I wish I had read all of Consumer Report's advice before my shoulder replacement surgery. I was not a good, proactive patient. Don't get me wrong, I was, and still am, very satisfied with my doctors and my hospital. They are not clairvoyant. If I didn't speak up how could they possibly know?
It is not in my nature to complain. I'm sure anyone reading this blog finds that hard to believe! In real life I have this compulsive need to be the "low maintenance" wife, mother, patient, whatever. But if there is ever a time in your life when you should be "high maintenance," it's when you are sick or wounded or have "gone under the knife."
Every time someone checked my oxygen levels in the hospital the first go-round they would tell me to breathe more deeply to get the numbers up to acceptable. I was only there a day and a half after surgery and there was very little demand on my lungs, a short trip to the bathroom a few times only made me very slightly breathless. I ignored the signs that something was amiss. I did not discuss it with anyone.
As soon as I came home and began to walk around I realized I was very short of breath. I thought it was due to the pain medication and requested a prescription change. To her credit, my surgeon's nurse to whom I spoke told me to go to the emergency room if my breathing did not improve. But I, ever the optimist, convinced myself that I was getting better. At least I was toughing it out. Not the right approach!
It wasn't until a week later when I went in for my first post op visit and had an X-ray of my shoulder that the radiologist was surprised to see I had a large area of collapsed lung, (pneumothorax), a serious complication of the interscalene nerve block frequently used in shoulder surgery.
4. Interscalene Block
"The interscalene block is the gold standard for shoulder anesthesia and the most commonly used block for shoulder procedures. This approach blocks the brachial plexus at the nerve root or trunk ... The block is especially useful for procedures involving the shoulder, including the lateral two-thirds of the clavicle, proximal humerus, and shoulder joint [1]. "
"Common complications of the interscalene nerve block include phrenic nerve blockade (hemidiaphragmatic paresis), Horner’s syndrome, recurrent laryngeal nerve blockade, and vasculature puncture (hematoma). Rarer, but potentially devastating, complications include carotid artery puncture and intervertebral artery injection, pneumothorax, subdural injection, intervertebral foramina injection resulting in spinal or epidural anesthesia, and nerve injury.
Who knew? I bet these risks were mentioned deep in that sheaf of papers I hurriedly signed lying on the gurney before being wheeled into surgery. Do you think I could have asked them to wait while I did a little internet research on my iPad?
Who knew? I bet these risks were mentioned deep in that sheaf of papers I hurriedly signed lying on the gurney before being wheeled into surgery. Do you think I could have asked them to wait while I did a little internet research on my iPad?
The point is it's all about Staying Alive to fight another day. Consumer Reports encourages us to be informed, be our own advocate, research and question everything. It's not necessarily easy to do. We all need this stuck in our brain as we bravely roll into the operating room...
http://youtu.be/I_izvAbhExY
Archive timeline: 2014: May and June - preparing for surgery, July - surgery and post op problems, August - recovery and physical therapy, September...
Archive timeline: 2014: May and June - preparing for surgery, July - surgery and post op problems, August - recovery and physical therapy, September....
http://youtu.be/I_izvAbhExY
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