Surgery Holds Promise for Patients
With Nagging Shoulder Problems
November 03, 2008
A severely torn rotator cuff has traditionally translated into a lifetime of nagging pain for patients and a limited range of motion that’s mostly beyond repair for surgeons. But Excelsior Orthopaedics’ Paul D. Paterson, M.D. is now offering the prospect of a new hope for patients who may have felt their options were exhausted.
Called reverse ball and socket arthroplasty (joint replacement), Dr. Paterson is placing the shoulder ball and socket replacement in their anatomical opposite positions in order to relieve pain and restore function to the shoulder.
“There is such a demand for this because so many patients were in a situation where nothing could be done for their shoulder, they were in pain and had poor function,” said Dr. Paterson.
“When this implant became available there was already backlog of patients waiting for this kind of solution to their problem,” said Dr. Paterson. Dr. Paterson has performed the new technique on more than 60 patients during the past 14 months, with excellent results. “When I speak to my patients I want them to understand that this is not a perfect solution,” Dr. Paterson said. “It does help with pain and it does help give them better function and range of motion but it won’t return their shoulder to the days of their youth.”
The surgery, which originated with designs in France roughly a decade ago, is geared toward elderly patients with a disease called rotator cuff tear arthropathy, when the rotator cuff tear is so severe it causes arthritis. Other candidates for the surgery include rotator cuff patients who have had multiple surgeries, fractures or joint replacements that have failed.
Most patients spend one night in the hospital after the surgery and start therapy after about two weeks. Dr. Paterson estimates most patients can have full use of their shoulders within three to six months after the operation.
