Shoulder

[Pony Soldier]

I'm considering a total shoulder replacement. I'm currently at about 50% of normal range of movement. No socket left and steady pain.

Has anybody had one of these done? Success? Failure? Limitations?

Please share your story or things you have heard.

 

[Deadfall]

My brother went through that last year. Ended up not having the surgery. Instead he started hanging for a minute or something. Said it really hurt at first. Now he has full use of both shoulders. He was drywaller for most of his life.
Story goes he really didn't want to do the surgery so got a second opinion. He started doing different things and that was that. I don't know all the details. All I know is he was at a point he could not raise his arms above shoulder height and was hurting constantly. Now thats gone

 

[Marble]

I've had shoulder surgery, not replacement, and my only advice is to find the best surgeon you can. Doesn't matter where, do it.

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

 

[DenimChicken]

That’s a pretty major surgery. When you say considering, does that mean it’s your only option left?

I can’t completely relate, but I can empathize. I’ve got osteoarthritis in both shoulders and I’ve had surgery on one shoulder, and been rehabbing my other shoulder. Very far from total shoulder replacement though.

 

[IDLassie]

Had mine done 2-01-22.
Waited 22 years to get it done. Best thing I've done in years. Found one of the best surgeons for the area and have had no problems. Just figure you won't be using it for about 6 months. You have 8 weeks of recovery letting everything heal properly then into Physical Therapy for a long time.
I've had no problems just watch what I lift and how I lift. Sleeping on it has been a big problem and just now able to sleep on the shoulder for about a half hour at a time.
One limitations is no big rifle for hunting. I'm shooting a 6.5 creedmore with the muzzle break which feels like a .243 most of the time. Doctor said nothing bigger because it can dislocate the shoulder. Haven't tried to shoot my bow and I probably won't. There are limitation to what you can actually do and you have to be aware of them if you want the surgery to be a success and keep following them. I still do all the rehab exercises at least every few days to keep the shoulder strong.
Any questions just ask.

 

[LostArra]

Had mine done 2-01-22.
Waited 22 years to get it done. Best thing I've done in years. Found one of the best surgeons for the area and have had no problems. Just figure you won't be using it for about 6 months. You have 8 weeks of recovery letting everything heal properly then into Physical Therapy for a long time.
I've had no problems just watch what I lift and how I lift. Sleeping on it has been a big problem and just now able to sleep on the shoulder for about a half hour at a time.
One limitations is no big rifle for hunting. I'm shooting a 6.5 creedmore with the muzzle break which feels like a .243 most of the time. Doctor said nothing bigger because it can dislocate the shoulder. Haven't tried to shoot my bow and I probably won't. There are limitation to what you can actually do and you have to be aware of them if you want the surgery to be a success and keep following them. I still do all the rehab exercises at least every few days to keep the shoulder strong.
Any questions just ask.

This post is excellent because your expectations for post surgery activities will determine if the procedure is "successful". Is sleeping pain-free a success or shooting your compound bow a success?

 

[Pony Soldier]

Exactly. I've lived with the pain since high school. Now I am attempting to make an informed decision as to what the next step is and what I have to give up for what gains.

 

[gabenzeke]

Joseph von Benedicts podcast, hunting the Backcountry has some guy on in one episode that talks about something similar. I can't remember if he had a total shoulder replacement or what, but he talked about limiting rifles to smaller calibers and a bit about what he's had to go through. It might be worth searching through to get an idea of what post surgery life could look like. Sorry I can't help with any personal experience, just remember listening to that episode.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

 

[ztc92]

I'm considering a total shoulder replacement. I'm currently at about 50% of normal range of movement. No socket left and steady pain.

Has anybody had one of these done? Success? Failure? Limitations?

Please share your story or things you have heard.

When it comes to shoulder surgery, there are 3 basic surgeries, each with their own pros and cons, and they may or may not be appropriate depending on the cause of your pain. A good surgeon should talk you through all of this.

First is a repair. This would be for someone who tore their rotator cuff muscles, biceps tendon or both. It works best for people with a recent muscle/tendon injury (usually 3 months or less) and minimal arthritis because then the muscle will heal and the joint still has lots of life left. This is usually not done unless the tears are severe (50% or more) or if rehab was attempted and unsuccessful.

Second is a total shoulder. This is an artificial joint replacement that is used when there is advanced arthritis causing the pain/limitations. This option is best for people who still have a fairly healthy rotator cuff as the total shoulder mimics the natural joint and therefore a healthy rotator cuff is needed for full function.

Both repairs and total shoulders have a very long rehab process, plan on 6-12 months after surgery before you’ll begin to feel like you have normal function.

Third is a reverse shoulder replacement. This is used when there is advanced arthritis but the rotator cuff is too damaged to use after the repair. This reverses the anatomy of the ball and socket joint and allows the deltoid muscle to fill the role of the rotator cuff muscles that are no longer functional. This comes at a cost of reduced range of motion and strength, but usually results in the least pain and quickest recovery. It is most commonly used for elderly individuals who no longer require much function out of their shoulder and just want to be rid of pain with minimal rehab.

Other things to consider are injections to temporarily relieve pain and allow you to do rehab more effectively and hopefully regain some motion. The types of injections and when to use them is very nuanced and beyond what I can describe here.

Last would be imaging. At a minimum you should have x-rays and either an ultrasound or MRI of your shoulder to make sure you and your surgeon have a good idea of your injury and the best way to address it.

Feel free to PM if you have any further questions, always happy to help decode medical information if I can.

Edit - Spelling

 

[GSPHUNTER]

The longer you wait, in terms of years, the longer the recovery time. If replacement is your only option, get it done. Chose surgeon after you have researched him/her carefully. I had hip and knee replacement done 10 months apart by a excellent surgeon.

 

[TxAggie15]

Sounds painful. I don’t know much on how replacements work, but had my labrum and rotator cuff repaired in 2018 as well as shaving a couple bone spurs. I would say that some movements still hurt but overall it beats the all day pain that I had. There’s still days that it’ll hurt from the day before but find a good surgeon and do a ton of research on the surgery. My biggest concern was if I was going to be able to draw a bow after.

 

[WCB]

my wife's uncle had both shoulders replaced about 2 years ago. He couldn't take a shirt on or off without severe pain. Couldn't lift his arms above shoulder height, could barely shoot a shotgun. His one was way worse than the other but once he recovered from the first one he immediately did the other one. Has said multiple times the absolute best decision he ever made. If it is your only option than it is your ONLY option. life is too short to limp along if it can be helped.

 

[Beendare]

My buddy did the full swap surgery at 72 where they flip a bunch of stuff around. He was shooting a 50# compound in 4 months

 

[Fartrell Cluggins]

My replacement was a disaster. Doctor installed the wrong parts in the wrong place. I am screwed for life.

 

[Pony Soldier]

Hence why I am asking questions so I fully understand risks, options and probabilities.

 

[TaperPin]

My wife just had a hip replaced and we learned a lot about the process. The only person I’ve known with a shoulder replacement had both done and he is back to normal without the pain, but he had to stop being a full time professional painter.

Be careful of what you read online because with any of these joint replacements the surgeon will have a method he likes so information on all the other methods do not apply. There are support groups on Facebook for specific joint replacement, but they are international and in many countries they have to wait a year and it’s using old techniques requiring much longer recovery periods - still good information if you omit comments from those not in the US.

It‘s not easy getting information on what surgeon is the best at what you need. There are online lists and patient reviews, but we found the best information from physical therapists - if you can get them talking about a shoulder replacement there’s a good chance they have strong opinions about the different surgeons. Better yet is if they had a family member who had it done. In the end we found a guy who was recommended by two physical therapists and two orthopedic nurses.

Some surgeons don’t work with some insurance policies, or they may do the operation and post op care at a different facilities based on insurance provider. It didn’t make sense to us, but our medical system is interesting if nothing else.

With any of the joint replacements your recovery will be rough the first week - the ice therapy contraptions that have a small cooler and pump ice water through a cold pack are much easier than trying to just fill ice packs. The first week we went through 60 lbs of cubes for her hip.

Good luck.

 

[Gutshot007]

Another thought. Go somewhere they do High volume shoulder work .

 

[TaperPin]

I just remembered something else. If you get injections in the shoulder, a potential surgery may have to wait a number of months after the shots, so it’s good to know how different stop gaps affect things.

 

[yfarm]

Like most medical specialties, ortho has become subspecialized and joints are subspecialized. I look for mid career subspecialists in private practice doing current procedures, maybe not the thing just published last week. Also tend to not go to academic(University) centers as the expert may not be the one doing the surgery rather the resident or fellow assigned to the expert. As an aside I have bph and reviewed all the current procedures done, found a mid career urologist listed as a center of excellence by the company producing the equipment he uses for the procedure I wanted done. Saw him for a consult, went thru a preprocedure evaluation and then had it done. Procedure was flawless, easy recovery and much improved in 4 weeks. Take the time to find the right person and travel if you need to. Had several local guys doing it but traveled 3 hrs to get the person I thought best. Also had carpal tunnel for hand dystonia done by a young hand guy, 4 yrs out of training, did a great job, was recommended by another ortho guy.

 

[Crusader]

My replacement was a disaster. Doctor installed the wrong parts in the wrong place. I am screwed for life.

Did you sue that doctor for malpractice?