Shoulder Replacement Treatment

What is Shoulder Replacement?

Shoulder replacement surgery is an option for treating severe arthritis of the shoulder joint. Arthritis is a condition that can cause the normally smooth cartilage lining of the joint to corrode. As the cartilage wears away, the protective layer between the bones is lost, when this occurs, painful bone-on-bone arthritis can develop. Severe shoulder arthritis is often painful and can result in the restriction of shoulder motion. While this may be controlled with the help of some simple treatments including medicines and lifestyle adjustments, there may come a time when surgical treatment is the only option.

Symptoms

Common symptoms of shoulder arthritis include the following:

• Pain while performing activities
• Limited range of the motion
• Stiffness around the shoulder
• Swelling of the joint
• Tenderness around the joint
• A feeling of catching or grinding within the joint

Some of the conditions that may require a shoulder replacement include:

• Osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis is very common in older people. It occurs when the cartilage that pads the bones wears away with time.
• Rheumatoid arthritis (RA): With Rheumatoid arthritis, the patient’s immune system mistakenly attacks the joints, and thus resulting in pain and inflammation.
• Avascular necrosis: Avascular necrosis occurs when loss of blood to a bone occurs. It can result in damage and pain in the shoulder joint.
• A broken shoulder: If the patient’s shoulder bone is being broken very badly, they might need a shoulder replacement for repairing it.

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What complications can happen?

Like with any other surgery, a shoulder replacement surgery carries a few risks. Though the complication rate after surgery is very less (< 5%), the patients could experience:

• Infection
• A reaction to anaesthesia
• nerve or blood vessel gets damage during
• Rotator cuff tears off
• Fracture
• Dislocation or loosening of the replacement components

Types of Shoulder Replacement Surgery

There are three types of shoulder replacement surgeries.

Total shoulder replacement: This is the most usual type of surgery. It replaces the ball at the top of the patient’s humerus with a metal ball, which gets attached to the remaining bone. The socket is surrounded by a new plastic surface.

Partial shoulder replacement: In this type of surgery only the ball is being replaced.

Reverse shoulder replacement: Generally, the patients get this if they have a torn rotator cuff. It’s also performed when another shoulder replacement surgery did not work out. The metal ball gets attached to the shoulder bones, and a socket is being implanted at the top of the arm.

Preparing for Surgery

• Several weeks prior to the procedure, the doctor may suggest that the patients need to have a complete physical exam for determining whether the patients are healthy enough for surgery. 
• The patients might be required to stop taking certain medicines for a couple of weeks before the shoulder replacement. 
• Some medications include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and arthritis therapies. 
• These medications can cause too much bleeding. 
• The physician will also tell the patients to stop the intake of blood thinners. 
• On the day of the procedure, the patients can wear loose-fitting clothing and a button-up shirt. 
• The patients will probably stay in the hospital for 2 or 3 days after their surgery. 
• Since driving is only considered after the patients have regained normal motion and strength in their shoulder, the patients should arrange for someone to take them home from the hospital. 
• Most people need some assistance for about six weeks after their surgery.

Surgical Procedure

• Shoulder replacement surgery generally takes up to two hours. 
• The patients might be given general anaesthesia, which means that they will be unconscious during the procedure, or regional anaesthesia, which means the patients will be awake but sedated. 
• During the surgery, doctors replace the damaged joint ball, called the humeral head, of the shoulder with a metal ball. 
• The doctors also place a plastic surface on the socket of the shoulder, known as the glenoid. 
• Sometimes, a partial shoulder replacement can be done; this only involves replacing the ball of the joint. 
• After the procedure, the patients will be taken to a recovery room for several hours. 
• When the patients wake up, they will be moved to a hospital room.

How soon will I recover?

• Shoulder replacement surgery is a major operation, so the patients will feel pain during their recovery. 
• The patients might be given pain medicines by injection right after the procedure. 
• A day or so following the surgery, the doctor or nurse will provide oral drugs to the patients to ease the discomfort. 
• Rehabilitation can be started right away, generally on the day of the surgery. 
• The patients’ healthcare staff will have patients up and moving as early as possible. 
• After a couple of days, the patient will be discharged from the hospital. 
• When the patients leave, their arm will be in a sling, which they will wear for about 2 to 4 weeks. 
• The patients should be prepared to have less arm function for about a month after their surgery. 
• The patients will be required to be more careful not to lift or carry any objects that are heavier than half a kilogram. 
• The patients should also avoid activities that require pushing or pulling. 
• In general, most of the people are able to resume their day to day activities within two to six weeks. 
• The patients might not be able to drive for about six weeks if the surgery was performed on their right shoulder for people who drive on the right side of the road or the left shoulder for those that drive on the left side of the road. 
• It’s important to perform all home exercises that the patient’s healthcare provider suggests. 
• Over time, the patients will gain strength in their shoulders.

How long will shoulder replacement last?

It’s very difficult to say just how long the shoulder replacement will last. Experts estimate that most of the modern shoulder replacements will last for at least 15 to 20 years. Revision surgery for a shoulder replacement is very rarely required.

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Best Hospitals for Shoulder Replacement Treatment

• Artemis Hospital, Gurgaon
• Medanta The Medicity, Gurgaon
• Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon
• Max Hospital, Saket
• BLK-Max Super Speciality Hospital, New Delhi

Best Doctors for Shoulder Replacement Treatment

• Dr. Ramkinkar Jha
• Dr. Raman Kant Aggarwal
• Dr. Subhash Jangid
• Dr. Vikas Gupta
• Dr. Puneet Girdhar

Why Choose GetWellGo for Shoulder Replacement Treatment?

GetWellGo for shoulder replacement treatment has an array of advantages because of the organization’s focus on customer-oriented healthcare. Here are some key reasons why GetWellGo could be an ideal choice:

• Expert Medical Professionals
• Cutting Edge Technology
• Comprehensive Care
• Assistance with Travel, Accommodation and Visa
• Multilingual Support

FAQ

1. How can the patients benefit from shoulder replacement operation?

• Pain Relief: Variety of our patients who experience relief from their chronic shoulder pain may be substantially lessened or eliminated completely.
• Improved Mobility: Some of the benefits the patient receives after the surgical operation are the following: the restoration of joint freedom in the shoulder joint.
• Enhanced Quality of Life: Personal efficiency in the implementation of functional tasks.
• Durability: Today’s prosthetics will last between 15 and 20 years most of the time depending on usage and consumption by the patient.

2. What is the success rate of shoulder replacement treatment?

• The short term success in its operation is in the range of 90-95%; the majority of the patients receive significant amounts of pain relief with good functional improvement in the joint. Drivers affecting outcome are surgeon specialization, patient condition, and postoperative physiotherapy treatment compliance.

3. How many days are taken to recover after shoulder replacement surgery?

• Hospital Stay: 1–3 days.
• Initial Recovery: Simple movements take approximately 4–6 weeks to return to, with a mild discomfort.
• Full Recovery: 3–6 months with physical therapy and following rehabilitation measures. The time taken to recover also varies because of the age, the general health status of the patient, and the type of surgery undertaken.

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