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I will be having rotator cuff surgery soon, but would still like to play some of my early summer concert band gigs. I know some of you have to have dealt with these sorts of injuries/surgeries. How did you get around it? Tuba stand? Strap? Its my right shoulder....

I like to encourage people, and help them think of workarounds for their challenges.
A nearly-half-century friend/colleague of mine had to have the entire socket replaced on one shoulder this last year. I don’t know if your scheduled surgery is that involved and/or that serious…(??)
My friend had to have me cover their entire fall half of their orchestra season - this year, even though their surgery was just after the end of the previous season.
If you are discussing - in your post - getting by and giving yourself some relief PRIOR TO your surgery, I’ll be glad to put you in touch with my friend.

Kctuba wrote: ↑Tue Apr 19, 2022 8:35 am I will be having rotator cuff surgery soon, but would still like to play some of my early summer concert band gigs. I know some of you have to have dealt with these sorts of injuries/surgeries. How did you get around it? Tuba stand? Strap? Its my right shoulder....

Kctuba wrote: ↑Tue Apr 19, 2022 8:35 am I will be having rotator cuff surgery soon, but would still like to play some of my early summer concert band gigs. I know some of you have to have dealt with these sorts of injuries/surgeries. How did you get around it? Tuba stand? Strap? Its my right shoulder....

I had a SLAP repair done on my left shoulder in March 2020. It’s a similar recovery, maybe a shade worse for the SLAP repair.

A few things:

1. Do as much PT and strengthening as possible before your surgery

2. If you don’t own a recliner, get one ASAP. Sleeping is very difficult the first few weeks for some people due to rolling around.

3. You’ll likely be in a sling for 4-6 weeks. Probably not much playing then. More so because it’s your right shoulder. You can buzz to keep up chops.

4. Do your PT religiously and convey all concerns to them.

5. You’ll need to favor the left for a while. Practice maneuvering the tuba with only the left arm for a while to develop strategies.

6. Be patient with the process. It can be difficult at times. :-)

I had shoulder surgery in January 2020 (bicep tenodesis). Some recommendations I'd have, though not necessarily tuba-related:

1) Agree with the recliner, much easier to sleep there than in the bed. When sitting, I would actually loosen my sling while still staying immobilized. The WORST part (for me) wasn't even the surgery itself, or the physical therapy, it was the back muscle spasms! The sling was not my friend...

2) Invest in a Polar Care Cube even if your insurance won't cover it. This kept my swelling down, and allowed me to minimize my use of pain medications (I stopped taking them after a couple days...my family has a history of substance-abuse, so I didn't want to risk anything).

I know these don't directly relate to your question, but wanted to share.

I can't speak to shoulder surgery specifically (although I have shoulder issues that I've treated with PT), but all of the above align with what my wife and I've experienced after knee surgery. The Polar Care Cube looks good, although my wife used a Nice machine on her knee. It has the advantage of not requiring ice.