Shoulder replacement surgery is on the rise, and when you hear that statement, you may assume that a greater number of people are doing things that put their shoulder health at risk. However, that’s not really the case. Shoulder replacement procedures are on the rise for a number of other reasons, many of which leave us optimistic about the current state of shoulder care. In today’s blog, we explore some of the encouraging reasons why more people are undergoing shoulder replacement surgery in the US.
Encouraging Reasons Why More People Are Getting Shoulder Replacement Surgery
There’s no obvious reason why our shoulders would be any worse off than the generation before, so why are shoulder replacement rates continuing to climb? There may be some good reasons why shoulder replacement rates are increasing.
- Improved Technology – Innovation in the medical world only continues to improve the surgery hardware that is used during a shoulder replacement procedure. New materials and designs reduce the likelihood that someone will have an allergic reaction to hardware or that it will shift out of place or become damaged. A much longer shelf life – oftentimes a lifetime’s worth – means more people are turning to shoulder replacement surgery with the expectation that this will be the only procedure they need to address their shoulder for the rest of their life.
- Improved Techniques – Similarly, surgeon skill only continues to improve as we work to tweak proven techniques to make them even safer and more effective for our patients. New techniques have emerged in recent decades, and now the reverse shoulder replacement has become more common than the standard technique for certain patients, yielding incredible results for patients facing significant shoulder damage. Success rates are up, complication rates are down, and these two factors make it easier for patients to decide to take the leap and undergo the procedure if they were previously hesitant to do so.
- Shift In Patient Perspective – There appears to be a slight shift in patient perspective as to how each generation handles certain health issues. Older generations seemed more prone to just “dealing with” shoulder discomfort, whereas patients in their 30s, 40s and 50s seem more aware that realistic solutions to their shoulder pain are easier to come by if they seek out help. Not only are shoulder replacement rates rising, they’re also rising significantly among younger adults, due in part to changing perspectives on caring for shoulder pain once it has developed. This mindset shift has led more people to seek out shoulder treatment than ever before, inevitably leading to an increase in surgical procedures.
- Aging Population – We’d also be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge that the large generation of Baby Boomers are entering the period in their life when shoulder replacement surgery is the most common. Many of them have been putting a lot of strain on their shoulders over the course of their life and have some natural age-related degeneration going on as well.
Advances in surgical technology, surgery technique and a shift in patient perspectives are clearly a driving force behind the increase in shoulder replacement rates, but there’s no doubt that the aging of Baby Boomers into the prime age for a shoulder replacement also plays a role in this influx. Whatever is driving your decision to have shoulder surgery, we want to be your surgeon and help you get the care you need to thrive after your procedure. For more information, or for answers to any questions you have about shoulder pain or a specific shoulder operation, connect with Dr. Holloway and his team today at (865) 410-7887.
