Shoulder replacement surgeon Perth

Everything you need to know about shoulder replacement surgery

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Shoulder replacement Perth

What could cause my shoulder pain?

There are many reasons why you may experience pain in your shoulder. If your shoulder pain is severe and chronic, shoulder replacement surgery or arthroplasty may be your best option, if other first-line treatment options have failed.

So when is shoulder replacement surgery a good option?

Rotator cuff arthropathy

A common cause of pain in your shoulder is rotator cuff arthropathy, a type of shoulder arthritis that occurs as a result of a chronic rotator cuff tear. Over time, persistent pain, reduced shoulder mobility, and shoulder weakness can set in, and shoulder replacement surgery may be your best option to reduce the pain and to restore function and mobility in your shoulder.

Shoulder arthritis

Severe arthritis of the shoulder joint can cause constant pain and reduced mobility to the point that it limits your ability to carry out normal day-to-day tasks. If chronic pain leads to avoiding certain activities, shoulder replacement surgery is often recommended to get you back to an active lifestyle.

Severe injury

A severe injury can cause lasting pain and greatly impact your shoulder’s function and mobility. Shoulder replacement surgery may be considered to restore function and mobility as well as reduce the pain.

About me

Shoulder replacement surgeon Dr Sven Goebel

Types of shoulder replacement surgery

When you’re looking up information on shoulder replacement surgery, you will quickly run into terms such as anatomic and reverse shoulder replacement. The topic can be slightly confusing; what is the difference between the two, and how do you know which one you need?

Let’s start reviewing the anatomy of the shoulder joint, which is essentially formed by a ball and a socket. The socket is called the glenoid and the ball portion is called the humeral head and the latter is relatively larger than the socket giving you an ample range of motion. The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons and their main role is to maintain the position of the ball and socket. Without a rotator cuff, the ball slips all over the socket, and coordinated motion is lost.

Dr Sven Goebel | Shoulder Replacement Surgeon Perth

Anatomic shoulder replacement

During anatomic shoulder replacement, the damaged ball and socket are replaced with implants that resemble the natural shape of your bones. Anatomic shoulder replacement surgery may be your best option, when day-to-day activities become almost impossible because of your shoulder pain. This type of surgery can only be done if your rotator cuff is intact, and there are no significant structural problems such as glenoid bone erosion or bone loss. It’s generally a very successful procedure, providing reliable pain relief and restoration of motion.

Reverse shoulder replacement

If you have an irreparable rotator cuff tear or you have arthritis due to rotator cuff arthropathy, reverse shoulder replacement will be recommended. In this type of surgery, the placement of the ball and socket are reversed: the prosthetic socket replaces the natural ball component at the top of the humerus and the prosthetic ball component is fixed to the glenoid shoulder socket. This will enable the shoulder to have a stable platform for motion which has been lost due to the chronic rotator cuff tear.

Shoulder surgery risks

Risks of shoulder surgery

As with any type of surgery, there are some risks associated with shoulder surgery. I will explain these in detail during your consultation.

General surgery risks

Low, depending on comorbidities, very low risk of deep vein thrombosis
Heart attack
Stroke
Allergic reaction

Shoulder replacement surgery risks

Infection,
Implant failure,
“Wearing out”,
Fracture,
Persistent pain,
Cuff failure (in anatomic replacement),
Acromial stress fracture (in reverse replacement)

Shoulder replacement recovery

What happens after surgery?

During your consultation, I will explain which exercises you can do for optimal recovery after shoulder replacement surgery.

Download exercise booklet

You can find a PDF here: https://www.perthshoulderclinic.com/s/PSC-Physiotherapy-Program-Booklet

In general I recommend these timelines after anatomic replacement to return to specific activities:

Having a shower:

1 day after surgery

Light exercise:

8-10 weeks after surgery

Driving:

7-10 weeks after surgery

Normal exercise:

4-6 months after surgery

Going back to work:

2-3 weeks (sedentary job) and 3-9 months (manual job) after surgery

In general I recommend these timelines after reverse replacement to return to specific activities: