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Total Shoulder Replacement

What is Total Shoulder Replacement?

Your shoulder is an important joint that rotates with a greater range of motion than any other joint in your body. If it’s causing you pain to the point that you can’t reach into a cabinet, can’t sleep well, or experience other symptoms.

A shoulder replacement is a procedure that tries to eliminate the source of pain and dysfunction by replacing damaged parts of the shoulder joint with artificial components called prostheses. The most common reasons for a shoulder replacement surgery are osteoarthritis, rotator cuff tear arthropathy, avascular necrosis or rheumatoid arthritis. The procedure is meant to relieve your pain, improve your strength, increase your range of motion and enable you to use your shoulder and arm.

Points to be considered before surgery?

Shoulder replacement surgery is an option given to patients who suffer from joint dysfunction. This is usually the result of osteoarthritis, rotator cuff tear arthropathy, avascular necrosis, or rheumatoid arthritis, or (rarely) for those who have sustained a severe fracture from a trauma or fall. Generally, all other modes of treatment are considered first, such as physical therapy and medications.

You may be a candidate for shoulder replacement surgery if you have the following symptoms:

  • Your shoulder pain is so severe that you struggle with everyday activities such as washing, getting dressed and reaching into a cabinet.
  • You have loss of motion in your shoulder.
  • You have weakness in your shoulder.
  • You have pain that’s so bad that it prevents you from getting a good night’s sleep.
  • You’ve tried anti-inflammatory medications, cortisone injections and physical therapy with no relief.
  • You have prior arthroscopic surgery, rotator cuff or fracture repair that failed to relieve your symptoms.

Type of Knee Replacement

In this procedure only the ball and stem are replaced. The stem is connected to the ball and articulated with your natural socket.

This involves replacing the joint surface of the humeral head with a cap-like prosthesis, without a stem.

The arthritic joint is replaced with a highly polished metal ball attached to a stem on the humeral side, and a plastic cup on the glenoid socket.

This is a bone-preserving version of the total shoulder arthroplasty where the metallic ball is attached to the upper arm without a stem.

In the reverse total shoulder replacement, the joint is literally reversed meaning the metal ball is placed where the glenoid socket was and a plastic cup is attached to the stem and is moved to the upper arm bone (humerus).

Points to be considered before surgery?

Shoulder replacement surgery is an option given to patients who suffer from joint dysfunction. This is usually the result of osteoarthritis, rotator cuff tear arthropathy, avascular necrosis, or rheumatoid arthritis, or (rarely) for those who have sustained a severe fracture from a trauma or fall. Generally, all other modes of treatment are considered first, such as physical therapy and medications.

You may be a candidate for shoulder replacement surgery if you have the following symptoms:

  • Your shoulder pain is so severe that you struggle with everyday activities such as washing, getting dressed and reaching into a cabinet.
  • You have loss of motion in your shoulder.
  • You have weakness in your shoulder.
  • You have pain that’s so bad that it prevents you from getting a good night’s sleep.
  • You’ve tried anti-inflammatory medications, cortisone injections and physical therapy with no relief.
  • You have prior arthroscopic surgery, rotator cuff or fracture repair that failed to relieve your symptoms.

Rarest Complications while surgery

Minor infections in the wound area are treated with antibiotics while major infections may require additional surgery.

In case of reverse total shoulder replacement, the implant may dislocate which requires closed reduction or surgery to reduce or revise the implant.

Prostheses can wear down and sometimes the components can get loose. More surgery is sometimes needed.

Nerves can be damaged during surgery. There is an increased risk of complications if you have diabetes. Patients with diabetes may get wound complications and infections.

Post Surgery Recovery

The recovery period varies from person to person and also depends on the type of surgery you had. Typically, you should use your arm for waist-level activities on day one following surgery. You should dress and feed yourself within the first week. Be careful with driving. Only resume driving when you’re certain that you can do so safely.

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