Patient Testimonials - Matthew

Fairfax – Shoulder Repair

Years of intense work-outs and power-lifting meets took a toll on Matthew’s  shoulder.  He first noticed that something was wrong when his shoulder began feeling uncomfortable following work-outs.  Soon, the discomfort began waking him at night.  And, eventually, Matt also heard disturbing clicking and popping sounds when he moved or rotated his shoulder as the ball of his worn joint rubbed against his clavicle.

After dealing with the discomfort for a year, Matt decided to seek care for his shoulder.  Acting on the referral of a co-worker who had undergone shoulder surgery himself, he chose a Commonwealth Orthopaedic’s physician for his treatment.

Matt’s physician determined that his history of boxing and heavy weight-lifting had led to a partially torn rotator cuff and the formation of many bone spurs on his joint.  To repair his rotator cuff and smooth the spurs, Matt underwent arthroscopic shoulder decompression surgery at Commonwealth’s Ambulatory Surgery Center in Herndon. 

Recalling his experience, Matt says, “My Commonwealth physician was awesome.  He treated me like more than just another patient.  He was very sincere and very responsive.  He even called me over the holidays to see how I was doing.”

Following several weeks of physical therapy, Matt says of his rehabilitation period, “My recovery time has been really accelerated because I stay in shape.  My body responds well to adversity.  I bounced back from the surgery very quickly.” 

And, bounce back he did.  Today, Matt is back to lifting weights and playing racquetball and basketball two to three times a week—enjoying his active lifestyle and pushing toward a total recovery.