Started By
Message
locked post

Reverse Shoulder Replacement

Posted on 10/21/24 at 11:34 am
Posted by AUTimbo
Member since Sep 2011
3235 posts
Posted on 10/21/24 at 11:34 am
How many OT’ers have had to go through this?

Two regular replacements done in ‘13 and ‘17. No dislocations for 11 yrs.

Get the left redone for what I believe was rotator cuff tear in the tendon they cut/resewed for the replacement surgery. New ortho devides to go with a reverse. Says it’s the best fix.
(And it’s only $118K more than my previous normal replacement!)

Had the reverse replacement done in Sept ‘23. To date I have now had FOUR dislocations with the reverse, the latest from merely reaching down and picking up my 8 lb pooch. I don’t know if at this point I should consider some type of legal action ( If that’s even possible) or just twist my surgeons arm until his pops out so he also can experience the joy of having a shoulder dislocation.


In the words of Larry David I’m “ pretty, pretty, ….PRETTY pissed off at this stage of the game. “

Posted by BlackPot
Member since Oct 2016
2598 posts
Posted on 10/21/24 at 11:57 am to
quote:

Two regular replacements done in ‘13 and ‘17.


The hell are you doing to have 2 shoulder replacements in 4 years?

quote:

Get the left redone for what I believe was rotator cuff tear in the tendon


What? So you're hopping into surgery without knowing your diagnosis?

quote:

Reverse Shoulder Replacement


Sounds like they put a bad shoulder into a good shoulder. Is that what reverse means?

In all seriousness, you're post op sounds horrendous and you're not taking physical therapy. You doing anything to strengthen your muscles and tendons?
Posted by Rick9Plus
Baton Rouge
Member since Jul 2020
2444 posts
Posted on 10/21/24 at 12:01 pm to
To a surgeon, the solution to every problem is surgery. I’m going to have to be really bad off to have it based on some of what i’ve heard.
Posted by 777Tiger
Member since Mar 2011
89543 posts
Posted on 10/21/24 at 12:06 pm to
quote:

To a surgeon, the solution to every problem is surgery


I've had both shoulders done(rotator,) same surgeon, and he wanted to try everything he could to see if surgery could be avoided
Posted by Rick9Plus
Baton Rouge
Member since Jul 2020
2444 posts
Posted on 10/21/24 at 12:08 pm to
quote:

I've had both shoulders done(rotator,) same surgeon, and he wanted to try everything he could to see if surgery could be avoided


Good to know there are good ones out there.
Posted by Nutriaitch
Montegut
Member since Apr 2008
10671 posts
Posted on 10/21/24 at 12:10 pm to
quote:

To a surgeon, the solution to every problem is surgery


quote:

I've had both shoulders done(rotator,) same surgeon, and he wanted to try everything he could to see if surgery could be avoided


same here (except one one shoulder)
I suffered for almost 12 years of gradually worsening pain and had to find a shoulder specialist before they did the surgery.


Posted by 777Tiger
Member since Mar 2011
89543 posts
Posted on 10/21/24 at 12:13 pm to
quote:

12 years of gradually worsening pain and had to find a shoulder specialist before they did the surgery.



that was my mistake/regret on the first one, putting it off too long
Posted by Rick9Plus
Baton Rouge
Member since Jul 2020
2444 posts
Posted on 10/21/24 at 12:14 pm to
Did the surgeries relieve the pain and give you back range of motion? It seems from my experience that it’s a crapshoot. Some say they are worse after surgery and some say better. I would imagine it depends a lot on the surgeon as well as whether the patient does all the recommended PT.
Posted by rd280z
Richmond
Member since Jan 2007
2470 posts
Posted on 10/21/24 at 12:27 pm to
PT for shoulder surgery is key.
Posted by 777Tiger
Member since Mar 2011
89543 posts
Posted on 10/21/24 at 12:28 pm to
quote:

PT for shoulder surgery is key.


before and after
Posted by AUTimbo
Member since Sep 2011
3235 posts
Posted on 10/21/24 at 12:36 pm to
Did all the recommended PT and then some for all of them. Should have specified had rt done in ‘13, left in’17. Left redone in ‘23 (reverse)
Severe arthritic issues in both. Rotator cuff tears in both.

Bowhunted every year with no issues until pain in left from rotator issues sent me back to new Dr at same Ortho clinic.

60 plus, in reasonably good health but this is not what I signed up for. In other words anyone contemplating a reverse shoulder replacement, IMHO, should haul arse to a new orthopedic surgeon and get a second and third opinion at the very least.
JMHO
Posted by Nutriaitch
Montegut
Member since Apr 2008
10671 posts
Posted on 10/21/24 at 12:38 pm to
quote:

Did the surgeries relieve the pain


yes!
I'm not 100% pain free all the time of course. I still feel it a day or 2 before a big weather change or if I overuse it a bit, etc.
But the level of pain is minuscule compared to where I was.


quote:

range of motion?


no, that actually is worse.
before the surgery, I was capable of moving it anywhere I wanted (as long as I could tolerate the pain).
post surgery, my arm just physically no longer moves as far as it once did.
my right shoulder is the one I had surgery on. I can no longer reach across my chest to scratch the upper part of my left shoulder/back. I can no longer quite lift my right arm straight up let alone a little beyond like I could before.

It's not a huge difference, but still a difference that I notice.



quote:

Some say they are worse after surgery and some say better. I would imagine it depends a lot on the surgeon as well as whether the patient does all the recommended PT.



a couple weeks or so after the surgery I got basically a cortisone shot (forget what they actually called it) to soften up some scar tissue.
that helped a LOT with mobility.
before that, it literally felt like there was something physically stopping me from lifting my arm slightly above shoulder height.
It didn't hurt to try to lift it, and I didn't feel like I was stretching beyond limits or anything. The arm just stopped going up and felt like there was a barrier in the shoulder preventing it from going farther (tough to describe the feeling exactly).
Posted by Nutriaitch
Montegut
Member since Apr 2008
10671 posts
Posted on 10/21/24 at 12:47 pm to
quote:

that was my mistake/regret on the first one, putting it off too long


my issue was finding the problem.
2 different general partitioners, and 3 different orthopedics told me there was no physical damage.
Tried the PT route a couple times and that actually made it worse so I stopped going.
Even tried some new fancy laser therapy type shite at a chiropractor that did absolutely nothing but lighten my wallet.

then I found a specialist that studied under Dr. James Andrews
with is physical examination, he was able to damn near perfectly identify my issue.
did an MRI with the contrast dye to confirm.

he did offer a more specific PT to cater more closely toward my exact injury, but said at my age (was early/mid 40s) and as long as the injury had been there, said it was a crap shoot if it would help. So they went in a fixed it.


Torn labrum (SLAP tear), frayed rotator cuff, ruptured bicep tendon, and bone spurs.
so I now have 7 anchors on my shoulder.

fricked up thing is if it had been properly found earlier on, would likely have just been the torn labrum.
the bone spurs were my body's reaction to the tear, which likely frayed the rotator cuff
then me adjusting how I moved and did things to compensate for the pain likely ruptured the tendon. and I probably did it after the MRI, because he saw no evidence of it on the MRI (probably doing house repairs after Ida).




Posted by Nutriaitch
Montegut
Member since Apr 2008
10671 posts
Posted on 10/21/24 at 12:51 pm to
quote:

PT for shoulder surgery is key.


quote:

before and after


that and if they offer to sell you one of those little machine cooler/ice harness strap type things, BUY IT!

freaking AMAZING invention.

Insurance covers most of it. I think I paid like $150 out of pocket for it. But knowing what I know now, I would have paid full price (something like $2,500 if I remember right) if I had to.
Posted by mtntiger
Asheville, NC
Member since Oct 2003
29424 posts
Posted on 10/21/24 at 12:51 pm to
Sorry to hear that.

I had a complete shoulder re-build in 1984, that included the creation of a fake rotator cuff. Luckily, I have had zero issues in the 40 years since.
Posted by boudinman
Member since Nov 2019
6101 posts
Posted on 10/21/24 at 1:51 pm to
Listen to Nutriaitch. I had the reverse done in 2021. It's as he's stated. It is functional but loss of range of motion, not as strong(cant use vertical bow), cant put arm fully behind back, but no pain cept weather changes, no dislocations.

I used Martin DeGravelle in Monroe La. I highly recommend him. He's done and closing in 14 minutes.

LINK
Posted by Asleepinthecove
Lafayette
Member since Jan 2023
1998 posts
Posted on 10/21/24 at 1:56 pm to
Make sure you ask for a nerve block. You should get anywhere from 24-48 hours of pain relief with one.
Posted by 777Tiger
Member since Mar 2011
89543 posts
Posted on 10/21/24 at 1:58 pm to
quote:

Make sure you ask for a nerve block


pretty sure this is standard now but absolutely do this
Posted by PTBob
Member since Nov 2010
7103 posts
Posted on 10/21/24 at 2:03 pm to
the point of a reverse shoulder replacement is to salvage as much use of your arm as possible. it is known that ROM outcomes with reverse shoulder replacements are less than total shoulder replacements. reverse shoulder replacements are done if you also have a rotator cuff tear or if you also have a humerus fracture in addition to arthritic changes.

a reverse total shoulder takes the socket portion of your shoulder blade and changes it to a ball and the ball portion of your humerus and changes it to a socket.

having that many dislocations is abnormal. you are either doing more than you claim you are, the surgeon sucked OR the surgeon did the best they could with what they had left to work with.
Posted by Nutriaitch
Montegut
Member since Apr 2008
10671 posts
Posted on 10/21/24 at 2:47 pm to
quote:

I used Martin DeGravelle in Monroe La. I highly recommend him


if you're in southern Louisiana, I used Dr. Geoffrey Stone out of Houma/Thibodaux.

highly recommend him as well.

first pageprev pagePage 1 of 2Next pagelast page

Back to top
logoFollow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News
Follow us on X, Facebook and Instagram to get the latest updates on LSU Football and Recruiting.

FacebookXInstagram