Shoulder Pain Pump Injury | Robert's Story | Law Offices of Stuart Kritzer
 
   
 
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    Shoulder Pain Pump Injury: Robert's Story

   
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Robert is a 47 year old married man with 4 children.  He is employed by a major airline and has worked as a baggage handler for 20 years.   During his free time, he served as team captain for the company softball team and played golf regularly with his family.

Over the past 2 years, Robert noticed an increase of stiffness, pain and crackling of his right shoulder.  He dealt with it by taking ibuprofen and bi-monthly massages.  However, one day he woke up and couldn’t move his right arm or shoulder.  He immediately scheduled an appointment with his doctor. 

After a physical examination, X-Rays and a MRI, Robert learned that he suffered from a complete rotator cuff tear.  He was referred to a surgeon who recommended arthroscopic repair.  The surgery would be performed in an outpatient facility in the morning and Robert would be home that evening.  The doctor reassured him that his pain management after surgery would be addressed by using a pump that dispensed pre-determined doses of pain medication.

Robert scheduled and successfully underwent surgery the next week. As the doctor predicted, he was home the same day and felt no pain. Three days later, the pain pump was removed and the predicted 4 - 6 month recovery process began.

Robert began physical therapy 3 weeks after the surgery. The physical therapy was incredibly painful and, after 4 months, the physical therapists began to suspect something wasn’t healing correctly. Robert returned to his doctor complaining of severe pain, lack of movement, and the inability to lift anything heavier than 10 pounds. The doctor took an X-Ray and found deterioration of the cartilage which caused a large gap between his joint space. Robert’s diagnosis was Postarthroscopic Glenohumeral Chondrolysis - PAGCL. A recent study found that the medication dispensed by the pain pump, when injected directly into the joint space, causes the cartilage cells to die, leaving this very painful bone on bone condition in 68% of study patients. 
 
 
 

Robert’s medical team recommended complete shoulder replacement.  Not only is this expensive and painful but the recovery time is lengthy.  Most importantly, Robert’s lifestyle has been dramatically changed forever.  It is unclear if he can ever resume his full job responsibilities again or play golf or softball.   One thing is for sure:  Robert will never regain 100% of his shoulder strength.

Over the past five years, the attorneys at the Law Offices of Stuart A. Kritzer, P.C. have helped clients throughout the U.S. recover over $100 million in awards and settlements.

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