Shoulder Replacement

Hospitalization

Yes

Length of stay

2 to 3 Days

Anesthesia

General

Length of procedure

1 to 3 Hours

What is shoulder replacement surgery?

Shoulder replacement is a surgical option for patients with arthritis of the shoulder. This operation can relieve pain and maintain motion in the arthritic shoulder. Arthritis can affect joints, over time; the smooth cartilage on the surface of the bones wears away. This can result in pain, inflammation, and swelling of the joints. Shoulder replacement surgery is a procedure to replace this damaged joint to eliminate this pain and swelling for a long time. Arthritis does not have any kind of full treatment; all kinds of medications and procedures are just temporary and can just slow it down. But surgery can be the last (and maybe permanent) solution for this painful problem. Shoulder arthritis is a condition in which degeneration, injury, inflammation or previous surgery destroys the normally smooth cartilage on the humeral head and glenoid.

• Patients with shoulder osteoarthritis • People who have sustained a serious shoulder injury.

Before the procedure

Patients should stop taking certain medications such as Aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs and herbal supplements prior to the surgery. They should stop smoking a few weeks before and after the surgery. They should stop drinking and eating around 6 hours before the surgery. Surgeon does a physical examination and may ask for blood test, X-rays and MRI.

During the procedure

After the procedure