Reverse shoulder replacement surgery

I feel your frustration. After 12 months,I still cannot reach further than the middle of the back of my head. I am 77 and the surgeon told me the expectations after surgery following fractures like mine,are not as good as after repairs for arthritis. I don’t know which situation prompted your surgery. I am keeping up with exercises,but it is discouraging. I am hoping for better for you if that scar tissue gets taken care of.

I had a severe rotator cuff tear and osteoarthritis. This led to a RSA, reverse shoulder placement.
I hear from others the same problem with the inability to raise the arm to reach the head after their reverse surgery.

After my RSA I had a lot of therapy. I can shampoo my hair now. I'm 77, everything takes longer to heal. I'm so glad the pain stopped what a relief!

I’m starting to be able to shampoo my hair without pain. My arm is reaching the back of my head. PT is paying off but it’s so painful while i am doing it. One thing is I still can’t lift my arm straight up but hopefully it will get there. I’m anxious to see what the doctor says when I go Oct 14.
God Bless,
Retha

What is the hornblower effect?

https://cdn.prod-carehubs.net/n1/748e8fe697af5de8/uploads/2024/03/IMG_20240303_095249400.jpg

Good evening, @rethajones I find your reverse shoulder recovery situation a little unusual. I am 82 now and really don't have any discomfort with my RSA shoulder. The surgery was completed when I was about 72. I had a reverse shoulder after 2 attempts at a regular shoulder repair and a cadaver replacement. The early recovery was a bit challenging. I lived at the top of a mountain village and the PT and the surgeon there had never handled a reverse shoulder repair. They chatted together to work out the recovery exercises. One thing that helped was a neighbor who had recently retired from his position as a nationally recognized surgeon.
I remember that he would see me walking my dog in the morning with my sling on. He suggested that it might help to not use the sling to move the healing along. So...he suggested I wear vests and hold on to the front with my hand. It worked and soon I was able to raise my arm up to my head and walk with it "hanging" naturally. Today at 82, you wouldn't be able to guess that it was a replacement.

May you find peace and comfort.
Chris

The picture is showing that the shoulder is not able to allow the arm/hand to do the same as the good shoulder. Mine is not as severe but this is what is called the horn blower. If the operated shoulder were to lift up to the mouth (i.e. to eat) this would look like a person blowing a horn.
I was told by the doctor that the scarred tissue, which needs to be stretched, would let the shoulder straighten out the arm. Well something like that!

I feel your pain ( literally ). After a bicycle accident ( I hit a deer ) my shoulder was severely dislocated and rotator badly torn, combined with three fractures of humerus. I opted for Reverse Replacement after therapy failed, that was a year ago, I am 78. While my surgical team is pleased with recovery, I am not so happy. I still have pain and my dexterity is still limited. I guess I am gonna have to learn to live with it. Good news is I am back playing golf ( handicap up 7 strokes and had to move up a tee box), but I am playing, and am back riding bike but slowed to 10-12 mph and cut distance from 75mi a week to 45 or 50. If I had it to do over again I would not have gotten the reverse shoulder surgery. Now I just have to accept what it is.

We do have to take our age into consideration, a joint replacement for me {I've had eight}, I didn't expect to be able to do things I did in my 20's. For me, I wanted to stop the pain that got worse and worse until I couldn't sleep. On some joints I've had remarkable results, on others not so much, but the pain has been greatly reduced or gone.
Having arthritis for me is a progressive process. My good shoulder is now affecting my arm and wrist. I hope rest and reducing use will help. I don't think I have another surgery in me. I hope you receive the outcome you seek.