Hello, I am glad I found this forum, there is lots of good information here. I performed a search and found that some patients have had issues ranging from infection to lack of ROM and strength post RSA surgery and am getting a little anxious.
I am a 57-year-old retired firefighter and now work as a part-time ski patroller. I maintain an active lifestyle that includes paddle boarding, kayaking, canoe paddling and snow skiing. I have had two rotator cuff repairs to my right, dominant shoulder. The first repair lasted 10 years and the second only a year and a half.
My MRI shows full thickness tearing of the supraspinatus tendon that has retracted to the joint line and full thickness tearing of the infraspinatus tendon. Subscapularis tendon and biceps tendon showed only mild tendinitis. My humerus bone rides high that’s causing bone to bone interaction which leads to chronic pain. I also have limited strength.
My orthopedic surgeon informed me that there’s not enough connective tissue to do a traditional rotator cuff repair so he referred me to an associate who specializes in shoulder replacement and has, (according to his bio) performed thousands of shoulder replacements. He comes highly recommended and even performed shoulder surgery on my orthopedic surgeon. Anyway, my orthopedic surgeon told me that although I am a bit young for the procedure, I appear to be a good candidate for reverse shoulder replacement. It looks like I’m headed that way and my initial consult with the shoulder specialist in two weeks.
I’m sure many of my questions will be answered during my initial consult but I’m hoping to gain some insight from people who have actually had the surgery towards what to expect to ease my mind….
Generally speaking, will I have to stay overnight post surgery? How does recovery time compare to rotator cuff repair? Do the deltoid and pectorals major muscles become the main mover of the arm or are any existing (non torn) rotator cuff muscles used? What’s the longevity of the replacement joint, the rest of my life? How long will it take to fully recover? What kind of strength and ROM can I expect after full recovery? What kind of limitations can I expect after full recovery? Will I be able to maintain my active lifestyle?
Thanks in advance for your input,
Perry
I am a 57-year-old retired firefighter and now work as a part-time ski patroller. I maintain an active lifestyle that includes paddle boarding, kayaking, canoe paddling and snow skiing. I have had two rotator cuff repairs to my right, dominant shoulder. The first repair lasted 10 years and the second only a year and a half.
My MRI shows full thickness tearing of the supraspinatus tendon that has retracted to the joint line and full thickness tearing of the infraspinatus tendon. Subscapularis tendon and biceps tendon showed only mild tendinitis. My humerus bone rides high that’s causing bone to bone interaction which leads to chronic pain. I also have limited strength.
My orthopedic surgeon informed me that there’s not enough connective tissue to do a traditional rotator cuff repair so he referred me to an associate who specializes in shoulder replacement and has, (according to his bio) performed thousands of shoulder replacements. He comes highly recommended and even performed shoulder surgery on my orthopedic surgeon. Anyway, my orthopedic surgeon told me that although I am a bit young for the procedure, I appear to be a good candidate for reverse shoulder replacement. It looks like I’m headed that way and my initial consult with the shoulder specialist in two weeks.
I’m sure many of my questions will be answered during my initial consult but I’m hoping to gain some insight from people who have actually had the surgery towards what to expect to ease my mind….
Generally speaking, will I have to stay overnight post surgery? How does recovery time compare to rotator cuff repair? Do the deltoid and pectorals major muscles become the main mover of the arm or are any existing (non torn) rotator cuff muscles used? What’s the longevity of the replacement joint, the rest of my life? How long will it take to fully recover? What kind of strength and ROM can I expect after full recovery? What kind of limitations can I expect after full recovery? Will I be able to maintain my active lifestyle?
Thanks in advance for your input,
Perry