Pain Pumps - Complications
Postarthroscopic Glenohumeral Chondrolysis
Many patients who have undergone arthroscopic shoulder surgery receive pain pumps to help in their recuperation. During the surgery, a pain pump catheter (a tiny, flexible plastic tube) is implanted in the shoulder joint. The pain pump stays in place for several days after surgery to deliver pain medication to the shoulder joint.
Recent studies suggest that these pain pumps may deliver too much medicine, which can cause a painful condition known as Postarthroscopic Glenohumeral Chondrolysis ("PAGCL").
PAGCL is a loss of cartilage in the shoulder following shoulder surgery. Symptoms linked with PAGCL usually become apparent 3-12 months after shoulder surgery and can include:
- Increased pain in the shoulder at rest and with motion
- Increased stiffness in the shoulder
- Clicking, popping or grinding (Crepitus) in the shoulder
- Decrease in range of motion in the shoulder
- Loss of strength
If you are suffering from PAGCL, please contact Cellino & Barnes immediately at 80-621-2020, or contact us.
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