How to Cut a Shirt For Shoulder Surgery (4 Changing Tips)
Shoulder injuries happen. Many of those injuries also require surgery. What that does is alter the way you move your shoulder and arm, making traditional shirt designs a little inconvenient. A few tips will help you adjust your shirts so you can move better without hurting yourself.
How to cut a shirt for shoulder surgery: One way to handle this situation is to put the sleeve of the injured arm over that arm and shoulder. Then gingerly work the shirt over the rest of your upper body. This saves you the trouble of altering your current shirts.
To learn more tips about how to cut a shirt for shoulder surgery just continue to read our article. In it, you will find all the information you should need to use plus a lot of helpful tips. Shoulder surgery shouldn’t keep you from looking good.
Tip #1: Buy larger sized T-Shirts and cut the shoulder from the neck to the arm. Then attach Velcro straps over the open side. This will facilitate entrance and exit from your shirt easier. Make sure to cut the sleeve as well.
Shirt for Shoulder Surgery 101
Tip #2: Sweatshirts are good to wear as they have large sleeve openings. All you have to do is cut a little fabric away underneath the arm to widen the hole for your arm. Don’t forget to sew in some seams to cut the fraying, etc.
What kind of Shirt to Wear After Shoulder Surgery?
The easiest shirts to use after your shoulder surgery are front opening shirts. Button up shirts are simple to slip into, maneuver and get over your injured shoulder. Just make sure you have someone on hand to button the buttons for you.
Another good shirt to use is an altered T-Shirt. All you have to do here is buy the largest size possible so your arm has the room it needs to get through the sleeve. Plus, T-shirts are not hard to alter when you need more room and still look stylish.
After those two selections, very loose-fitting shirts, for example, a sweatshirt, is good to wear when you are recuperating from shoulder surgery. For women, camisoles with a built-in bra are probably the best clothing to have on when your arm is immobilized.
The fewer straps you have to negotiate the better. Also, strapless bras are the ideal undergarment to wear when you have shoulder surgery. There should be a good selection of clothing on hand to help you out.
If worse comes to worst, you can always make the right cuts for your arm to slip in and out of the shirts much easier.
Tip #3: Go for the biggest and loosest clothing you can. You also want no-hassle clothing and footwear. The less you have to move your shoulder the better you will be
Other Shirts You Can Wear After Shoulder Surgery
Loose-fitting sweatshirts with large arm sleeves are a good alternative to a regular dress shirt. Dress shirts are front open but they are also expensive to replace if you have to cut them up while you are recuperating.
A sweater is another option as these can be very loose-fitting. Plus, they are very stylish so you can look good whenever you go outside. If you are an athlete or like to participate in team sports for fun, warm-up tops are another option you have available.
Pajama tops can be considered as well. If you are not going anywhere, these are very soft and flexible giving you lots of maneuvering room. If you put your mind to it, you should be able to come up with lots of good options.
They say to avoid zippers but zippers are easier to manage than buttons. Also, go with what feels comfortable next to your skin. You already have enough pain and other issues to deal with so it makes sense not to add more to your situation.
Tip #4: Go strapless if you are a woman. Bras are going to be your biggest clothing challenge when your shoulder is under repair. Strapless bras are the best option to use and may be more comfortable as you go about your day.
How to Make a Shirt for After Shoulder Surgery
One way to make your specialty shirt is to take a normal dress shirt or front open shirt and remove the buttons. Next, you should get some Velcro and cut it into small strips. Just do not make them too short.
After sewing the Velcro on, cut the shirt on the injured shoulder side to allow for better placement of the shirt. Attach more Velcro straps to close the two sides together and keep the shirt on securely.
Another way is to get some over-sized T-shirts and cut the seam from the neck to the shoulder. Just do not cut the top of the sleeve as you want it in place to help keep the T-shirt on.
Cut underneath in the armpit area to make the hole larger and easier for you to slip your injured arm through. You can also cut down the injured side a little and add Velcro strips on both sides to close the shirt off once it is on your body.
Making the shirt just takes a little time, patience and some sewing talent. It is easy to make a mistake and cut too much so be careful and take your time.
Tip #5: Velcro is probably the best closure you can use. If you can’t get Velcro, the next best closure to use will be snaps. Both of these keep your arm movements to a minimum.
How to Cut a Shirt for Shoulder Surgery
Using scissors is one way to get the shirt cut the right way. The only risk here is that you will cut too much and make the sure useless. When you get your scissors, you start at the neckline and go down to the top of the shoulder.
Make sure to hem the two sides so there are no fraying or loose threads that can unravel and ruin your work. Then when you sew on the Velcro make sure the smooth side is sewn next to the skin.
The rough side can be sewn on the top of the T-shirt half opposite from the smooth side attachment. To get your new t-shirt on, make sure to put your injured arm first.
Next comes your head and finally your good arm. When taking the shirt off, simply reverse the process. If your sewing scissors are too big for the job, you can always use a sharp knife or a seam ripper to cut the stitches.
Find the easiest way for you to make these cuts. The key will be to go slow and not be in a hurry. The wrong move may mean starting over with a new T-shirt.
Tip #6: When you are altering your shirts, keep in mind all the normal routines you have to do throughout your day. Make sure the alterations will work for all those situations
How to Alter Clothes for Rotator Cuff Surgery
A key way to alter your clothes is not so much in cutting them just right but simply switching to different clothes to wear. For example shoes. Instead of using shoes with laces, opt for slip ons or sandals that use a simple strap to secure them in place.
For pants, elastic waist pull-ups are the best. You can use tracksuits, but the strong tie may not be that easy to do up if you have no one helping you. For women, a camisole with a built-in bra will make wearing underclothes a lot easier.
But if you do not have one, look for strapless alternatives that will do the job while not sacrificing comfort. Then at night when you are at home, stretchy nightgowns are very good to slip on.
The key to this situation is that you will have to do a little thinking ahead and analyze your normal activities and see what clothes you should wear and which ones you can get away with. Remember that you have to take into consideration bathroom duties and you will need the right clothes to meet those situations.
How to Put a Shirt on After Shoulder Surgery
The process remains the same no matter which kind of shirt you use to accommodate your injured shoulder. This process is for when you are using an altered pullover shirt, sweater or sweatshirt and so on.
It is best if you slip your shirt on over your injured shoulder first. This cuts down on hassles and makes it a little easier for you. Next, you need to put your head through the opening. Finally, your good arm goes through its opening last.
When you want to get out of the shirt, just reverse this process. For an open front shirt, you still need to slip your injured arm through the opening first. Then place the shirt around your head and neck.
After that, you place your good arm through its spot. It may take some practice but you will get used to it and soon your shirts will go on quickly as they did before your surgery.
When you have a button-up or t-shirt, it is best to have some help. Especially in the first few weeks after surgery. It will be painful and awkward trying to get everything in place if you have to do it on your own.
Tips for Changing Shirt After Shoulder Surgery
The best tip you can get is to practice, practice and practice. You can even start before your surgery so you get the hang of changing your shirt when no help is available.
One-handed dressing is not easy to do even when you have 2 good arms to use. So you should take a little time and get your post-surgery shirts cut and ready to go before you head to the hospital. Being prepared is always the smart way to go.
It will be much more difficult to dress after your surgery so take some time and get the practice in. Next, do not over complicate the post-surgery shirt design. You want it to be as simple as possible.
That way you do not hurt yourself again or delay your recovery. You will be less frustrated as well. You are going to have tough times after the surgery so do not complicate matters and make things worse by having hard to use post-surgery shirts to wear.
A third tip is to have soft fabrics for your shirt. Your shoulder is going to be uncomfortable enough so give yourself a break and keep the fabrics nice and soft.
Buying Rotator Cuff Surgery Shirts on Amazon
There are some rotator cuff surgery shirts available on Amazon. You may not like the price as the ones we saw were almost $40. Plus, there are enough for both men and women to use so you should not be out of luck when you want to buy through Amazon.
The company has a great customer service policy so even if there is a mistake you should be able to get it corrected quickly. One key to remember is do not wait till the last minute to order yours.
Nothing is perfect and you need to give yourself time so if there is a mistake in the shipping and handling department, you can correct it before you head to the hospital. Getting caught without one is not a good idea.
Just take a little time and peruse the site till you find one that will fit your needs well.
Where to Buy a Shoulder Surgery Shirt
One thing that the advent of the internet has done is to expand your opportunities to find what you need in more areas than your local stores. Before the internet, you had to rely on your local department stores, specialty shops and friends or relatives to help you find shoulder surgery shirts.
Not now. A quick internet search provides you with a myriad of opportunities around the country and the globe to get the right shirt at the right price. These opportunities are perfect for those people who can’t sew or do not know anyone who can sew.
Amazon is not the only website that opens the doors for you. Plus, Amazon may have a very limited selection. Places like Etsy may have a lot more shirts to choose from that will keep you comfortable while you recuperate.
Then specialty stores like Medical Rehab Wear will have great shirts to buy that are tailored made for your situation. Then there is Silvert’s which allows you to shop for both men and women’s post-surgery clothing including shoulder surgeries.
One thing is for sure, you are not lacking in top options when it comes to getting a shoulder surgery shirt. Then if you do know how to sew, the fabric stores should have everything you need to make sure your outfit is one of the best.
Shoulder Surgery Makes Changes
Besides your clothes, shoulder surgery alters your whole lifestyle to some degree. We would be remiss if we did not mention some of these changes even though they are not all fabric related ones.
- 1. Pillows - you will need a large supply to make sure your arm and shoulder stay comfortable and do not move too much.
- 2. Shower chair - you do not want to move too much in the shower and risk banging your shoulders against the tiled walls.
- 3. Movable showerhead - keeping your shoulder and bandages dry is a must. This little tool will help you do that while keeping your shoulder still and safe.
- 4. Other bathroom accessories - showers are not your only bathroom activity so you should be prepared to meet all your needs and have the right items available.
- 5. Recliner - or a good sofa, etc. Sleeping in your bed may not be a good option for a little while after the surgery.
- 6. Blankets - this is when your surgery takes place in the cooler months of the year. Having a nice soft comfortable throw will protect your incision from the risks that come with cold temperatures.
Some Final Words
Shoulder surgery throws off your routine. It is a wise move to be prepared for when it takes place. Making your shoulder surgery shirts is one way to save time and be very practical. You can design them according to your personality and needs.
They are not hard to make and you can alter the clothes you currently have. It just takes a little time and patience to get the task done. Or you can go online and shop at Amazon or other stores when you can’t sew or do not have the time to do the job right.
