If you’ve been dealing with moderate to severe shoulder discomfort or restriction that is not responding well to conservative treatments like physical therapy or controlled stretching, you may have a discussion with a shoulder specialist about your operative options. Depending on your specific situation, there’s a chance that your provider will recommend a shoulder arthroscopy, also known as a shoulder replacement.
Patients inherently have a number of questions that immediately come to mind when they are told that a shoulder replacement procedure may be in their future. What are the potential risks? How long will it take until I make a full recovery? What’s the likelihood that the procedure achieves the desired results? We answer questions about the risks, recovery timeline and success rate of shoulder replacement in today’s blog.
Shoulder Replacement Risks
Let’s begin by taking a closer look at the risks associated with shoulder replacement. While all surgeries carry some potential for complications, shoulder replacement is an incredibly safe procedure, as this study found that intraoperative complications only occur in about 2.5 percent of shoulder arthroscopies. Examples of intraoperative risks include things like bone fractures, nerve damage and blood loss. Of course, intraoperative complications are not the only risks that could cause problems for the success of your shoulder surgery. Additional risks that need to be accounted for that could develop after surgery include:
- Infection
- Implant breaking
- Implant loosening
- Dislocation
- Rotator cuff failure
In all, the overall complication rate for standard and reverse shoulder replacement hovers between 10-13%, which is still very low when you consider that a major joint is being replaced. By choosing a trusted physician and being diligent in your wound care, these percentages can drop even further.
Shoulder Replacement Recovery Timeline
We tell patients that you’ll work to make progress every single day with your new shoulder, and soon days will turn into weeks. Weeks will quickly turn into months, and before you know it, you’ll be back to doing amazing things with your arm and shoulder.
This process will not happen overnight, but once you get in a groove and commit to your physical therapy program, recovery will not seem like such a daunting task. Take pride in working to become the most physically capable version of yourself. Even though it may take anywhere from 6-12 months to reach your maximum recovery, the vast majority of patients are back to performing most daily tasks by the 2-3 month mark. You’ll need to wear a sling to protect the shoulder for the first 4-6 weeks, but after that point, you’ll take on more activities as you strengthen the area with the help of regular physical therapy sessions.
Time is going to pass whether or not you undergo shoulder replacement surgery, so you might as well confront your shoulder discomfort and gradually work to restore function and reduce pain in the area with the help of a replacement operation and individualized recovery program.
Shoulder Replacement – Success Rate
The total shoulder replacement procedure has a pretty high rate of success, as roughly 90% of procedures are deemed successful. That doesn’t mean that your shoulder will feel like it did when you were 20 years old, but the vast majority of patients experience a significant increase in function and strength while also noticing a major decrease or even a complete alleviation of pain in their shoulder region. There is a very high likelihood that your shoulder will feel better after recovery is complete than it did prior to your operation.
That said, you’ll want to have a conversation with your shoulder surgeon about your expectations and goals. Both parties should be on the same page so that you don’t have mismatched expectations for what your end result will look like. Your shoulder will not be perfect after the operation, but you should expect to notice a substantial improvement in function and reduction in discomfort, which is why so many procedures are classified as a success.
If you’d like to learn more about any of these topics, or you have additional questions about shoulder replacement and recovery, reach out to Dr. Holloway’s office today at (865) 410-7887.
