Hi Sue,

Thanks for asking, although you cover the big stuff - pre-hab exercise to strengthen muscles supporting the joint, being absolutely obsessed with the post-op PT and exercises at home, 3x/day, 7 days/week for at least two months - for the knees. The shoulder has a different recovery, but pre-hab/post-hab activity is still vital.

Think of it this way, the actual surgery is the easy part. But don't despair. Done properly your knee (or other joint) will feel a little better everyday. (FWIW, hips tend to be the easiest recovery. There is relatively low post-op pain. Knee and shoulder though are much tougher as far as rehab. But you can do it and be very, very happy!)

I moved from CA to WI in 2018. I had to find new surgeons. I look for Drs in their mid 30s to early/mid 40s, solid med school and or residency/fellowship pedigree (Mayo, Cleveland Clinic and others). And of course, great references. These Drs are current on medical procedures and medical equipment, they are well educated and trained, they have done hundreds if not thousands of procedures and are still young and ambitious.

One last point - residency v fellowship. Residency is where new med school grads get hands-on training under the guidance of experienced Drs. Fellowship occurs after Residency and is shorter. During Fellowship a surgeon focuses on specialty areas - for example, an ortho Dr. would specialize in knees or hips or shoulders or some combination.

I hope this helps.

Joe