Hi Steve,

So sorry to here about your shoulder problem, believe me I feel your pain. But to answer your question I had a serious elbow inquiry which required more than 1 surgery but it took me a few surgeons to find the right one. So I had been diagnosed with RSD and then had to still have surgeries to correct by elbow problem including having a titanium implant to replace one of the parts that broke so badly it could not even be pinned together, it was a mess. When I finally found the correct doctors who could help both my pain doctor and surgeon worked in the same hospital and worked on many other case together so it was very systematic how they handled the RSD so I could have the surgeries. The first surgery they did was a pretty major like 7 hours, he did a lot in one operation including nerve transposition surgery. For the first surgery with these doctors I was given Stellate Ganglion Blocks, they stopped PT, my prior doctors had be going for almost a year, just basically tried to calm the arm down. After about 6-8 months they felt the RSD was calm enough to do this big surgery. Believe me I was freightened out of mind. I did recover pretty good from the surgery and after many months got almost my full range of motion back which prior to this doctor working with me I could hardly move my arm, fingers almost nothing. Unfortunatly the RSD did get worse so we started doing in-patient ketamine infusions which helped but I also have PN. So after I had experience with the ketamine that is what they would use as part of the anesthetic during 2 and 3rd surgeries. After 5 years since my last surgery I am doing ok it took a long time I only work PT can not do the FT anymore just don't have the endurance to use the arm nomally.