Based on the results of your interview, examination, and imaging studies, you can expect a custom care plan catered specifically to you.

Many people believe it’s best to wait until pain becomes severe, leading them to “put off” or delay treatments.

If you are in constant discomfort, have shooting or stabbing pains, have limited range of motion, or an inability to perform your daily activities, shoulder replacement may be necessary to return to normal function.

New technologies allow patients with shoulder pain to fully recover and enjoy the benefits of a more functional, pain-free lifestyle.

Prior to surgery, you will typically receive at least 2 phone calls:

• A hospital registration representative will call to gather insurance and other personal information.
• A registered nurse will call to review your health history and medication information.

Dependent on your health history, your physician may require:

• Pre-surgical laboratory tests
• X-rays
• Primary care clearance

Pre-operative instructions will vary depending on your physician and the location of your surgery.

Always check with your physician prior to surgery for their specific instructions.

Most physicians require patients to not eat or drink after midnight prior to surgery the next day.

Additionally, you will need a designated family member or friend to drive you home on the day you are released from the hospital. Surgical patients cannot drive themselves home.

If you schedule your surgery with a KCOA physician, you can expect the following on surgery day: 

• A receptionist will check you in at the hospital registration desk.
• A nurse will take you back and prepare you for surgery. They will start an IV, prepare the surgical site, and review your medical history and medications.
• Your surgeon and anesthesiologist will visit with you prior to your operation.
• The surgical team will take you to the operation suite for surgery.

A shoulder replacement, as the name implies, replaces all or part of the shoulder joint with an artificial prosthesis. This is traditionally designed to treat end-stage shoulder arthritis when the cartilage lining of the joint has eroded away or the supporting structures (ligaments, tendons, etc) have been damaged and are unable to function properly.

For a total shoulder replacement to work well, the patient needs to have good bone on the socket side of their joint as well as a functioning rotator cuff.

A traditional shoulder replacement surgery involves replacing the damaged humeral head (or ball part of the joint) with a ball made of metal, ceramic, or plastic materials. We also replace the glenoid (or joint socket) with a smooth plastic cup.

Depending on your condition, your surgeon may only replace the ball of the joint and leave the joint socket intact. This procedure is called a hemiarthroplasty, meaning the head of the humerus is replaced.

There are also reverse total shoulder replacements, which our surgeons use for patients with completely torn rotator cuffs, severe arm weakness, or previous shoulder replacements that failed. In this procedure, the surgeon switches the socket and metal ball.

This means the ball is attached to the shoulder bone and a plastic socket is attached to the upper arm bone. Patients can then use the deltoid muscle to lift their arm, rather than the damaged rotator cuff.

After a shoulder replacement in Kansas City with KCOA, patients can typically return home to recover.

It is important to follow post-operative guidelines from your doctor during this time.

Patients will likely return home with bandages and stitches or staples, which will be removed by your doctor a few weeks after surgery.

Your doctor will provide a prescription for pain medication to take, and your surgically repaired shoulder will be sore and possibly swollen for the next several months.

KCOA physicians will also recommend a physical therapist to help get the joint back to normal function. The more you work on physical therapy, the sooner your strength and function will return.

To prevent further injuries, it’s important to maintain good posture and ensure that your shoulder is in good position relative to your scapula. You should also focus on your core strength, and promote healthy mobility of the thoracic spine.

We recommend regular exercise, eating a balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and monitoring your blood sugar levels if you’re diabetic.

In doing so, you may reduce the amount of stress on your joints to slow down any potential degenerative process.