Patient Stories

Sue Landrum

Shoulder surgery at Reid restores motion, eliminates pain

Sue Landrum’s right bicep hurt, and she couldn’t figure out why. She began having trouble using that arm to push, pull or lift, and it was difficult to find a comfortable sleeping position. When several months of chiropractic care and massage therapy didn’t help, Sue realized it was time to call an orthopedic specialist. 

“I saw an advertisement for a Reid orthopedic surgeon named Brett Krepps who has office hours in Hagerstown,” says Sue, a longtime Hagerstown resident. “I decided to make an appointment.”

Sue liked Dr. Krepps immediately. “He’s so easygoing and personable,” she says. “At every appointment, he encouraged me to ask a lot of questions and share my concerns. He always explained all my options and we made decisions about my care together.”

An MRI indicated a tear in Sue’s rotator cuff, the group of muscles and tendons that stabilize the shoulder. Dr. Krepps used cortisone and steroid shots to reduce the swelling and promote healing. When that didn’t help, he raised the possibility of surgery.

“Dr. Krepps said I might have bone spurs as well as the rotator cuff tear,” Sue says. Spurs are extra bony growths that form on healthy bone. In Sue’s case, the spurs likely were pressing on her rotator cuff when she moved her arm. During surgery, Dr. Krepps could remove the spurs and repair the rotator cuff. 

Sue’s surgery took place at Reid Hospital on June 30, 2011. “Everyone was so nice at Reid, very friendly and professional,” she recalls. “During the operation, Dr. Krepps discovered that the tear and bone spurs were worse than he anticipated. I expected to be in a lot of pain afterward, but it turns out I only needed over-the-counter medication. I was thrilled about that.”

Sue underwent three months of physical therapy at Reid’s rehabilitation facility in Hagerstown, and says that she is pain free and that her range of motion is almost back to normal. “At my last follow-up appointment, Dr. Krepps said I was even further along than he expected,” Sue says. “I am really happy about how everything turned out.”