Clavicle Lengthening Surgery | Transgender Surgery | Body Confirmation Surgery | Dr. Leif Rogers
Dr. Leif Rogers explains more about his clavicle lengthening surgery. Dr. Rogers is the only doctor in the United States who currently performs this procedure. Dr. Rogers also offers clavicle shortening surgery. You can read more about it on his website using this link : https://leifrogersmd.com/blog/your-gu...
What Is Recovery Like?
When recovering from clavicle surgery, it is important to work closely with Dr. Rogers and follow his aftercare instructions carefully. Pain should subside within only two to three weeks, and most patients regain a full range of motion within this timeframe. However, your bone takes approximately three months to heal completely. Stressing the bone too quickly can result in injury. A common cause of complications with shoulder reduction comes from patients resuming activities too soon after surgery, inhibiting healing and potentially causing hardware failure.
For two weeks following your surgery, you will need to minimize physical activity as much as possible. The clavicle is a relatively slow bone to completely heal and requires ten weeks before it is sufficiently strong before subjecting it to larger forces such as carrying heavy grocery bags or lifting weights.
Every patient’s recovery path is different, so talk to Dr. Rogers about when you can ease into your normal routine. You will need to refrain from heavy lifting and weight bearing activities for at least ten weeks as your bone heals. You will have regular follow-up appointments with your surgeon to gauge your progress in order to determine when you can resume certain activities. You will also receive occasional X-rays to follow the healing process of the bone. Once the bone is fully healed, you can return to all of your pre-operative activities without risk.
What Are The Risks?
Every procedure carries some risks. With shoulder reduction surgery especially, it is very important to work with a board-certified plastic surgeon with experience performing clavicle shortening as the procedure requires a lot of technical skill.
Infection may occur initially after your operation, and can be treated successfully with prompt medical intervention. More serious complications like broken screws and non-union of the two ends of the clavicle (lack of boney healing) may occur in the weeks following surgery and may require follow-up treatment.
Scarring is usually minimal with shoulder reduction surgery, but some patients are genetically prone to thicker scarring. If you are concerned about scarring, talk to your surgeon about treatment options. There are many non-invasive forms of therapy that can successfully reduce scarring.