scheduled for a TSR due to OA.

@jfredransom I see your question "fell through the cracks" here, sorry. First, you have been through one of the tough surgeries with your rotator cuff (I had mine done just about 8 months ago) and are not running away from the idea of more surgery, so that's good. Second, you know about PT and are willing to do it, another point in your favor. And third, you are active.
You asked "... If I can get past the pain and replace these grinding bone on bone parts, is the pain recovery really just a few days/ weeks?..." Sorry to say the answer, from most who have done it is "No" - total recovery takes months. Remember, they are not just repairing what is already there, they're getting out big tools and cutting into bone. So the healing is more extensive. I have had both hips replaced and then revised (the knee is still hanging on) and just recovering from the surgery is 6-8 weeks, but that only means the incision is healed and all the parts are in the right places. The muscles, tendons and nerves can take more time.
One of our members @heyjoe415 is the veteran of knee and hip replacement surgeries, maybe he will weigh in here with his great advice.
I know his #1 recommendation with be to start "prehab" PT now to get the leg as strong as possible before surgery. He probably also has recommendations on the type of surgeon to seek.

Thank you Sue. By TSR I was referring to total shoulder replacement (left side first). I did have a partial knee replacement 2 years ago and am loving that! Recovery to 100% use was about a year, though I had 90% within 6 months.
Going in for a hip cortisone shot today.

Hi Sue and jfredransom,

Fred (I hope that's close to your mane!), I'm sorry for what you're going through with your shoulder. I'm getting my left shoulder replaced in August.

If you're feeling movement in the shoulder joint, even if it's not painful, that means all the natural cushioning (cartilage) is gone and you're likely bone-on-bone. It also sounds like you've had rotator cuff (RC) work on that shoulder??? - or at least the RC is damaged or torn. BTW, the RC is made up of 4 muscles that hold the shoulder joint together.

Because my RC is intact, I'm getting an anatomically-correct TSR. If the RC is damaged, surgeons will do a reverse TSR, where the ball of the joint is placed on the end of the clavicle, and the socket, the glenoid, is placed on top of the arm bone, the humerus. (It's also worth noting that rTSRs have a much higher dislocation rate post-op. That means a patient needs to be extra cautious and strictly follow all post-op orders from the surgeon and the PT.)

Once this is done, the RC ceases to be useful, and the deltoids take over to hold the joint together. 70% of shoulder replacements are reverse. Anyway, it sounds like that's what you need (please correct me if I'm wrong).

As for finding a good surgeon, I search for Drs in their mid 30s to early/mid 40s with a good pedigree (medical college, residency/fellowship, or both). When I say good pedigree, the best are Mayo and Cleveland Clinic, but there are many fine programs across the USA.

I look for these docs because of their pedigree, they are likely current on the latest surgical/medical techniques, they've done hundreds if not thousands of procedures, and they are still very ambitious and establishing themselves. You can ask about the % of infection among their patients, but the overall average for joint replacement is 1%, and a Dr with a rate higher than that would be out of work. I don't bother to ask if the surgeon meets my requirements. And of course, personal references are great and the surgeon should provide them, and you can often read patient reviews online.

I hope this helps, but please let me know if you have other questions.

(From the comments by you and Sue, I'm not sure if you're having trouble with a shoulder or knee. If it is a knee, and from your description, it very likely needs to be replaced. As Sue notes, the recovery time is what it is, but the pain will be gone in just a few weeks.)

All the best to you!

Joe

Good morning, sorry to hear your shoulder needs a replacement but I can tell you that in the end it is worth it. I have had both shoulders replaced and both hips due to OA. Both shoulders have healed very well and I am doing all I was before. I was not an athlete before nor am I now. I have no pain most days. Healing is a bit of a long process. My dr had said a year recovery and he was pretty close. Does not mean you can’t do anything for a year just need to be mindful of what you do and how it feels. Good luck and all the best to you!

I just had a TSR on my left shoulder in April.My ROM is good. Now just trying to wake the muscles up. Surgery on right shoulder will be November.

Recovery takes a yr.

I had a Total Shoulder Replacement in April and it’s the best thing I ever did. The before surgery pain is gone. I been in PT 2x a week since 5/16. PT said my ROM is good and now we’re working on my muscles. November I will be having my other shoulder done. Good Luck!

Needed the TSR due to Osteoporosis/Osteoarthritis.

Thank you! My xrays show no cartilage in either shoulder. diagnosis is all due to OA. Tried cortisone and that worked for about 8 weeks, so TSR is the next step. Yes, I did try PT and the joints are too far gone.
When I wake up 6-8 time per night to change positions due to pain, it's just not a realistic way to live.
We'll survive. It's what we do!

It’s so nice not to have the before surgery pain like I had. Before surgery, my left arm was unusable. I couldn’t even hold a cup of coffee in it. It fell right out of my hand. Now I’m just having an achy feeling due to my muscles not waking up. But I will take this achy feeling anytime over the pain, popping, crunching, burning pain that I was having.