Download My Doctor told me that I need a shoulder replacement…

My Doctor told me that I could benefit
from a shoulder replacement…..
Osteoarthritis is the wear and tear of our joints. A joint is where two bones
meet. Normally there is space between these bones. Within this space is
special fluid that cushions and protects the bones when they move in close
proximity to each other.
Furthermore, the surfaces of the bones that normally articulate or touch
(meet in the joint), are covered with a protective covering called cartilage.
There are no nerves in cartilage. Nerves sense pain. There are nerves in
bone. Cartilage covers the surface of the bone and acts as a plastic covering
or a cap so that the nerve endings in the bone are not exposed. This “cap”
provides a smooth surface that allows for the bones to touch each other
without producing pain.
Over time the cartilage wears down. Unfortunately this cannot be avoided.
In some people this cartilage wears down faster than in other.
Just as the treads on a tire wear down on your car the more you drive your
car, your cartilage wears down the more you use your shoulder.
Everyone will get arthritis at some point. The only reason to address it is
when it becomes painful. People may have arthritis and may not have
severe pain. It may be DIAGNOSED on x-ray, CT, or MRI but this doesn’t
mean that it needs to be TREATED.
The only reason to TREAT arthritis is if it is painful.
After the doctor examines you and takes an x-ray, he may tell you that you
have arthritis. Then the next question you have to ask yourself is, “Is this
more of a NUSIANCE or a PROBLEM?”
In other words ask yourself is this something that bothers me everyday and
keeps me from doing the things that I love OR it is just annoying?
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?
The type of shoulder replacement designed to treat arthritis consists of two
parts, a piece of plastic that covers the socket side of the joint and a metal
piece that replaces the ball side of the joint.
It looks like this:
THINGS TO CONSIDER…
If you are considering a joint replacement, you should remember that a joint
replacement is just that, a joint REPLACEMENT, meaning that it is not your
joint or the joint that you were born with. It is a replacement. Replacements
are never as good as the original joint. What is meant by this is that it is not
a laboring shoulder.
You must be prepared to modify your lifestyle to accomadate the prosthesis.
Once you have a shoulder replacement you should consider it to be your
“HELPER SHOULDER”. This means no heavy lifting with it for the
remainder of your lifetime. This is to maximize the lifespan of the
prosthesis.
Having a shoulder replacement is a big deal.
There is no good information about how long these last. It varies from
person to person depending on a number of factors.
To better explain why there is this lifting restriction I use a screw and a
screwdriver as an analogy.
When there is a screw in the wall and you want to remove it, you first apply
force on the screw with a screwdriver and then turn it in a counter clockwise
direction to loosen the screw.
The same applies to the prosthesis. If you lift/bear weight in the arm where
the shoulder prosthesis is, and then you move with that weight force on your
shoulder, you are slowing unscrewing (loosening) the prosthesis.
Once the prosthesis is loose, then it needs to be redone. The second time is
never as good as the first time the shoulder prosthesis is implanted in your
shoulder.
There are ways to still be active, keeping this in mind.
Remember we are here to help you not restrict you from doing things
you love. We have to educate you about problems that can arise with this
type of replacement as well as how to potentially avoid them.
Another concern is preventing infection in your shoulder replacement. Once
bacteria get into the shoulder replacement it makes a home there. White
blood cells that normally kill bacteria are in our blood. Since metal and
plastic don’t get blood flow, white blood cells can’t get there to kill the
bacteria.
What we do in an attempt to avoid this is to recommend that you have
prophylactic antibiotics (one time dose) prior to undergoing any dental work
or minor surgical procedures.
We have letters for you to give your dentist and medical doctor with our
recommendations to keep in your file/medical record. Make sure you get
these from Christine and give them to your dentist and medical doctor.
With that said, if you are living in pain and the pain is interfering with the
quality of your life, then this shoulder replacement CAN REALLY HELP
YOU!
Certainly feel free to talk with Dr. Holovacs or his Nurse Practitioner,
Aimee Mulkern if you want further clarification about this procedure.
We are here to HELP YOU!