Bonesmart Spotlight: Craig Raucher Has Undergone Rotator Cuff Surgery With Sub Acromial Balloon: A Newly Developed Process
This is going to be an article consisting of four parts. The first part, which will be written today,
leads up to the surgical procedure, and the remaining three parts will be written on the day of
the surgery and three and six weeks following the surgery.
Quick history: I had undergone total knee replacements when I was 58 years old and then again
when I was 60 years of age. This happened approximately 12 years earlier for both my knees.
You will find my original articles in BoneSmart. I had participated in competitive basketball from
the age of 10, and lots of damage was inflicted on my knees over the years, which resulted in
uncontrollable discomfort and pain as well as multiple surgeries.
Craig Raucher had the desire to go on playing the game competitively; however, the pain was almost
unbearable, and my range of motion was also restricted. Even though I was informed by the
surgeons that I would not be capable of playing competitive basketball with two new knees, I
made up my mind to come back strong. And I succeeded in doing that and am going on playing
even though I am 70 years old at present. In fact, I am playing full-court basketball in a highly
competitive spirit with men who are 30 years younger than me.
Fast-forward to today: I started having pain in his rotator cuff muscle approximately 3 years
earlier since I had suffered a large, full-thickness tear within the muscle along with assorted
Allied smaller tears in the encircling muscles. My range of motion was limited, and I also
experienced general discomfort as well as throbbing pain because of the tear. It was quite
painful to raise my arm above my head, and I was not able to sleep on my left side anymore like
before.
Even though I shoot every time using my right hand, I was feeling lots of discomfort in the left
shoulder. Passing, rebounding, or any person running into me made me absolutely dismayed.
The surgery had only one remedy, and it was arthroscopic outpatient surgery.
Just like my total knee replacement surgery, I began researching the surgery via Google. I
looked at the surgery on YouTube, read about the surgery, and also reviewed various
procedures for this kind of surgery. I reviewed what the rehab was going to look like and what
should be done to get back to playing the game after making my shoulder strong.
At this point, I wanted to take a pause and shared the following with the readers:
I was not able to emphasize enough the value and significance of educating myself on whatever
orthopedic issue I had. The majority of the individuals are lethargic, and they refrain from
reviewing their medical problems. They feel scared that they will not be able to comprehend
the terminology, and they want to get the job done by somebody else. Otherwise, they want to
depend on the orthopedic surgeon to explain the matter to them. However, on most occasions,
having it explained will allow you to understand only a part of what has been said. Moreover,
always make sure to take notes so that you will be able to research while you are at your
residence.
It will create “deer in the headlight syndrome” on most occasions when the surgeon explains it,
and you will not be in a position to visualize the issue on your own. As a result, it will not be
possible for you to ask the proper questions. These days, everyone is in the habit of questioning
the physician instead of simply listening to me, and the BoneSmart Review will be an
outstanding source to use for initially forgetting useful information.
At present, it is a fact that YouTube and the Internet will be available to you, and therefore it is
easy to do research on the surgery and get lots of information as well. If you’re not familiar with
the medical terms and they appear to you like a foreign language, then make sure to look them
up. Look at the appearance of a rotator cuff, look at the encircling muscles, and learn the
manner in which they work together to either assist or hinder your movement. In case you are
told something by the doctor that you fail to understand, then make sure to write it down and
then look it up.
I researched the problems in his shoulder for this particular surgery and viewed the tendon and
the muscles. I obtained a copy of my written MRI report and went through it. I viewed the
process on YouTube; there, you will be able to see the actual operations that were performed,
or you can also see that the procedure was planned by an experienced orthopedic physician
with the help of props.
I also wanted to comprehend the rehabilitation of my shoulder post-op and what I would have
to perform.
I was able to see an innovative technique through this research for rotator cuff repair
arthroscopy, and this was invented and used in Europe from 2012 onward. Outcomes have
been outstanding for interns in terms of a minimized length of time to rehab and a diminishing
of pain.
This process is known as Subacromial Balloon Spacer Implantation:
The physician will insert a compact-sized saline-filled balloon into the area between the
acromium and the rotator cuff. This will help in the healing procedure and will also be
responsible for minimizing the pain. The balloon will dissolve within one year.
Following this, I found the proper orthopedic surgeon with experience with this kind of
procedure, and he happens to be Dr. Gregory Montalbano, based on Staten Island, New York.
The surgery was performed at the New York University Langone Hospital, located in downtown
NYC. The good thing is that this particular surgeon is very friendly in attitude and has a
remarkable reputation too.