Share review of Mr Aravind Desai Syamarao

Mr Aravind Desai Syamarao 2024-08-27 Person 5 5 0

Meeting Mr DeSai for the first time was quite difficult for me as I had built up a good rapport and understanding with another consultant regarding the issues I was having. Unfortunately I had another health issue that needed to be investigated before being able to continue with the projected path of having surgery on my right shoulder after a re-occurrence of what was thought to be a Rotator Cuff Tear. He took time to explain he operates a little more frequently from this location and due to the length of time I had been waiting to be seen, my case had been transferred to his care. He asked lots of questions relating to previous surgeries and issues and then agreed that the best way forward initially was to have a scan - think it was MRI - to determine what was going on. This was completed but was still not clear as to what was going on so Mr DeSai then suggested I have steroid injection which I did and I was then told at this appointment that the injection was a pain relief rather than a cure as there was a potential cuff tear just visible, The steroid gave me about 1 week maximum of relief but lack of sleep and being in so much pain all the time was taking its toll physically and emotionally and I did find my patience and tolerance very limited!! I had another appointment with Mr DeSai who explained all of the pros and cons so to speak lof having the surgery for Rotator Cuff Repair and the potential issues that could be faced afterwards with Popeye arm etc and risks of going under General Anaesthetic. I did ask what his recommendation would be but said I knew he couldnt really answer the question as it had to be my decision. With everything I was going through I wanted to know what exactly was occurring in the shoulder and said as much. Mr DeSai said he was happy to do that if that was what I wanted and would start with keyhole sites but would open up shoulder if findings dictated a more invasive procedure. I was in that much pain at the time I was grateful that he was prepared to do this and so awaited a date for for surgery. May 2nd - Mr DeSai came to see me before the surgery and used my first name which no-one had done up to that point apart from the nurses on the ward admitting me so that did put me at my ease straight away. He went into detail again about the procedure he would carry out and if there was anything else that required his expert surgical knowledge to fix he would do this also. After the procedure Mr DeSai came to see me just afetr I had come round from anaesthetic and asked me if I could remember what he had said he would do - I told him what I could - and then he explained what he had actually carried out. Before leaving the ward he returned to make sure everything was ok, again using my first name, and readjusted the sling and told me 2 weeks with the sling on, explained the do's and don'ts and made sure I was feeling ok and ready to be discharged from the ward once pain relief meds had been sorted. He explained physio would be in touch to make an appointment, as did the young lady that came to see me before I left - and that he would see me again in 2-3 weeks time for a follow up appointment. This I had 3 weeks later and he asked me to do various actions to see how mobility was after just one physio session the day vefore. He asked about pain levels, explained he had also carried out a Biceps Tenotomy which I hadn't realised and explained what that entailed. I asked if he had taken photos throughout the surgery which he had and again he took the time to show me these one by one and explain what he had done in each image. He had actually done a slightly longer procedure after finding a re-tear of the Rotator Cuff anf explained that the tendons etc were in a very poor state and the risk of another rupture is very high. I was made aware that I need to be sensible in what I do in my everyday 'normal' life and activities as if it does rupture again it will not be fixable. There goes my wing-walking was my first comment!!! I saw Mr DeSai last Thursday very briefly and he is happy with progress made. I explained I still have very sharp pains the surgery but the actual intense pain in shoulder area of Rotator Cuff had almost gone - near enough zero pain. I am over the moon at the way I have been treated through the whole process and the respect I felt I had from Mr DeSai from the point of saying he would be happy to do the surgery I hope I have built up a good patient Consultant relationship with him and would like to say a massive thank you to him and his surgical team, nurses, admin etc who looked after me on 2nd May. I am now training for a half marathon, volunteering with Walking with Alpacas Lincolnshire Rescue, had an awesome 4 days at Steampunk and can return to volunteering at New Theatre Royal to mention but a few acticities I had more or less had to put on hold due to the intensity of the pain, limited range of movement and lack of sleep# I now have my not so normal life back and can't thank him enough. Any feedback from this would be much appreciated.