The New Frontier?

As soon as I made contact, I knew something was wrong.

My friend’s body had fallen onto my outstretched arm after a collision in a touch football game. My arm went limp and the pain started to flare up. To say the least, this was not good!

If you have ever dislocated or separated your shoulder, you probably have experienced recurrent episodes of the shoulder “slipping” or “catching”. If you have not been through this, let me tell you it is a very painful episode. I guard my shoulder and sometimes reaching over head causes pain for several days afterwards.

To be transparent, I had arthroscopic surgery on my right shoulder for an anterior labrum tear. I knew that my pain was not something to shrug off (pun intended) and most likely a tear. I went to my primary care physician to get an X-ray, which revealed no fractures (as expected). Now I needed another referral for an MRI, the MRI revealed a posterior labral tear and scarring on my previous surgery on the anterior labrum.

Let’s back it up, what is a labrum? The labrum is a piece of tissue attached to the rim of the shoulder socket that helps keep the ball of the joint in place.

So what are my options at this point?

1.      Shoulder Surgery (Arthroscopic)

2.      Physical Therapy

If PT does not work, I can deal with the pain, have the surgery or get periodic cortisone shots.

I am a big proponent of PT but I know that this latent pain from the tear will not go away. 

If I were to receive surgery, the average shoulder labrum/rotator cuff surgery (all in with anesthesia) is between $20,000 to $40,000. After that, I would be in a sling for six months. Most likely have issues sleeping. For everyone around me, good luck!!! Cranky, would be putting it softly.

As mentioned, I had surgery to repair a tear back in high school and it was a horrible experience. NO WAY was I going to proceed with surgery. My shoulder always felt weak and on top of that, whenever I played basketball or certain high impact sports, my arm would slip out.

Thankfully, there are alternatives available. I am fortunate that I work in employee benefits and came across Regenexx.

Who is Regenexx? It is an organization focused on interventional orthopedics. In layman’s terms, the operating physician will take your own blood platelets and inject them directly into the injury site. The concentrated blood platelets stimulate growth and in turn creates an environment for potential healing. The issue is that most insurance companies do not cover these types of procedures.

For me, my money, time and the end result are all very important. I want to be healthy and active. I do not want to have to go on a medical payment plan for a surgery that may or may not work.

The cost?             

$40 (this is my Specialist Copay) for the initial visit or $100 under a high deductible plan

                                $2,000 for the platelet procedure

Recovery time?

The doctor told me to move my arm around the day after the procedure. Honestly, I was shocked. As someone who took their yearbook photo in a sling, this was music to my ears.

In my particular situation, the difference between the surgical route and platelet procedure could be $37,960, depending on where I went for the procedure. Good luck asking for prices up front in healthcare. For me personally, I will not be forced pay up to my Out of Pocket Maximum.

I am blessed with the rare opportunity to help other people in pain. People like me, who may not want to go under the knife. I will keep everyone updated on my injury and experience with Regenexx.

My blood platelet procedure is scheduled for this Friday, February 28th.

Fingers crossed for good results.

This article does not provide medical advice. It is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment.

I may be a healthcare nerd but that does not make me a licensed clinician.