Tommy John Surgery Results

banditsbb,

You have a pm that has my tele #. My son had tj in March of 06 while in college and has recovered rather well. Give a call this evening.

banditsbb

RZ is a great source--call him

My son had TJ surgery this past March '07 as a HS Junior (class of '08). I can tell you his experiences thus far. He is in his 5th almost 6 month since surgery. His rehab has gone quite well. His surgery was performed by Dr. Andrews (Birmingham, Al) on 3/22/07. He was given a rehab protocol from Dr. Andrews staff that he has been following 3 days a week. In mid July (4 months out of surgery) he had his check up with the Dr. to check his progress and sign off to begin interval throwing program. That went well and my son has been doing the long toss Phase 1 program to date. The next phase 2 program is throwing off the mound. We anticipate that starting in about 1 more week. That phase could take an estimated 3-4 months before he can return to competitive throwing. We were told that the average recovery to begin competitive throwing would be 11 months. My son has done well and has worked hard. As long as you follow the protocol and not push it, your son I hope will have the same results. He has had a few coaches that were interested in him prior to his injury that saw him Fall of '06. They are staying in touch with a few calls and emails but not too often. They know his situation and we feel that they still have interest but are not going to commit until they see him throw again. I am also interested in other posts as well. I hope college coaches will respond to see how they feel about recruiting a player that has has this surgery. Good luck to you and your son!

quote:

follow the protocol and not push it,

Son had surgery with Dr. Andrews March 2005. I chose to highlight the above statement made by Piratefan as I would classify it THE most important component in a successful recovery. Sometimes it is also the hardest to abide to, because your son might be feeling GREAT with no pain and want to push forward....but he has to remember NO!!! Follow protocal to a "t", IMO.

Hardest obstacle and/or setback? For my son, as a position player and not a pitcher, was that everything is geared towards a pitcher in the rehab and also the expectations. "Physically" he was ready to return to the field about 12 months out of surgery. All the rehab had been done to the letter. So his arm was fine. BUT...what no one (including us) took into account was being AWAY FROM THE GAME for a year. He is a catcher, so involved in every throw of the pitch. Blocking needed time, mechanics needed time, HITTING needed time, muscle memory reflexes needed time, pacing needed time....but a college coach isn't going to wait around "to give time" when winning and losing is on the line, and there are back-ups eagerly waiting on the bench. So, as an everyday position player, that first collegiate season back was a bust for him. That was the toughest part he encountered in the whole rehab.... US TOO! You think you do everything "right"....but some things in the recovery you just need to be in a game and play to work out.

Good news....came back the following season, and all's been good. Stronger and healthier than ever. PM me if you need any more info.

Piratefan


Glad to hear that your son is progressing well. Was wondering if your son did any lower body and core work early on in his rehab. Also I see that your son is a 08. I hope he will be ready for his Sr. year. My son will miss his Jr. year but we are hoping that he will be able to play in the fall after his Jr. year to get him ready for his Sr. year. Right now he's working on his range of motion. He will get his brace off in a few more weeks.

Hopefully other players will post as I know that there are plenty of players who have gone through this surgery and rehab. We would really like to hear about their recovery and final results.

Thanks again

luvbb


Glad to hear that your son is doing well. Just goes to show you what hard work and dedication can do. Were lucky that there isn't as much pressure yet for our son since he's still in high school. Hope things go well for your son in the future and glad to hear about his success.

luvbb,

Did your son ever pitch?

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Did your son ever pitch?

Nope...never. Well, I take that back...there was ONE American Legion game where he went to the mound and "took one for the team"! LOL. Let's just say he STILL doesn't remember that Grand Slam!

When we saw Dr. Andrews, he told us the number of TJ's for catchers has been significantly rising and they are now #2 on the list behind pitchers for the injury and resulting surgery.

My son had Tommy John surgery on Monday, he is still very sore right now. I would be interested in hearing from people who are familiar with this surgery. My son is 18 years old and a college freshman. Any rough esitmates on how long before they get to feeling rather human again? I know that everybody is different but did you notice a little improvement every day? Right now my son's arm is in a splint with a very heavy wrap around it (very similar to a cast) & is complaining about how heavy it feels. How long did everybody else have to wear this splint before moving to the next step (brace)?

You are getting some good information here. I'll add a few things.

My son had TJ surgery in 2000. It happened in the Major Leagues when pitching for the Yankees. He threw 6 innings and was brought back into the game after a hour and a half rain delay in Chicago against the White Sox. Also we personally know lots of pitchers who have had TJ surgery and some we saw for the first time after they rehabbed from this surgery. I’ll try to answer your questions the best that I can.

1) I would like to hear how your rehab went as you proceeded through the different stages of therapy.
This is a question that only the person who had the surgery can truly answer. However I’m fairly certain that there will be many different answers. It’s a slow process, but the rehab time has shortened somewhat in the last few years. My guess is that the shorter rehab time is a result of better rehab techniques rather than improved surgery techniques, but I don't know that for sure. Typically it’s a year off in most cases. Some say it took them two years to get back to 100%.

2) I would like to hear about the ups and downs you went through as you progressed in your therapy.
Same answer as #1.

3) When you started to throw competitive again and with what results. How was your velosity and control affected.
We have seen velocity increases and decreases. Sometimes mechanics are changed. In my son’s case, he actually changed his mechanics and specifically his arm angle. (he went from low 3/4 to high 3/4) His velocity went down and so did his control. He changed a lot of things and it took him about three years to get back to anything normal. I do suspect he came back too soon. The elbow stayed healthy, but he started having shoulder problems.

4) Would also like to hear about any setbacks and what caused them ( training to hard or to little ).
See answer to #4. Most setbacks are a result of rushing the return.

5) Last would like to hear from coaches such as college or pro scouts and people that run show cases on how they veiw players who have had this surgery.
We view players who have had TJ surgery the same as anyone who hasn't had the surgery. In some ways it becomes a benefit in the eyes of scouts. First TJ surgery is obviously much more common than second TJ surgery. So those who haven’t had the surgery are “more” likely to have it in the future than those who have had it. A successful return from TJ surgery can actually be looked at favorably or at worse equal to others. We see players as they are at the time we see them. Then again, scouts are going to want to see the medical records and history anytime there is surgery involved of any kind. This surgery has become very common and baseball people are not as leery as they used to be about those who have had it.

Hope that is at least a little help. Best of luck and don’t rush it.

quote:

My son had Tommy John surgery on Monday, he is still very sore right now. I would be interested in hearing from people who are familiar with this surgery. My son is 18 years old and a college freshman. Any rough esitmates on how long before they get to feeling rather human again?

Momof5...I am sure everyone is different in this respect. Some have higher (or lower) pain thresholds and respond differently. It also depends WHERE the ligament was taken from...wrist vs. leg. My son had to have the ligament taken from the leg, which required an overnight stay in the hospital...if it had been from the wrist, it would have been done outpatient (albeit a VERY LONG outpatient day!). We were told by Dr. Andrews that initially post-op there is more pain and discomfort when the ligament is taken from the leg, and upon waking up..it is the leg where the first pain is apparent to the patient....and boy was THAT true! I can attest that my son looked like the walking wounded those first few days with both the arm and leg in braces, bandages and crutches. However, after only a few days (including a flight from Birmingham to Philly the day after surgery) he was looking and feeling much better...altho do not misinterpret...not NEARLY 100%. I would say within 2 weeks MOST of the pain had subsided and he got used the the IMMENSE bandages, the brace and the immobility. If you son only had the surgery on Monday (and today is Thursday) he is well within the confines of still feeling fairly beat up.

My son had almost no pain at all after his surgery, but his tendon was harvested from his forearm. In fact, the threw his pain pills away after the first day, didn't feel he needed them any longer! His surgeon removed the bandages after the first week and put him in a range of motion brace that allowed very little movement that first week, and took the stiches out after the second week. He was allowed to gradually increase the range of motion over the following weeks as long as it was comfortable and without straining to do so. Actually, his physical therapist was the one who increased the brace's range.

One thing that we found that really helped was to rent a "Game Ready" icing machine to use after his bandages had come off. You would use the Game Ready several times per day for a couple weeks, and it is thought to speed healing and reduce discomfort. These machines pump chilled water through a sleeve and also compress the area to help reduce swelling and move excess fluid out of the region. You can rent one through any prosthetics company, we got ours throught Hanger Prosthetics. Your surgeon would need to write a prescription for the icing machine to have it covered by insurance.

Son's surgery was last September 27th. He returns to the field next Tuesday, trying out at catcher for one of our local jucos.

quote:

Son's surgery was last September 27th. He returns to the field next Tuesday, trying out at catcher for one of our local jucos.

Best of luck to your son Catcherdad! I think a "benefit" your son will have in his favor, is that his one year anniversary is in the FALL and he will have time to "acclimate" and get used to game situations via scrimmages before being thrown into the fire. He'll be physically ready, and the fall will give him the opportunity to get game-ready. That is a good thing!

banditsbb

quote:

Was wondering if your son did any lower body and core work early on in his rehab. Also I see that your son is a 08. I hope he will be ready for his Sr. year. My son will miss his Jr. year but we are hoping that he will be able to play in the fall after his Jr. year to get him ready for his Sr. year.

He started lower body and core work after about 4 weeks of his initial rehab. By the way, his PT really recommended him to do this. He worked on his core and lower body on his own. My son is working hard to play his Sr year. He is a two-way player and probably will start off pitching very little and playing defense most of the time. The PT thinks he will be ready and should be able to pitch April and May. Thanks and good luck to your son. His timing is probably better since he will have the Fall to get back and play before his Sr. season.

My son is five weeks post-op and begins his physical therapy today.

quote:

Was wondering if your son did any lower body and core work early on in his rehab.

It was driving him crazy not being able to "do anything" (like HEALING is doing nothing) so he asked his doctor what he could do to keep relatively in shape....and the doctor said he could ride a stationary bike...so he went to the Y and rode. And rode. And rode....And we walked together...but he needed his sling for that. It helped his mental state immensely. And mine--so that I didn't have to hear him complain about not being able to do anything.

luvbb - Thanks for your information - My son had the tendon taken from his forearm. He does feel a little better everyday. I think his pain medication makes him really sleepy and then when I try to talk with him he is really to tired to respons much so then I get worried that he is in a lot of pain! Talked with him this morning & he says hes not in much pain today. He would really like to go back to school tomorrow. Since the college he goes to is only an hour away and his classes start at 8:00 a.m. and end at 11:50 I think I'll just drive him to school and wait for him then bring him home for the three day weekend.
06catcherdad - WOW! That's great that your son had almost no pain, can't wait for that day to come for us, although I think it is getting closer - he is going for longer periods of time between medication.
We were sent home with and ice machine that sounds like what you're talking about. It wraps around his arm and pumps cold water through the wrap. Going through a lot of ice at home! Keep us updated on how your son does after he gets back in the game!

As for the recovery, mine was similar to the advice above, but as PG said everyone is different.

About a year to being back competitive, assuming rehab goes fine. Two years to really feel comfortable.

Mine was hurt immediately prior to the draft in 04. was still drafted and recieved 2nd round money immediately post-surgery. Of course taking any player who has had surgery is a gamble but the odds are in favor of a successful recovery with TJ surgery. The best advice we received and the best that I can give is do not rush back. This is one of those cases were time is your friend.

I'm a month and a couple days out of having the surgery. And so far so good. I can easily acheive the desired range of motion and more without pain. As far as pain following the surgery, I found myself throwing out the pills after the first day. Right now I'm just anixous for the day 2 or 3 months from now when I can start to pick up a baseball once again

bballhp07, That day when you next pick up a ball to play catch will be a day you'll remember for a long time. When my son was able to finally throw again, I don't know which one of us had the bigger grin.

I expected this awkward and weak throw. Instead, his first throw at about 30-40 feet hit me right in the chest and stung my hand a bit. Concerned that he'd thrown it with a bit of steam, I asked him how his arm felt. "Strange dad." When I asked him what that meant, he said it felt strange for his arm to feel so good throwing a ball again! He made about 20 throws and said "I'm done." It was a good start on the road back.

You're going to love that day.

It's good to hear from the players and parents who are going through this process. Hearing about their progress and success helps take away a little of the stress of not knowing.


Since starting this thread I've gotten quite a few e-mails and phone calls from players and parents of players who have had this surgery. Between those and all the posts it seems like the best advice is to not rush anything and follow your rehab to the letter. To make sure that you give your arm plenty of time to heal properly. This is advice that we plan to adhere to.


Also it seems that while you are giving your arm time to heal,it is very important that you work to strengthen the rest of your body. Many people have stressed that with the time off it gives you plenty of time to work on your core and legs. The harder you work on the rest of your body gives you the best chance of coming back stronger then you were before your injury.

My son started a program on the stationary bike and also started to work his legs today. He is 4 wks post surgery as of tomorrow and like many others didn't have much pain. They removed his stiches after first week. He also had the tendon taken from his wrist and they also moved the nerve in his elbow.

bballhp07

My son also never stops talking about picking up a ball and getting to throw. Just be patient and good things will happen.

Would also really like players to update their progress every month so we can follow each others progress. I would like to thank everyone for taking the time to share their info and also wish everyone the best of luck during their rehab.

Thanks Banitsbb

Question about recruiting after TJ. My son (RHP '08) hopes to be able to throw competively by Jan. '08 if his rehab goes smoothly as scheduled. When and how should he market himself to potential colleges?? Spring baseball will be starting about the time he will be ready. I know college coaches will be busy and camps will be few during Jan/Feb months. Will he have to depend on high school ball to be recruited?? Any thoughts or suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

First get healthy. Don't rush it. If you have to go the JUCO route for a year, there are much worst things in the world. One of them is to rush back and reinjure the arm. Plus most of the recruiting is done by then.

My son's pitching coach did an interview once on rehabbing the many TJS players he's had to deal with.
For pitchers, sometimes control is the last thing to comeback, making it more frustrating.
One needs to make sure, if given an opportunity, that it is with a pitching coach that is patient and will be able to assist in getting over the frustration that occurs while waiting for all of your stuff to get back to normal. That may become a very important factor in decideing upon where to play or who sees you play.

Piratefan, your son could commit to a JUCO program and continue to play next summer and still be given an opportunity before fall classes begin at a D1, D2, etc.

quote:

Piratefan, your son could commit to a JUCO program and continue to play next summer and still be given an opportunity before fall classes begin at a D1, D2, etc.

Thanks Tiger Paw Mom & deldad for your advice! One question about commiting to JUCO then trying to get a D1, D2 interested before Fall '08. If my son commits to a JUCO let's say during spring, will D1 coaches stop recruiting him?

quote:

Originally posted by piratefan:

Thanks Tiger Paw Mom & deldad for your advice! One question about commiting to JUCO then trying to get a D1, D2 interested before Fall '08. If my son commits to a JUCO let's say during spring, will D1 coaches stop recruiting him?

No.

I think you need to just sit back and relax and see how your son's season goes, then make decisions based upon his progress.

Everything will work out.

I have enjoyed this thread immensley. My son suffered a relatively "mild" elbow injury attributed to overuse. Did anyone's son experience any reluctance/uncertainty to begin throwing?

hitdapill


When my son first hurt his arm he was told to rest and then come back at his own pace. When he started to throw he just took it one step at a time. The more you throw the more comfortable you will get, just make sure you listen to your arm.
You will always worry untill you can really let it rip with no pain. Has your son seen a doctor for his elbow? Even though my son was close to his previous velosity it still didn't feel right. We ended up finding out that his ucl was torn. Make sure that there is no damage to his elbow before you proceed. Good luck to your son and let us know how he does.

i'm not one to talk about my son's on here, but i'm going to.i hope i don't bore you.this is our own success story.not a really great one but i'll share in hopes it may help someone.

my son is a lhp,he had elbow pain pitching for a local juco.he was originally diagnosed with a "tired arm". so he shut it down for about 6 weeks.his juco made it to the ws and he could only hit.still felt pain when he threw hard. was still drafted in 06 not a blue chip draft pick,but he still couldn't throw hard without pain. they gave him an mra and discovered a ucl tear. after that they released him. he had surgery on 7/20 in birmingham. the toughest part was the rehabing alone. by that i mean not belonging to a team. he was not interested in more school,allthough he had the chances but wasn't a very good student.so he stayed home and worked the program that dr Wilk gave him.

in my opinion you need to be self motivated through the rehab process.and have a good support group helping to keep things on a positive note.it can feel like there is no end to the process at times. and for my son, the questions.can i make it back? make it back where?
they need to keep busy,i think school and other baseball activitys can accomplish that part. you can work,play golf, hit a baseball. things to occupy the mind.

once he was allowed to throw he was following the program but very hesitant to air it out,as most are. he got to a point at about 10 months he was throwing about at 95%, but no curves or sliders. and the control or the feel for the ball was not there yet.he played in a mens league for a few games in july,first time to a live hitter.pitched about 6 innings or so,over about 5 games. a few curves ,arm felt good still no real feel for the ball.all in all felt very good,but still not 100% confidence in his pitching.the elbow was fine the shoulder was fine. physically great ,just not same feel.

in one of these games a scout was watching, very unusual in a mens league game. talked to him after the game and expressed interest in him. i think that was the boost in the confidence he needed. long story short after 1 yr 2 weeks he signed with the team that drafted him last year. as you all know 99% of tjs successful.and people comeback every day,but this is our first comeback. and most make it back to be the same or better than they were.they need to remember the goal whatever it may be.to keep their eye's on the prize.

but it isn't all just physical rehab or change. it can be emotional as well,they start to doubt themselves. as a friend used to say,let yourself be good.

20dad,
I kind of figured this would turn out ok. Congrats and a WI fan wishing him the best.

Good luck to all who have experienced any pain or surgeries.......RZ......I've been following Ryan and am very happy about his summer!!

Long story short.....my son had a freak labrum tear that happened in his car in November 2005 (junior year of college).....labrum surgery in December 2005, redshirt in 2006......

First game in 2007, 7 shutout innings against New Mexico.....Friday starter most of the season, shoulder felt great, elbow not so great.....MRI with two weeks left in season, 50% tear of UCL.....doc says TJ surgery either after the season (2 weeks away) or when it tears all the way......

Pitched last two weekends pretty well against Creighton and Wichita State.....surgery one week later in St. Louis......lots of rehab this summer and conditioning and helping to coach a summer team......now back at school with trainers/team, will throw for first time in 4-5 weeks.....

Not only is the physical work important, but as others have mentioned, the mental approach is vital.....a positive mental attitude makes the rehab easier to spend time and energy on.....

Very much like the rest of life......again, best wishes to all of you!!

quote:

this is our own success story.not a really great one but i'll share in hopes it may help someone.

20dad,
To me this is an inspiring story! Thanks for sharing your son's success and good luck the rest of the way.

Grateful....best of luck to your son. My son's TJ injury I firmly believe was the end result of a labrum injury the previous year. Actually, that was pretty much confirmed by Dr. Andrews in Birmingham also. He said the vast majority of TJ's he sees are the end results of a shoulder injury. One of the reasons why strengthening the shoulder is such an integral part of the TJ rehab protocal.

Great stuff guys...we appreciate all the insight and advice. We are slowly resuming a throwing program for the fall season. Doctor gave him the green light,now it's up to him to start throwing with moderation.

these are great words of advice, my son will have surgery this Fri. (Sep 7th) with Dr. Andrews. My son is a senior in high school, so we already know that he will not be pitching or playing a position this year. The first Dr. that we spoke to said he could possibly hit, but I want something definite. I'm sure Dr. Andrews will let us know something Fri. just didn't know if somebody else had already been thru this.

dawgduck:

Good luck! Hey! That rhymes!

I'm sure everything will be just fine, but I'm gonna tuck your son into my prayers just in case!

play baseball, you have a PM. Thanks for the prayers.

Grateful, you have a PM

quote:

my son will have surgery this Fri. (Sep 7th) with Dr. Andrews

Dawgduck,

Your son is in good hands with Dr. Andrews! He did my son's surgery last March. We were very impressed with Dr. Andrew's and his staff. Your son is in our prayers!

dawgduck,

Good luck and you're in good hands. You have a pm.