Total Reverse Shoulder Replacement from a Rheumatoid’s Viewpoint

Hi @NotOutYet

I hope the meeting with the private surgeon helped to alleviate your worries.

I can totally understand how you’re feeling because I had bilateral TKRs when I was 40 and I was worried about how long the joint replacements might last and what happens next! I’m 63 now and I wore one knee prosthesis out and had a revision 10 years ago whereas the other is fine 21 years later!

I know how terrified you are but I also know the dilemmas you face. You say you have very little movement in your shoulders, is it pain which stops you or stiffness? The operation will possibly not give you full mobility back but it can improve depending on the state of your surrounding muscles. My replacement has meant that my shoulder is totally pain free but my function has changed and due to my deltoid muscle having been affected badly by the rheumatoid it means I have to assist it with my other arm to forward reach. As you suffer from Ankylosis and not Rheumatoid your muscles may not be damaged but if you’re unable to move your shoulder much your muscles will probably be weaker than they were and will need working afterwards to build strength.

With knees and hips they said to me, 21 years ago, that they can usually do 3 replacements for the same joint and this is because they take more bone away each time. I don’t know if that’s the same for shoulders.

I know you have your future to consider and we have to assume the buses in your area are all driven by brilliant drivers and there’s no nasty viruses lurking either! You must ask yourself what’s more terrifying the prospect of having  surgery, or, facing the prospect of living as you are, if they couldn’t do it, for whatever reason. Only you know the answer to this. I chose the surgery as the pain was bad and my bone was eroded to such an extent that there was only a small window in which there was enough bone left in order to do the replacement.

I know it feels like you’re at a crossroads and if I can answer any other questions you might have, please let me know as I’m only an email away.

Hi Karen @kazamcleod

Yes. please keep us informed especially as your experience could well help someone else in the same position as you are now. Make a list of questions for your pre-op assessment or your next appointment with your consultant, they're usually very good with putting your mind at rest. (Although I did have one surgeon once, a long time ago, who just said I don't do lists!)

I'll look out for your posts. Good luck!

PS I'm not brave, surgery was the best of the options and as I said earlier, I don't regret it.