I guess you can call me paranoid. I must have searched and read everything there was to read about…read moreshoulder ortho's all over Arizona. My situation was different than most I suspect, because not only did my left shoulder have a torn labrum, but it was a result of a violent seizure years ago that causes a full dislocation which causes more complications making a surgery more difficult.
I had already had 1 failed bankart repair for my left shoulder done in CA 2 years ago. Now that I moved to Scottsdale, I needed to get it fixed and get myself back to normal, which for me, means back to heavy weights at the gym.
I first met Dr. E in April of this year, (whom I was referred to by a major pain clinic in Scottsdale. I noticed he was right to the point, more technical than emotional - still very caring. In my 37 years I've seen all kinds of Dr's, and so any misgivings others have on here about his bedside manner, (which was good enough), I just can't relate. But I'll tell you, I'd much prefer a technical no nonsense pro, with the confidence / experience to take on a surgery like this, as I discovered other orthos here in Scottsdale, will not.
I actually was referred to 2 different doctors prior to being referred to Dr. E. Interestingly enough. The first Ortho I found off yelp here in Scottsdale ( has 18 or so reviews) told me he didn't feel comfortable doing the surgery, and get this - shoulders were his specialty. He actually said I should return to CA to have the original operating doc redo the procedure. That was not practical for me. Of course, I take nothing away from that doctor, but clearly I had a complicated situation in my shoulder and he didn't feel comfortable after it already had one failed previous bankart repair. So, in a way, he saved me the risk of another failed surgery.
The second option was a pain Dr who suggested shots in each shoulder which cost me $2k and did nothing at all. That pain Dr. who administered the injections recommended Dr E after we decided the injections didn't work. He gave Dr. E raving reviews with specifics for why he believed Dr. E was the way to go hands down, and best in the valley.
So I made an appt, and was able to get in quickly which I later learned is common. So nice to be able to have good access to Dr. E. Each time I went to his office pre / post op, I rarely ever waited long, and I personally appreciate that.
In my 1st visit he knew instantly I needed surgery. He also discovered something that BOTH previous orthos didn't- which was that my bicep tendon was disconnected and needed to be reattached. 1 week after my 1st visit, surgery was scheduled for the week after, (May 1st 2017) at which time he fixed a SLAP tear and a bicep tendonesis.
Post op, Dr E said the op was a success and I'll tell you, in 6 weeks, it actually felt for the first time, connected to my body. I'd forgotten what that felt like and that's when I knew, it was working, getting a little better each day. I was amazed. So grateful. But understanding how much it needs to be babied for six months wasn't something I fully contemplated. As such, I came to understand the shoulder is such a mobile joint that its quite common for patients to think they have re-injured it doing things they didn't think would be a big deal.
Post op, during the 2nd month, and 4th month out, I thought for sure I re-injured it holding a plate of food, and again months later when I tripped and fell. I was freaked out, scared that Id lose all the progress I'd made, so each time, I made an appt. with Dr. E to get an MRI. Funny thing is, he was able to determine from moving my shoulder and doing various physical tests, whether or not an MRI was needed, or if I should just give it more time to heal, as it could be tendonisis, bursitis or scar tissue.
I was surprised to hear him validate that the recent clicking and popping from the new suspected re-injury was likely from newly formed scar tissue. I thought for sure it was something disconnected or loose. I actually met with him this morning (9/28/17 to see if he thought I had re-injured it, and he didn't think from the tests he did, that it was damaged or bad enough to need an MRI, but did suggest that taking 2 months off from PT (which he said I did enough of) and seeing if it felt better, was the best solution. Keep in mind, I was willing to pay for an MRI. But he suggested to give it two months, confirming a genuine bedside manner that really counts, which was saving me money and affirming that my own thoughts are my own worst enemy.
Btw - in no small measure of appreciation, I can't write this and not mention his super smart and super cool staff. They go beyond. Amanda,Tracy, Jess and Pam, (in no order) are so accommodating, patient and just kind, in spite of being so busy! They're an amazing team and I'm so glad they're in AZ.
If you have ?'s feel free to private msg me, I'll answer them as best I can.
I wish I could write more but I'm out of space!