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What You Should Know Before Getting a Shoulder Surgery?

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What You Should Know Before Getting a Shoulder Surgery_

Shoulder surgery can be a daunting experience, whether you’re facing it due to an injury, chronic pain, or a degenerative condition. As patients prepare for shoulder surgery, feeling overwhelmed with questions and uncertainties is extremely common. Shoulder trauma can impact a person’s ability to perform activities of daily living, complete tasks at work, maintain proper self-care, and recover with an ample amount of sleep each night.

To assist in alleviating patients’ concerns, we have developed an education program that provides patients with a plethora of knowledge from their initial consultation, all the way through their one year of recovery. This blog post will outline those insights, helping you navigate your journey through shoulder surgery with more confidence and clarity.

Understand the Different Types of Shoulder Surgery

Before undergoing shoulder surgery, it’s crucial to understand the specific procedure you will be having. Common types of shoulder surgeries include:

Rotator Cuff Repair: Oftentimes, we see rotator cuff injuries from sports injuries, degeneration, and accidents/falls. A rotator cuff repair fixes tears in the rotator cuff tendons.

Shoulder Arthroscopy: Common causes for shoulder arthroscopy include rotator cuff tears, impingement, and SLAP repairs. A minimally invasive procedure using small incisions.

Shoulder Replacement: Arthritis of the shoulder is the most common reason a patient would require a shoulder replacement. This process involves replacing damaged parts of the shoulder joint.

Why It Matters:

Knowing the type of surgery will help you set realistic expectations for recovery and rehabilitation. Researching the procedure can also empower you to ask informed questions during your pre-operative appointment. It can be helpful for patients to research on their own, however, it’s strongly encouraged for patients to ask questions directly to their PA-C or physician regarding their procedure. When it comes to shoulder surgery, many variants can impact a situation, and any two surgeries rarely are the same. Even further, we often deter patients from comparing their surgeries because even those experiences can be vastly different. For example, a patient could have two knee replacements done by the same physician and have very different experiences for both. It’s very dependent on the joint, patient history, injury, and exam.

The Importance of Shoulder Surgery Preparation:

One of the key lessons we have learned is the significance of preparing patients for surgery well in advance. This includes:

Physical Conditioning: Engaging in pre-habitation exercises can strengthen your shoulder and improve recovery outcomes. Asking your provider what exercises you can do, any diet changes you might want to make, prioritizing quality sleep, and overall healthy lifestyle choices will help with healing after shoulder surgery.

Home Modifications: Preparing your home environment (like removing tripping hazards and creating a comfortable resting area) can significantly ease your recovery process. Ensuring you have someone in your home to assist post-operatively is also something you will want to prepare your home for. It is strongly encouraged to have a support system for surgery recovery with you during your first week of recovery and most importantly, during your first 24 hours of recovery after shoulder surgery at home.

Mental & Emotional Preparedness: Our staff takes mental and emotional preparedness very seriously, as undergoing shoulder surgery can have a great impact on an individual’s life. This can include things like discussing restrictions, the new normal, lifestyle changes, and things you can expect post-operatively. For example, we find it helpful to inform our patients about immediate changes to their daily lives such as sleep changes, difficulty with activities of daily living, weight fluctuations, mobility changes, and sling-wearing requirements.

Why It Matters:

Being proactive about your physical and living conditions can lead to a smoother recovery and a more comfortable post-surgical rehabilitation and recovery. Surgical intervention for shoulder injuries is not always required and can depend on the individual, the injury, past medical history, severity of the injury, or other relative factors. More conservative treatments can be used if surgery is not required/desired by the patient or physician.

Shoulder Surgery Alternatives:

There are times when patients would prefer to try other options before electing shoulder surgery. There are a few alternate options which include steroid injections such as cortisol, hyaluronic acid, NSAIDs, activity modification, and physical therapy. It’s important to seek professional care and advice when determining if alternate options are right for you.

Unfortunately, when it comes to arthritis of a joint, there is nothing that can reverse arthritis or regrow cartilage, so it’s important to understand that at some point, surgery may be inevitable if the chief complaint is arthritis of the joint. We strongly encourage anyone who is considering a joint replacement to ask questions, do research, and make informed decisions about care and treatment. Our office is available for all questions and concerns.

Understanding Rotator Cuff Injuries: Causes & Symptoms

Rotator cuff injuries are a common issue that can significantly impact your daily life and physical performance. Whether you’re an athlete or someone who engages in regular physical activity, understanding these injuries is crucial for prevention and recovery. In this blog, we’ll dive deep into what rotator cuff injuries are, their causes, symptoms, and the treatment options available.

What is the Rotator Cuff?

The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles and their associated tendons that stabilize your shoulder joint and allow for a wide range of motion. These muscles include the Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, Teres Minor and Subscapularis. Together, they provide strength and stability to the shoulder, enabling overhead movements and lifting. A rotator cuff injury or rotator cuff repair would normally take place if one of these muscles’ tears.

Causes of Rotator Cuff Injuries

Rotator cuff injuries can occur due to a variety of factors, including:

  • Acute Injuries: These are often the result of sudden force or trauma, such as falling or lifting something heavy.
  • Chronic Overuse: Repetitive overhead activities, such as swimming, tennis, or painting, can lead to wear and tear of the rotator cuff tendons over time.
  • Age-Related Degeneration: As we age, our tendons become less elastic and more prone to injury. This is particularly common in individuals over the age of 40.

Symptoms of Rotator Cuff Injuries

Recognizing the symptoms of a rotator cuff injury early can prevent further damage. Common symptoms include:

  • Pain: A dull ache in the shoulder, especially when raising the arm or during sleeping.
  • Weakness: Difficulty lifting objects or performing overhead activities.
  • Limited Range of Motion: Stiffness and restricted movement in the shoulder.
  • Clicking or Popping Sounds: Noises during shoulder movement can indicate an issue with the rotator cuff.

Rotator Cuff Surgery Treatment & Recovery

Pain Management & Treatment:

  • Iovera: the process of freezing the nerves approximately 30 days before surgery. The Iovera treatment assists in post-surgical pain management.
  • Medication: Speak with your physician about what pain medications may be available for you post-operatively.
  • Physical Therapy: is a great resource to help reduce pain after surgery. Your physician can assist in getting things started with some at-home rehab exercises until your physical therapy begins approximately 6 weeks after surgery
  • Rest: It’s crucial to rest your joint after surgery to allow for a healthy recovery and clean healing process. Your body needs time to recoup and adjust after surgery and rest is a great way to do this. It’s important to pay attention to your body and communicate with your physician if you have any questions or concerns.
  • Using a Sling Wear: Sling wear is one of the best ways to alleviate pain after surgery, although restrictive and at times uncomfortable, if patients can get used to wearing the sling as prescribed, they should ultimately have less pain over time.

Recovery from A Shoulder Surgery: What to Expect

Recovering from shoulder surgery is a long period with several phases involved. To ensure a smooth and quick recovery, here are some things one must know:

Orthopedic Surgery Recovery 

Undergoing any type of orthopedic surgery requires an understanding that recovery takes up to one full year before you will be as good as you will get. It’s also important to understand that you may still have pain in your joint after a full year of recovery.

A joint replacement surgery cannot provide a patient with a perfect replacement of what they had before, because cartilage cannot grow back or be replaced. With an over 90% success rate, less than 10% of joint replacement surgery patients have regrets after shoulder replacement surgery.

Successful Recovery Tips

Following all post-operative protocols including sling wear, rest, medication, driving restrictions, lifting limitations, and use of the shoulder joint, especially with activities of daily living.

Post-surgery exercises 

Make sure to practice at-home rehab exercises, physical therapy 2-3x per week for 3-6 months, rest, ice/heat as prescribed, and sling wear. It is very common for patients to feel much better right after surgery and they will overuse the joint too quickly which can result in recovery lasting longer, reinjury to the joint, and pain for an extended period.

The physician will provide clear, direct and reasonable post-operative exercises and the patient must follow the directions. If patients have questions regarding post-operative exercises, they should contact their physician directly.

Physical therapy

Physical therapy for shoulder surgery typically begins approximately six weeks after surgery and depending on the surgery, can last from 3-6 months. Physical therapy should be done 2-3x/week and should be conducted through a trusted physical therapist. Your physician can recommend a physical therapist, but ultimately, the patient has the option to decide on their physical therapist post-operatively.

Consult With a Doctor

After your initial consultation, we will provide you with a surgical date. Our team will attempt to accommodate your schedule to provide timely care. Our patients will receive a detailed guide on precautions and keys to recovery to allow for optimal healing.