Elbow Surgery

[Monstrosity]

3 Years ago while ridding I got a sharp pain to the outter side of my elbow. It got worse over time and I began to see a Dr who gave me cortizone shots and said it was Tennis elbow. Each shot I had gave me a bad counter reaction. So the fall of last year I went to see a sports medicine doc. He sent me to Physical Therapy where I racked up a nice bill of copays. The therapy didnt really help so I went to a different sports med Dr and he did this Centrifuge deal. That didnt help either.

So today I go out to the Crystal Clinic. I sit in the waiting room for almost 20 minutes before being called to the desk. The woman getting all my insurance info and records flips out becuase her system says my co-pay is $20 and my card says $40 I told her bill me however I'm not that worried about it. I then sit in the waiting room for over an hour before the nurse or med assit takes me back to get vitals. After that they do a series of X-rays then I wait for the Dr.

The Dr. comes in with an attitude. He slaps some paper work down and starts putting up X-rays. So I decide to say hi. He seems pissed about something and has a chip on his shoulder. We begin to talk and he's somewhat cut and dry and fairly short with me. He tells me he wants me to see "his" therapists thats only 40 or so minutes away. If his therapists says I need surgery then I can have it. I ask him what the surgery will be like. He said he cuts the tendon and removes the damaged part of it, and he cuts a chunk out of the bone! He then talks of all the complications and pain.

Now hours later I'm pissed! I spent a lot of time only for some dick head with a huge ego to be short with me. Worst part is I felt like he was upselling me on his therapists. I went to the Crystal Clinic due to a good reputation, not to be persuaded by a car salesman.

Anyone had this procedure or a procedure like it? Did they cut a chunk of your bone out? He said I wouldnt use my arm for 4-6 months if they did that procedure :eek:

[Lost]

Pretty simple

Get a second opinion.

I broke my humurous head 5 years ago, that was a fantastic time. Hit your funny bone continuously for 2 months. One doc cast it and said I need surgery and pins. Second Doc took it out of the cast and put it in a sling....... I took the sling and range of motion exercise. 3 months later back to normal

No problems

Get a second opinion.

[kawi kid]

thats the way all sports med docs are like.......... i would make my doc stand there as long as possible. at one point it was friday and i was his last appt, he was literally walking down the hallway away from my room as i was still asking questions

[Pedro]

See another doc. There are good docs out that would be more helpful than that dickhead, lol. The surgeon I had last year was excellent. He was always pleasant, answered all my questions, and never was pushy or any of that.

[Monstrosity]

I'm getting a second and third opinion.

[chevysoldier]

At least they weren't army doctors. You could be coughing up blood and they'll tell you to take two motrin and walk it off. I'm being serious too.

[Monstrosity]

At least they weren't army doctors. You could be coughing up blood and they'll tell you to take two motrin and walk it off. I'm being serious too.

Are they that bad? My buddy who was in the army and now in the air force said the same thing. He also said that if you dont have wound/ailment that you can physically see they basically call you a pussy and tell ya to suck it up.

[Monstrosity]

Just talked to Northeast medical center in North Hill across the street from Nick Anthies. I'm seeing Dr. Chonko in a few weeks.

I'm also going back to the Crystal Clinic. My sports med Dr. convinced me to see a different Dr. their.

I'll keep this post updated as I talk to them. The last Dr. has me scared to go under the knife. However if they can take tumors out of Brains, do liver transplants, etc I think something as minor as an elbow should be a walk in the park.

[Steve Butters]

i have a very accomplished surgeon, and he is one of the best at what he does...i have talked to him numerous times about tennis elbow because i have it in both elbows, after a few other docs telling me surgery, i went and spoke with him...he went over my options with me and he also said that recent studies have shown that the surgery will do more damage that fixes, because you have pain and recovery, and the tennis elbow has a high chance of coming back...removing the damaged area will fix the pain, but it will get irritated again once its healed and youre back to the same position...he said the ONLY way to get rid of it, is to change your habits and stop doing the things youre doing to irritate it

ive fought tennis elbow for 4 years now, been to a few docs, PT, 3 or 4 different kinds of braces, everything....theres no fixing it....change your habits, and if thats not an option (like for me - since its my job), get a Band-It and wear it any time you start to feel the slightest pain, and leave it on for a few days.....usually it will help, if not, then your only option is to take a break from activity...ive had to take 3 weeks off on two occasions, just to get it to relax enough that the brace would start helping

i personally would NOT do the surgery, because of what i was told by my orthopedic surgeon

[Lost]

They cannot be expert at everything.

I would see a small joint ortho specialist.

[Steve Butters]

^ the guy i see is a specialist for arms and legs....hes treated my rotator cuff, both elbows, and my moms mcl/acl tear....

all im saying is to do some research before jumping into ineffective surgery....you can go on google and look up the surgery and you will see that hes not the only one saying it wont work.....the docs want you to do the surgery because thats money in their pocket, nothing to do with actually fixing it because it will come back

not to mention 6 months recovery and 3 months PT

After Surgery

Rehabilitation takes much longer after surgery. Immediately after surgery, your elbow is placed in a removable splint that keeps your elbow bent at a 90-degree angle. Your first few therapy sessions may involve ice and electrical stimulation treatments to help control pain and swelling from the surgery. Your therapist may also use massage and other types of hands-on treatments to ease muscle spasm and pain.

You will gradually work into more active stretching and strengthening exercises. You just need to be careful to avoid doing too much, too quickly. Active therapy starts about two weeks after surgery. Your therapist may begin with light isometric strengthening exercises. These exercises work the muscles of the forearm without straining the healing tissues. You will use your own muscle power in active range-of-motion exercises.

At about six weeks, you start doing more active strengthening. As you progress, your therapist will teach you exercises to strengthen and stabilize the muscles and joints of the wrist, elbow, and shoulder. You will also do exercises to improve fine motor control and dexterity of the hand. Some of the exercises you'll do are designed get your hand working in ways that are similar to your work tasks and sport activities. Other exercises will work your elbow in ways that are similar to your work tasks and sport activities. Your therapist will help you find ways to do your tasks that don't put too much stress on your elbow.

You may require therapy for two to three months. It could take four to six months to get back to high-level sports and work activities. Before your therapy sessions end, your therapist will teach you a number of ways to avoid future problems.

^ even the pro surgery sites say it wont totally fix it, it will just relieve it for the time being....the ways to avoid future problems, is to change your habits....doing so, will allow the current problem to heal, much faster than 6 months

get a counterforce brace, take it easy till it eases up a bit, then continue your activities with caution to your elbow, and make sure to wear your brace when youre doing anything thats hard on your elbows

something like that...insurance usually covers them, just ask the doc for one

or just buy one, theyre cheap....you wouldnt believe how much they help, theres some days i cant even lift up my shoes off the ground because my elbows are so bad, i put these on and it helps tremendously....all they do is block pressure from reaching your elbow

http://www.advancedbrace.com/go/procare/elbow/deluxe%20tennis%20elbow.htm

[jblosser]

Best elbow doc in your area is Doctor John Brems at CCF (Cleveland Clinic Foundation); he is the Fellowship Director for the Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Post Residency Training Program. This is from a buddy of mine in Columbus who's one of the top orthopedists in town. According to him, you won't do any better on the North Coast.

As to your experience at the Crystal Clinic, either you mis-heard or the "doctor" you saw is incompetent. For him to decide to perform surgery based upon a PT's recommendation is, ummm, not right. He'll listen to their analysis of your results - how well you did or didn't respond to whatever modalities they used, but the decision doesn't lie with them. Also, without examining you: x-rays, mri's, etc., there's no way he can tell you what surgery and rehab would be like - he doesn't know what's wrong, so how can he know how he's going to fix it? Hmmm? Kinda like asking the mechanic how much it'll cost to fix your rough idle, and he doesn't know why it's idling roughly.

I would not step foot inside the Crystal Clinic again. Ask your regular family doc for a referral to Dr. Brems, or click here to view his CCF page and/or request an appointment directly.

Also, if you go to PT again, either in lieu of or after surgery, pay attention to the exercises they have you do, and to what you're supposed to do on your own, at home. PT's are usually very good at what they do, and can perhaps correct or better your situation without having to go through surgery. Not saying you didn't, just offering up my $0.022 worth.

[Bad324]

Best elbow doc in your area is Doctor John Brems at CCF (Cleveland Clinic Foundation); he is the Fellowship Director for the Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Post Residency Training Program. This is from a buddy of mine in Columbus who's one of the top orthopedists in town. According to him, you won't do any better on the North Coast.

This guy I can highly recommend. A close friend of mine blew out his elbow pitching in high school. This is the doc he used and had his arm almost better than ever.

The only guy I can suggest is down in Cinci that I saw for my shoulder