Bankart Repair & Capsule Shift Protocol
Brett Young, M.D., Joe McCormick, M.D., Chris Prato, M.D., Daniel Metz, M.D.
1531 S. Madison Street, Appleton, WI 54915
Initial Care: Ice and pain medication are the keys to initial pain management. You will be given a prescription for Vicodin© or Percocet© tablets. These medications contain Tylenol© and a mild narcotic, and can be used every four hours as needed for pain. DO NOT use additional Tylenol© products. Ibuprofen can be taken every six hours as a supplement. Maintain your arm in the sling.
Dressing Changes: Remove the entire dressing on the second postoperative day. Place band-aids and/or 4x4 gauze pads over the wound(s) and cover with tape. You may clean the surrounding skin with hydrogen peroxide solution prior to replacing the dressing. Keep the wound dry for the first week by taping plastic over the dressing when showering or bathing. The sutures will be removed at the first office visit.
Office Appointment: Your first office appointment following surgery will be arranged by the same day surgery center for approximately 7-10 days postop. Call the Affinity Orthopaedics office at (920) 996-3700 the following day to confirm your appointment.
Physical Therapy: You can begin gentle range-of-motion exercises in the sling on the day following surgery. Start by flexing and extending the elbow and wrist, as they can become stiff in a sling. Next begin small, circular motions below-shoulder level to maintain a supple shoulder joint. DO NOT attempt to lift anything with the operative extremity. Your formal physical therapy will be arranged at your first office visit.
Your sling can be discontinued after the first postoperative visit. Your therapist will begin with passive and active-assisted range-of-motion exercises, without excessive force. You will work on isometric strengthening in all planes, along with scapular stabilizing exercises. Gentle external rotation is encouraged, but forced external rotation will be avoided for a total of ten weeks. Thera-tube resistance exercises can be used in all planes except internal & external rotation. Beginning at 3 months, isokinetic exercises for rotator cuff strengthening will be emphasized. You will continue with aggressive scapular stabilization exercises. At 4-6 months, you can return to sports as dictated by strength, range-of-motion, and stability.
Emergencies: Please call Affinity Orthopaedics at (920) 996-3700. After hours, an Orthopaedic Surgeon is available by having the St. Elizabeth’s Hospital operator page the on-call orthopaedic physician. Please call the office sooner for prolonged numbness or tingling in the hand after the second postoperative day, or for any further questions.