Reverse shoulder replacement

d@jaguar, Good evening. So, next month you plan to have a reverse shoulder replacement. Have you seen a video or other images of a "reverse" procedure? My surgeon sat and watched one with me. He also had an engineer from the manufacturer in the OR during the surgery.

My apprehensions were somewhat relieved when I was greeted by everyone in the OR. They called me by name and told me how they would be assisting. I also was in so much pain that I was probably more apprehensive about it not working than about the post-surgery issues.

Actually, the pain was not that bad. My best friend showed up at the house, jumped in bed with me and took over. She had me out walking around the block the day after I came home. The arm rested comfortably in a large supportive sling.

I don't think PT was recommended for a couple of weeks. However, I did have an ice machine that ran into the area and kept it very cool. That is a must. Sometimes your PT has an extra in his/her studio. My insurance company authorized the purchase of the machine and it was truly a godsend.

Showering was a bit tricky so my visiting nurse helped me figure that all out. I think by day 4 or 5 I even went out to dinner .... a brief dinner but at least I was out. I must admit that I do not remember severe pain just the usual after surgery pain. As soon as the healing started I was on my way and so grateful that the intense pre-surgery pain was gone for good.

I have never had pain in that shoulder since the surgery. I have limited use of it because it isn't lined up like the other shoulder and arm. The arm is 2 inches longer than my other arm. And since eating with a fork isn't "pretty" I tend to use my left hand for most tasks.

If you are into doing yoga and half push-ups, you might find it a bit clumsy but never painful. Let me know how it goes. I will be watching for your message. My very best in health to you. Chris

Just had surgery on the right shoulder after having chronic pain for years. Just wondering the outcome of mobility if I have no rotator cuff muscles any more. Any experiences would be appreciated regarding PT plus mobility outcomes.

@basslakebabe, First of all, you will have lots of cheerleaders here at Connect. And I would be willing to bet you will get support from others, I especially liked the support that meant No Cooking. Let me introduce @johnbishop, he just had a knee replacement. He shared his experience with us and the members here checked in frequently to let him know we were following his recovery progress.

One good thing......I learned to use my left hand well, even for writing. Quite ambidextrous actually. So there just may be a prize at the end of a surgical journey in addition to the big one......PAIN FREE!

Word of caution, it is illegal to drive with a sling, at least in CA. You may want to check with your surgeon. BTW, there is a Basslake in CA. Would that be yours? Be happy today. Chris

Hi @basslakebabe19 there is another active discussion on reverse shoulder replacement that you may be interested in joining here:

> Groups > Joint Replacements > Reverse shoulder replacement
-- https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/reverse-shoulder-replacement/

You might also be interested in an article I found about successful outcomes here:

What is a Successful Outcome Following Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty?
-- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2892087/

I went a yr & 3 months with a reasonable result. Now. 3 months running & my shoulder has a very painful click on the back of my replacement shoulder. Went back to surgeon & they can't tell me what's causing it, bone scan,
He claims he's never seen anything like this and wants to back in & scope it out! Not sure at all. He points out the x-ray which shows that the original pins are still locked in. Typical surgeon, can't imagine himself making any mistake.
Open to any comments.
Jb

I went a yr & 3 months with a reasonable result. Now. 3 months running & my shoulder has a very painful click on the back of my replacement shoulder. Went back to surgeon & they can't tell me what's causing it, bone scan,
He claims he's never seen anything like this and wants to back in & scope it out! Not sure at all. He points out the x-ray which shows that the original pins are still locked in. Typical surgeon, can't imagine himself making any mistake.
Open to any comments.
Jb