Total shoulder replacement surgery can help reduce shoulder pain and improve range of motion – but only if the patient follows the pre and post operative instructions set out by their surgeon. In this article, we are going to walk through a pre-op checklist for total shoulder replacement and reverse total shoulder replacement surgery.
Shoulder Surgery Checklist
- Surgical procedure: Total Shoulder Replacement or Reverse Total Shoulder Replacement
- Length of surgery is expected to be: 2 – 2 ½ hours
- Length of hospital stay is generally 1 night in the hospital. Most patients will be discharged the day following surgery.
- You will be asked to go to the pre-admission clinic at the facility where the surgery is being performed prior to surgery.
- You will have a pre-operative clearance with your primary care doctor prior to surgery.
- You will be discharged to home with a pain medication, nausea medication, if not already on a blood thinner or aspirin-you will also be asked to take aspirin 325 mg daily for 2 weeks after surgery (unless you cannot take aspirin for any reason). In most cases you will also be given a prescription for an oral antibiotic to take home.
- You may shower 1 days after surgery. It is okay for the water to run directly over it. Do not apply soap directly to the area. You will have a clear “mesh” tape over your incision. Leave this material completely intact-it will be removed at your first post-operative visit at the office.
- You will have swelling and bruising after your surgery. This can persist for weeks afterwards. You should use ice or ice machine 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off. The bruising may be the entire arm and even into the chest area. You also may notice a greater amount of swelling near the elbow at the top of the sling. This is common because the sling will cause blood to accumulate at that area.
- Most patients will be given a written prescription for physical therapy for you to take to the first post operative therapy visit.
- You will need to wait 3 months from your date of surgery before having dental cleaning. If the dental procedure is an emergency please call the office (865) 410-7887 to verify.
Knoxville Shoulder Surgeon
If you are living through life with persistent shoulder pain, a total shoulder replacement may be a good option for you. Reach out to Dr. Holloway and his team to learn more about this procedure and determine whether or not you are a good candidate. Contact us today to set up your appointment at one of our Tennessee clinics.
