Ben Tench remembers how badly his left shoulder bothered him.
“It was arthritic,” he says. “It was just uncomfortable sitting in a car, and whenever I shifted my body around it would be painful.”
Ben consulted a surgeon he already trusted: Richard Steinfeld, MD, a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
“I had been to Dr. Steinfeld for a total hip replacement on my right hip,” explains Ben. “I had good results with that, so I decided that if I was going to have my shoulder treated, I might as well have him do that, too.”
As it turned out, surgery was indicated for Ben’s shoulder as well.
“My x-ray showed bone on bone, and had just gotten too painful,” he says. “I couldn’t interact with my grandchildren the way I wanted, so it would have been foolish not to do something about it.”
Total shoulder replacement
Dr. Steinfeld explains that total shoulder replacement surgery is analogous to a hip replacement procedure.
“Like the hip, the shoulder is a ball and socket joint,” he says. “The surgery involves replacing both the ball and socket with metal and plastic components, thereby removing the worn, pain-producing surfaces and returning the patient to comfortable function once again.”
Dr. Steinfeld notes that physical therapy for the total shoulder procedure is quite detailed and needs to be followed carefully. “After physical therapy, range of motion can continue to improve for up to a year,” he adds.
“Sometimes, people are more reluctant to go through shoulder replacements as opposed to hip and knee replacements, and that may be because they aren’t as common. But the disability related to shoulder arthritis is very significant. Ben’s range of motion now is comparable to what it was before surgery, and his pain is almost completely gone, so he has done very well.”
Ben confirms that he is happy to be back on track soon after surgery.
“I have no pain,” he reports, “and I have gotten back on a little weightlifting regimen, which we will gradually increase. The operation was successful, so you can’t ask for more than that.”
For those considering the procedure for themselves, he emphasizes the importance of postoperative rehabilitation.
“You’ve got to work extremely hard at your rehabilitation,” explains Ben. “You can’t baby yourself, but the end result is worth it. And all of that was incorporated into the program at Orthopaedic Center of Vero Beach.”
FHCN - Michael J. Sahno