Total Shoulder or Hemi-Arthroplasty Patient Teaching Information

Post-operative Course

Hospital Stay

The typical length of stay in the hospital is two days. During this time period the focus will be on pain control and early physical therapy as outlined below. Your arm will be initially numb from the interscalene block the anesthesia team gave you. As this wears off, you will be placed on a PCA (patient controlled analgesia) machine and then weaned off to oral pain medication. If you are taking any narcotic pain medication pre-operatively (before the surgery) it is recommended that you wean off of it at least one week before with the aid of your primary physician and/or pain specialist because the effectiveness of the pain medication after the operation will be significantly less and/or unmanageable.

Physical Therapy

Your post-operative physical therapy is outlined below. Depending on what took place in the operation, variations may exist, and the final decision on progression of the therapy is at the discretion of your surgeon.

****INSERT PT PROTOCOL****

Rehabilitation may take up to 8 months to 1 year from the time of surgery for you to gain maximum improvement in motion, strength, endurance, and activity. Here is another guide for your progress:

  • 3 months post-op: reasonably comfortable, some weakness, motion is ½ of normal
  • 6 months post-op: mostly pain-free (may experience weather ache), motion and strength are 2/3 of normal
  • Sedentary work may begin at 2 � 3 weeks post-op
  • Heavy work is forbidden for > 4 months or more.

Complications

Pain � several types of post-operative pain do exist:

  • Soreness: from the extensive soft-tissue dissection; often lasts for a few weeks
  • Stiffness pain with exercises: will improve as motion improves and resolves when motion is back to normal
  • Ache (Fatigue): may be of the deltoid or rotator cuff and is secondary to deconditioning; will resolve when strength is back to normal
  • Weather ache: this is related to the surgical technique rather than the prosthesis; may last for 1 � 2 years

Shoulder Stiffness
Posterior Instability
Late Anterior Dislocation of the Humeral Head
Neurovascular or Brachial Plexus Injury
Glenoid Loosening