encountering some odd string of events, but simply because I was not the patient this time around. Like most college baseball pitchers, he needed work done on his shoulder, most specifically, a posterior and anterior labrum repair.

We sat in the hospital for hours watching as the nurses hooked him up with wires and probed his veins with IVs. It was only 5 months since I was in the exact same location doing the exact same thing. Yet, this time I got to sit on the outside looking in, and the experience was much different.

Around 3 hours after our arrival, the nurses escorted me out into the family waiting area where I had the pleasure of watching a white screen awaiting a little green dot signifying he was out of surgery. Drugged up on the after effects of anesthesia, claiming his surgery was way cooler than any Grey’s Anatomy episode, he was discharged from the hospital.

This is where the fun begins. I had the striking pleasure of becoming his own personal nurse for the next 4 weeks. With a massive immobilizing sling on his right arm, he couldn’t do much at all. Luckily the first couple days consisted of oxycodone induced naps, waking him up only for food and more magic pills. Then, the tasks started to pile up; cleaning his shoulder, making and cutting his food, tying his shoes, chauffeuring him around, and so on.

Don't get me wrong. It was not that I dreaded helping him day after day, but it seriously changed my perspective on the matter. After experiencing the other side of things, I will forever give anyone who takes care of me after an injury much, much more credit. Yes, injuries are awful things, and they leave you feeling helpless and limited. However, the people watching and helping you day in and day out deserve some type of reward.

Now, about 8 weeks after surgery and safely out of the sling, he is back to doing everything on his own. Only 7 more months until he ends his journey and returns to the mound.

The Details

So what exactly goes into the seemingly never-ending process of recovery? It would be impossible to examine every injury in the book. Instead, let’s take a look at a less common surgery athletes across various sports may undergo.

Lateral ankle ligament reconstruction surgery repairs worn and torn ligaments in the ankle caused by repeated or severe sprains. Some people are born with naturally lax ligaments making them more prone to sprains. However, multiple sprains can also cause the ligaments to become loose and unstable. Only about 5 percent of ankle sprains actually require this type of extensive procedure. It does not function as a common fix, but rather one used in extreme cases.

The entire recovery process varies from person to person. Typically, it takes between 6-12 months to get back on the field comfortably and confidently. Here is a glimpse at the typical timeline….

For the first 4 or 5 weeks, the patient is not allowed to apply any pressure on the ankle. However, by week 8 he or she should be fully walking in a boot. After walking, rehab begins to kick into high gear. The next step around the fourth month consists of jogging and regaining the lost muscle. Finally, after month 5, the end is in sight. By month 6, the patient is usually cleared to go back into full physical activity.

Remember this is just a brief overview and the timeline can change depending on the patient’s body. Every athlete’s journey to recovery requires individualized care and attention in order to get back on the field.