Reverse right shoulder replacement with extra issues

Good morning @koala78, I'm sorry your post escaped my notice until today.
Like you I have had multiple hip surgeries, which fortunately did not come to the point of living with a permanent spacer. I would say from your posts that you have adapted wonderfully. It's not fair that you are going to have to face this new challenge, but I believe your attitude will get you through it.

I haven't had shoulder surgery - yet - just dealing with my arthritis for now with therapy, exercise & injection in hopes of avoiding more cutting as long as I can.

I'm going to call in our friend Chris (@artscaping) who had RSR while dealing with neuropathy - a different challenge to be sure, but one she managed to work through. She may have some words of wisdom for you.

But I do have a suggestion. One of my friends, with a girdlestone in one hip, and mesh hardware holding the other together, cannot use a traditional walker due to bad shoulders and hands. She uses an upright walker, operated with her forearms, to get around. I am wondering if, with some practice, you could manage one after the first few weeks while relying on just your left forearm? I am guessing that with your complicated history, you have seen a good rehab therapist? Can you contact them for a few sessions to do a test run and see if it is feasible? Do you have any help at home? That might give you an option, and might even be a long term help.

Do you have a good therapist you can call on?
Sue

Thankyou for the suggestion of the upright walker - I am working with a pain clinic where I have a pharmacist, medical social worker (I am also a social worker) and a physical therapist. We've looked online at arm supports for traditional walkers but maybe this might be one option. Did your friend have to go to rehab during recovery? That is one option but I'm terrified of it as my fear is I will have to live in long term care and at age 58 I am definitely not ready for that - I know rehab might only mean 4 wks or so in rehab but it is still scaring me. Will meet shoulder surgeon next week.

The upright walker is a different animal. This is just one example: https://www.compoundingcenter.com/blog/upright-walker?Tag=upright%20walker

My friend spent 2 weeks in a rehab facility, then went home to help from a daughter and in-home PT. After 8 weeks, she and her husband got in their truck and drove from Nebraska to South Texas, where she continued to rehab for the next 4 months. Fortunately we have a close-knit community there, so she was able to enlist help from friends and neighbors for things her husband could not do. For sure she had a 2X a week housekeeper for over 6 months to do all the laundry, cleaning & picking up.
I was lucky to have my husband in residence, and 2 daughters (both RN's) nearby to give him a break. I was unable to go up or down stairs for almost 2 months after my last hip surgery, and the laundry, pantry & freezer are all down there - oh and my sewing room/art studio - I was an unhappy patient.
Sue
Sue

Good afternoon @koala78. How nice to be your friend as well as @sueinmn's friend. She is a toughie and has taught all of us how to make decisions that have her best interests at heart. I understand your fear. What I don't understand is choosing pain 24/7. I lived with a damaged dominant shoulder for three years and the culprit was not my fear, it was my insurance company. At the time, the company wanted to make sure I had tried PT, Opioids, and Acupuncture before they would even consider surgery.

Then, the first two surgeries failed. According to my surgeon, this shoulder had the "Grand Canyon of holes" and was not fixable with a standard rotator cuff repair. The second surgery was a cadaver graft and when it failed, the insurance company gave in and approved the RSR. Actually, the surgery went well and the recovery PT was quite supportive. I have absolutely no pain and have been able to run my own business, participate in community volunteer efforts and continue to participate in trekking around the world.

There is another mentor on Connect whose fear of surgery was a lifetime challenge. @jenniferhunter, would you be able to share your journey to overcoming fear of spine
surgery with @koala78?

May you be safe, protected, and free of inner and outer harm.
Chris

Hi, I’m Maura, I am in a very similar situation. I have had both knees, both hips and both shoulders replaced. The Rt. hip became infected. We tried 8 spacers and 12 rounds of antibiotics. All the surgery made my Lt. leg about 3 inches shorter than Rt.
Last year about this time I ended up in the ER septic with my Rt. hip and Rt. shoulder severely infected. They performed a Girdlestone procedure on the hip and cleaned out and seated a spacer in my shoulder. After three months in the hospital I have had a pretty good recovery. I am in a wheelchair now full time. Six weeks ago I was reaching out to pick up laundry to fold (with my right arm) ….there was a loud pop and pain shot up and down my arm. After that I couldn’t lift it. On visiting my shoulder orthopod I saw the x-ray. The upper humerus was shattered and the spacer loose. Dr. Mac told me me the only option was a girdlestone-like procedure as they had done on my hip. Removing the hardware and blunting the bones ends would leave me without much use of my Rt. arm? For pain relief, a palliative procedure. I’m 63y/o a retired RN. I spent a large part of my 37yr. career in the OR. Yet this still seems barbaric and abhorrable! I also am considering just leaving it as is and coping with the pain?? The whole right side of my body won’t be any sort of reasonably functional!?!? I have a wild list of diagnoses: chronic cryptogenic organizing pneumonia, avascular necrosis (everywhere), chronic osteomyelitis, renal deficiency and lung damage (pneumonia 30+ times).
s/p colon cancer, GERD (caused by all the oral antibiotics & stress), neuropathy.
On the up side I live alone. I manage all my own ADL’s, surf the furniture (like a toddler) around my apartment. I even cook a little. I have great family support. Has any one on this string had the girdlestone-like thing down to their should?? What are you left with?? Help?

I had a reverse right shoulder replacement in September of 2024. I am still in physical therapy for range of motion and pain.
I really can not recommend this surgery. My right arm is useless. It is still in constant pain, far worse than I was prior to surgery. It effects my driving, cleaning, bathing etc. Everyone tells me to give it a year to get full motion and no pain. You are stuck with this for the rest of your life. I don't know of a revision surgery for a reverse total shoulder replacement.
Just be advised. Be very cautious with your decision.
You do not want to live the rest of your life with a detriment to your shoulder.

@koneil yes! I’m 62 and had my RTSR (dominant arm). Motion is ok but shoulder is tight and I can’t seem to feel “normal” after this. My surgery was 9/28/23! I have been in therapy over a year. I’ve tried injections, blocks, acupuncture, massage, and now am getting ART therapy (soft tissue release). I have pain with everyday motions- getting dressed, showering etc. I am normally active and petite and the surgeon think this may have something to do with it. I went for neck injections a week ago (now they’re saying stenosis is causing the pain?!) , but so far no change. This has been more than trying! I’ve applied for SSDI and have to go thru a hearing! So frustrating that these valid claims are just not taken seriously!

Thank you, @joannee, for your reply. Good luck with your disability claim.
I should have researched the RT SR more prior to my surgery.

Recovery (if I am recovering) has been horrible. The surgery was a
nightmare.My orthopedic surgeon FORGOT to order pain medication to take
after my surgery. That evening and overnight I was in agony. The nurses
kept repeating that if my surgeon didn't order pain medication I did not
need it.

I did hide some hydrocodone in my overnight bag, just in case. I know that
bringing medication to a hospital is wrong. I had no choice. The
hydrocodone did not help much with my pain. I would have the surgeon
remove my arm if I had to do the surgery again.

PT started about two weeks after my surgery. The PT is torture. Every
movement brings more pain. My range of motion is half of what is was. I
have not improved much since the second week. This is the end of my 6
months PT after surgery. I still can't raise my arm past my shoulder.

The pain of not having this surgery would have been a better choice. I can
not recommend this surgery to anyone.

I sympathize with your position. The constant pain should be enough to
recieve disability. I hope that everything works out for you.

Regards,

koneil

I

P

On Sun, Feb 23, 2025, 10:06 AM KO < bandera114@gmail.com> wrote:

> Thank you, @joannee, for your reply. Good luck with your disability claim.
> I should have researched the RT SR more prior to my surgery.
>
> Recovery (if I am recovering) has been horrible. The surgery was a
> nightmare.My orthopedic surgeon FORGOT to order pain medication to take
> after my surgery. That evening and overnight I was in agony. The nurses
> kept repeating that if my surgeon didn't order pain medication I did not
> need it.
>
> I did hide some hydrocodone in my overnight bag, just in case. I know that
> bringing medication to a hospital is wrong. I had no choice. The
> hydrocodone did not help much with my pain. I would have the surgeon
> remove my arm if I had to do the surgery again.
>
> PT started about two weeks after my surgery. The PT is torture. Every
> movement brings more pain. My range of motion is half of what is was. I
> have not improved much since the second week. This is the end of my 6
> months PT after surgery. I still can't raise my arm past my shoulder.
>
> The pain of not having this surgery would have been a better choice. I
> can not recommend this surgery to anyone.
>
> I sympathize with your position. The constant pain should be enough to
> recieve disability. I hope that everything works out for you.
>
> Regards,
>
> koneil
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Sun, Feb 23, 2025, 8:39 AM Mayo Clinic Connect <
> nf+4999df6f+39116603@n1.hubapplication.com> wrote:
>
>> ## reply above this line ##
>>
>>
>> Mayo Clinic Connect
>> @joannee
>> < https://connect.mayoclinic.org/member/00-a8fe543f318e37b0395593/?utm_source=connect.mayoclinic.org&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=mention&utm_content=mention_intro_userlink&gt;
>> mentioned you in comment on Sun, Feb 23.
>>
>> *Message*
>> @koneil yes! I’m 62 and had my RTSR (dominant arm). Motion is ok but
>> shoulder is tight and I can’t seem to feel “normal” after this. My surgery
>> was 9/28/23! I have been in therapy over a year. I’ve tried injections,
>> blocks, acupuncture, massage, and now am getting ART therapy (soft tissue
>> release). I have pain with everyday motions- getting dressed, showering
>> etc. I am normally active and petite and the surgeon think this may have
>> something to do with it. I went for neck injections a week ago (now they’re
>> saying stenosis is causing the pain?!) , but so far no change. This has
>> been more than trying! I’ve applied for SSDI and have to go thru a hearing!
>> So frustrating that these valid claims are just not taken seriously!
>> VIEW & REPLY
>> < https://connect.mayoclinic.org/notification/39116603/?redirect_to=4b62469890e3b9db4399%3Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fconnect.mayoclinic.org%2Fcomment%2F1243495%2F&utm_source=connect.mayoclinic.org&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=mention&utm_content=view_button&gt;
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