How to prepare for shoulder replacement surgery?

Posted by effienana @effienana, Aug 21, 2022

Im having shoulder replacement surgery and want to get what Ill need ahead of time so Ill be prepared. Am considering Luxone 4 piece pillows from Amazon & need to know if anyone has had success with them for support of shoulder. These work on your bed but wonder if they will lead to lower back pain. Or is the recliner still the way to go?

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@tfarizona

It seems that many people chose to sleep in a recliner after shoulder replacement surgery.
What are the advantages?

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It was a requirement by both my surgeon and physical therapist

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@dmk

It was a requirement by both my surgeon and physical therapist

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Did it work satisfactorily?

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@dmk

It was a requirement by both my surgeon and physical therapist

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I tried both and the recliner was the preferred method. It will help keep your 'slinged' arm in a better and less painful position, as well as making it difficult to move around in your sleep (tossing, turning). At the beginning of the fourth week post-op I tried sleeping in the bed again. I lined the operative side of my body with pillows to keep me from rolling onto the joint. But...I'm back in the recliner for now. It definitely made a difference in my sleep pattern - I did not wake up as frequently and was pain-free when I did awaken. The only problem I had was my pup could not sleep with me! He was quite put out about that of course. LOL!

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@colleenyoung

Welcome, @effienana. You'll notice I moved the 2 similar discussions you started into one discussion about how to prepare for shoulder surgery. You've received quite a few responses already.

I think you'll also find these related discussions helpful
– Shoulder replacement: Post-surgery suggestions — https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/curious/
– Shoulder replacement needed: What can I expect? — https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/shoulder-replacement-229495/
– Success stories: Reverse shoulder replacement surgery — https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/reverse-shoulder-replacement-surgery/

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What ice machine would everyone suggest as being the best without spending a fortune. My insurance doesnt pay for these & was told medical supply stores no longer rent them. Amazon is confusing about sizes. I am 5'2" 140 lbs with short arms and I dont want to order one too big. Any suggestions on buying the right one?

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I have a cat who sleeps with us. They get cranky if we'e gone so I relate.

So I am contemplating shoulder surgery. How long do you have to sleep in a recliner, worst case? Thanks!

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@effienana

What ice machine would everyone suggest as being the best without spending a fortune. My insurance doesnt pay for these & was told medical supply stores no longer rent them. Amazon is confusing about sizes. I am 5'2" 140 lbs with short arms and I dont want to order one too big. Any suggestions on buying the right one?

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Just buy one on Amazon the shoulder pad will fit as it has Velcro and wraps all around your torso.
make sure to get one that plugs in the wall and has a good size container for ice and water
Do not get gravity assisted but one that circulates by plugging in the wall
It was my ultimate pain relief narcotics didn’t help at all just took one at night to help sleep for about 5 days then quit as they really did not help me
You will be in a sling too which also takes up space they are not that expensive you can get them for the high end about $230 or so.

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@heyjoe415

I have a cat who sleeps with us. They get cranky if we'e gone so I relate.

So I am contemplating shoulder surgery. How long do you have to sleep in a recliner, worst case? Thanks!

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Both my surgeon and physical therapist told me 8 weeks but I cheated and got in bed at 6 weeks 🤗

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Although I had reverse total shoulder when I had regular shoulder surgery years ago can’t remember but think it was like 2 weeks but your surgeon should tell you

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@heyjoe415

I have a cat who sleeps with us. They get cranky if we'e gone so I relate.

So I am contemplating shoulder surgery. How long do you have to sleep in a recliner, worst case? Thanks!

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I think you should consider using the whole six weeks to ensure that muscles and joints are ready to switch to the bed. As I said, I was quite uncomfortable during the night and in the AM when using the bed. Maybe it has something to do with the anatomy of the shoulder and how lying flat as opposed to reclining affects it. I'll be trying the bed again in a few days (it did feel great to lie flat in bed on my first attempt). Pain is greatly diminished from first postoperative days but I'm still taking pain meds. I think I'm too active and don't think before I 'make a move'. No changing that at 81 years -

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