Getting Acquainted with Shoulder Replacement Surgery

Shoulder Replacement Therapy is a surgical procedure that replaces the shoulder's original ball and socket (glenohumeral joint) with similarly shaped prosthetics. Total shoulder replacement therapy is one of the safest ones with more common hip replacement or total knee replacement surgeries. Of course, as with the hip or knee joint replacement surgery, there are associated risks, and recovery requires several months of physical therapy. The patients have significantly less pain, greater arm strength and better range of motion.

Who Should Get Total Shoulder Replacement Therapy?

Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the most common cause of people going for total shoulder replacement therapy, and usually when the disorder has reached a stage where patients suffer from pain that is moderate to severe with activity. Pain that affects sleep. Inability to lift the affected hand to complete daily tasks, such as reaching high shelves and washing hair. Stiffness and pain with overhead movement. Insufficient pain relief from non-surgical treatments, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), physical therapy and steroid injections. People who don't get adequate relief from other non-major surgeries like arthroscopic shoulder surgery also go for shoulder replacement surgery. Badly broken bones or a tumor in the shoulder is another reason for having total shoulder replacement.

Steps Prior To Shoulder Replacement Surgery 

The procedure depends upon the patient as well as the orthopedic surgeon performing it, but usually, the procedure follows this pattern: The blood pressure of the patient or heart rate or body temperature and oxygen levels are checked before surgery can proceed. A mark is made on the shoulder undergoing surgery before the patient is taken into the operating room to ensure that the correct shoulder is operated upon. Normally, general anesthesia is administered to the patient to make them in sleepy condition. Patients may also be given local anesthesia to numb the area around the arm and shoulder. The surgeon cuts through the muscles and reaches the deep tissue to reach the shoulder joint. The top of the upper arm bone, called the humeral head is dislocated from the socket of the scapula or glenoid. The surgeon will shape the socket (glenoid) to prepare for fixing the prosthetic socket. The prosthetic socket will have adhered to the natural bone with bone cement or maybe the cement-less type (press fit).
The shoulder replacement surgery is one of the most complex forms of surgeries. Usually, the patients are majorly the sports-man or aged. The former patients have more chances of recovery than the latter ones, as the muscles and tissues are young and recoverable enough to get back into the best shape. The older patients find the recovery difficult as there is injury due to prolonged illness or due to any of the age-related bone diseases. It required in both cases that; the patient shall seek the best help from a well-known orthopedic surgeon who has got expertise in his field. The patient should be provided proper setup for therapy required after the surgery and also, the emergency setup.

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Total shoulder replacement therapy can be availed at Delhi ortho and spine clinic in New Delhi. It is the most multi-facility, super-specialty clinic Delhi NCR. There are many leading orthopedic doctors in Delhi but Dr. Mandeep Singh is the best orthopedic doctor in Delhi in Rajouri Garden and has an expert hand in the handling such cases.