How do you sleep with your arm in a sling after shoulder surgery? I’m excited to tell you that you don’t. You just don’t wear a sling. You don’t have to wear a sling at night unless you want to. It’s your call. We give our patients slings. We don’t scare them into wearing them…
You should wear the clothes that you normally wear. We don’t force people to wear slings. We allow a range of motion in this plane right after the surgery, which allows you to put on clothes, shower, drive, and do everything you need to do daily. You don’t need to buy a new wardrobe or…
Honestly, for our patients, it depends on the surgery. For rotator cuff repairs, we’re in a beach chair position, and you’re sitting with your arm resting on the side. With shoulder replacements, I don’t want to fall down, but you’re almost flat, with your arm just out to the side. There’s a holder on your…
How hard is recovery from shoulder replacement? It’s not nearly as bad as people imagine. We do these as outpatient procedures. They’re quick procedures. We don’t force people to wear slings—I repeat, we don’t force you to wear a sling—we give them one for comfort. You can start using your arm immediately to do all…
Will shoulder replacement get rid of arthritis? The answer is absolutely yes. When you replace a shoulder, you’re going in and putting in a new ball—a metal ball and a plastic socket. Where you had bone-on-bone arthritis, we tell people, “Just imagine a car with no tires that are worn down, and you’re riding on…
Can you go home the same day after shoulder replacement surgery? Yes, you can, which is awesome. We have been doing this for a long time. Initially, we did it with private patients because Medicare wouldn’t allow us to. But this year, they’ve changed the guidelines so that we can do Medicare patients and outpatients….
Where should I sleep after shoulder surgery? You should sleep in your bed. I’m sure that makes you very excited to hear that. Most people are like, “What? I thought I had to sleep in a recliner.” So I recommend one or two pillows behind your back, up maybe 30 degrees on the bed, and…
A common question people ask is, how long does it take for shoulder arthroplasty to heal? It depends on what you mean by healing. Your skin typically heals within a week or two. The implants are designed to grow into the bone, and it takes a couple of months for them to grow. What I…
You actually can. This has been passed down for generations, and people are concerned about it. We get a lot of questions like this about the bed and the recliner. You can sleep in your bed right after the shoulder surgery. Setting up a restful, familiar sleeping environment is a vital element of managing your…
When can I sleep on my side after the reverse shoulder replacement? This is a very specific and great question because people ask this a lot. The answer is, immediately, if you want. In general, what I have seen is it takes about six weeks or so for most people to feel comfortable laying on…
