Everyone hopes that their elective joint replacement procedure is the last time they’ll need to have a surgery performed on that area of the body, but the unfortunate reality is that some people require additional care in the form of a revision procedure. A revision procedure can be needed for any number of reasons, but when performed correctly, it can help you finally achieve the results you hoped for with your original operation. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at why a revision procedure may be needed after a shoulder replacement operation and what you should know about the surgery.
Who Needs Revisional Shoulder Surgery?
No surgery goes perfectly every single time, and even when surgery goes exactly as expected, there can still be instances where an additional operation becomes necessary. Some of the main reasons that someone may need to undergo a revisional procedure following shoulder replacement include:
- Infection
- Persistent shoulder pain
- Subsequent injury, like a rotator cuff tear or fracture
- Component shifting/destabilization
- Hardware failure
- Reaction to surgical components
If you’re dealing with any of the above issues, you’ll want to set up a consultation with your surgical team. Pain, infection or other symptoms that suggest you may be dealing with an above issue doesn’t necessarily mean that a subsequent surgery is required, but your care team will want to assess your shoulder, figure out what’s causing your symptoms and discuss your care options. Only after an assessment, a review of medical imaging and a conversation with the patient about the issue and their goals will a determination about a revisional procedure be made.
Your surgeon will do everything in their power to help you avoid the need for a revision procedure, so be sure to follow their advice for managing the area both before and after surgery. One of the main reasons why we work so hard to avoid a revisional procedure is because it’s generally much more complex than the original replacement procedure. The artificial components will likely need to be removed and replaced, and there’s a good chance they’ve already begun to fuse with the ideal connective areas within the shoulder. These areas will need to be cut, damaged or removed in order to remove the hardware, leading to additional trauma and also making it harder to ensure the replacement procedure is conducted perfectly. Bone grafts or specialized components may need to be inserted to assist with the placement or stabilization of the revisional hardware. Infection risk in revision procedures is also higher than the original procedure, as there is a second major wound site where bacteria can enter or the infection can persist if it wasn’t effectively cleared out during a revision operation.
Your revision procedure will require a lot more planning before, during and after the procedure, and given the complexity of the operation, it’s certainly not a process that will be taken lightly. Sometimes a revision procedure becomes an unavoidable aspect of your recovery journey, but other times it is preventable. Appropriate care of your wound site after discharge, following your doctor’s activity restrictions and gradually restrengthening the area to ensure it can handle normal movement and stress patterns can greatly reduce your risk of needing a revision procedure.
We will do everything in our power so that your original replacement procedure is the only one you need for your shoulder, but we’re here in the event something goes wrong or you did not achieve the desired results from another surgical center. Preventing revisional procedures starts by making sure the patient and the provider are on the same page every step of the way, and we’ll be by your side so that you can keep your risk to a minimum.
For more information about shoulder replacement surgery or revisional procedures, connect with Dr. Holloway and his team today at (865) 410-7887.
