Keen golfer Rowan is delighted with her recovery from a shoulder injury following surgery with Mr Granville-Chapman.
Her trouble began last March when she started experiencing a niggle in her arm. Rowan, aged 68, thought she might have a repetitive strain injury but in retrospect she probably had a small tear which became progressively worse. Rowan was highly active and loved her sport and exercise – playing golf and tennis once a week and running bi-weekly.
Then in the September she teed off at her local golf course and felt her shoulder suddenly go. She saw a physiotherapist, who advised that her injury was beyond physiotherapy help and she needed to see a specialist. She was sent for an MRI which showed that she had a huge tear in her rotator cuff shoulder muscles. Her physiotherapist referred her to see Mr Granville-Chapman, whom she saw armed with her scans two weeks later.
Mr Granville-Chapman said: “Mrs Tarry had a massive rotator cuff tear. I counselled her about the possibility it would not be repairable and that she may require a bursal acromial reconstruction. This is a relatively new technique where a dermal graft (Arthroflex) is used to resurface the underside of the acromion. This graft is designed both to reduce pain and improve patients’ shoulder function despite loss of the cuff muscles.”
Rowan had her keyhole surgery at BMI The Princess Margaret Hospital in November and she was able to go home the same day. She had her arm protected in a sling for six weeks, began physiotherapy at four weeks and was back driving six weeks after surgery.
Rowan said: “Mr Granville-Chapman was delightful and responsive. He clearly explained what would happen and the risks involved but was also very reassuring. He told me it would take nine months to fully recover, but at five months, I feel I am healing very well and already have 90% movement. Mr Granville-Chapman, I cannot thank you enough for relieving me of the terrible pain and putting my shoulder back into working order, something that was beyond my realistic expectations.”
Mr Granville-Chapman concluded: “I am so pleased with Mrs Tarry’s progress. Thankfully, I was able to achieve a complete repair of her torn tendons and she has made a very good recovery, with excellent pain relief and function, even at this relatively early stage. I hope the COVID restrictions lift very soon so she can get out and start playing golf and tennis again!”