Back on duty and pain-free!

Ashley McAfee is a surgical nurse in the MedStar St. Mary's Hospital operating room, who has struggled with shoulder pain as the result of a motor vehicle collision for a number of years. She also suffers from a condition called "Complex Regional Pain Syndrome" (CRPS), also known as "Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy", as a result of the significant trauma she suffered to her arm and shoulder.

Ashley had multiple shoulder surgeries & had seen multiple surgeons during her prolonged struggle with shoulder pain. Dr. Peter Johnston worked closely with Ashley in the OR & she requested a consultation for her shoulder. Dr. Johnston determined that she would need a muscle transfer to improve the stability of her shoulder blade with the goal of improving her shoulder function & eliminating the pain she had lived with for so long.

The surgery is complex & rare - that involves rerouting the pectoralis muscle around the back, to the shoulder blade. The pectoralis muscle then serves a totally different role in moving the arm than prior to surgery. The patient then retrains their body & mind so the pectoralis muscle can serve in it’s new role as a stabilizer of the shoulder blade, preventing winging & associated pain.

Ashley is back working as an OR nurse, lifting heavy trays, caring for patients & enjoying a pain free shoulder for the first time in many years!