Shoulder replacement surgery is rarely performed on an emergency basis, meaning most patients have a fair amount of say in when their operation is performed. This oftentimes leads people to wonder if there is an ideal time to have their shoulder replacement surgery carried out. There is no specific day on the calendar that is better than others, but there are some factors that you’ll want to consider in order to pick the right time to undergo your procedure. In today’s blog, we explore some of the ways you can work to determine when is the best time for you to have your shoulder replaced.
When To Schedule Shoulder Replacement
Figuring out when to move forward with your shoulder replacement procedure really comes down to asking some questions about your specific situation and letting those answers help guide your decision. Here are some of the questions and aspects of your life you should consider when determining the best time to schedule your shoulder replacement.
- Work/Athletic Schedule – For starters, consider your work and athletic schedule and see if there are any times where missing time is less valuable to your duties or goals. For example, if you’re a teacher, undergoing shoulder replacement during the summer may ensure you miss less time away from your class, whereas manual laborers may opt for a winter replacement when their work schedule is slower. If you’re an older athlete that enjoys Pickleball or golf, scheduling your surgery around those seasons can help you avoid missing a full season of action.
- Insurance – It’s also worth reviewing your health insurance considerations, especially if the end of the year is approaching. Plans, deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses can all change from year to year, so if you’ve already hit your maximum out-of-pocket expenses due to other medical issues this year, it may be wise to push for the operation before those numbers reset. Of course, don’t rush into surgery if you’re not an ideal candidate simply because there are some potential financial incentives to do so.
- Seasonal Restrictions – We experience all four seasons here in Tennessee, and it’s generally easier to move around comfortably during the more temperament months. If snow, ice and cold weather could make life even harder as you progress through your months-long shoulder replacement recovery program, consider having surgery during the summer when you won’t need to wear larger jackets and walk around on icy surfaces.
- Other Treatments Have Failed – Another measure to consider when determining the ideal time for surgery is whether or not you’ve pursued conservative measures to no avail. You may want to have your shoulder replaced in the winter so that it’s healthy for next year’s golf season, but if you haven’t pursued physical therapy or other conservative strength training techniques, your doctor isn’t just going to move forward with surgery so that you can play a few more rounds this summer. You’ll know that it’s time for surgery when you can say that you’ve truly given conservative measures your best efforts and not achieved the results you’d hoped for.
Odds are you also have some additional individual and familial factors that you’ll want to consider when working to figure out when to schedule your shoulder replacement procedure, but the above is a good place to start when working towards a date. If you want to have a conversation with a shoulder specialist about your options and a general timeline for a potential operation and recovery program, consider reaching out to Dr. Holloway and his team today at (865) 410-7887.
