The vast majority of joint replacement patients are pleased with the outcome of their operation, but it’s impossible to please everybody. Even if surgery went as planned every single time, there would still be people who regret undergoing the procedure. So why do a small percentage of patients regret undergoing shoulder replacement surgery, and more importantly, how can you avoid falling into this group if you are thinking about shoulder replacement surgery in your future? Let’s explore those answers in today’s blog on what drives regret after shoulder replacement surgery.
Why Do People Regret Their Shoulder Replacement?
You may assume that the only people who regret shoulder replacement surgery are those who deal with a major complication or endure a failed surgery, and while those factors certainly play into someone being unsatisfied with their joint replacement procedure, those certainly aren’t the only sources of regret. Some reasons why people regret their shoulder replacement, and how to avoid these issues, include:
- Mismatched Expectations – More than anything, what drives regret and dissatisfaction with a surgical procedure is mismatched expectations. Dr. Holloway and his team make sure to take time to sit down with each patient, explain the operation, the recovery and what a standard post-op rehabilitation protocol looks like. They also give the patient time to ask any and all questions so that there is no confusion about what’s to come. If you believe that recovery will be quick and without discomfort, you’re in for a bad time. We never intend to scare patients away from a procedure, but we do want to ensure they have appropriate expectations for the procedure and their recovery so that unrealistic expectations don’t cause them to regret the procedure.
- Physical Limitations – Again, this point is rooted in mismatched expectations, but it’s imperative that a patient understands what type of function they can expect to regain following an operation and rehabilitation protocol. Your shoulder won’t feel like you’re 18 again, but you should be able to get back to many normal activities with less pain or perhaps with no discomfort at all. Your doctor should go through your physical expectations and what maneuvers and activities will still be off limits after your procedure so that you understand what to expect life to look like once you’ve recovered.
- Pain – The operation itself will not be painful, but there will be some discomfort during your months-long recovery. You had a major joint replaced, and even though you’ll be better off for it, that operation and recovery is hard on your body. Know that the initial stages of recovery will be a little uncomfortable, and physical therapy sessions aren’t designed to be easy, but knowing that all of this is temporary can help you see the light at the end of the tunnel. In most cases, this regret is short-lived, but it can linger if you aren’t willing to put in the work during your rehabilitation period.
- Surgical Problems – While this factor is a little out of the patient’s control, surgical problems and complications obviously play a role in patient dissatisfaction after shoulder replacement. The best advice that we can give here is to find an experienced surgeon that you trust that has achieved fantastic results for many patients in the past. Take a consultation with more than one provider, ask questions during this session and trust your gut, and there’s a good chance that the procedure will go off without a hitch.
- Surgical Site Infection – A final reason that people regret their shoulder replacement procedure is due to the development of a surgical site infection. Sometimes these infections develop because of an issue in the operating room, but more often than not they are caused by poor wound care management once a patient has been sent home. Talk with your surgeon about the best way to clean and care for your incision sites, and ask for help changing dressings if you can’t comfortably reach the sites following your operation.
Contact Dr. Holloway to Schedule an Appointment
Let us make sure that your shoulder replacement procedure goes off without a hitch and you have no regrets about the procedure. For more information on how we’ll work to achieve this, or for answers to other questions about shoulder replacement, reach out to Dr. Holloway and his team today at (865) 410-7887.
