The shoulder is a complex joint involving a lot of ligaments in its making. All these ligaments offer a bone-to-bone connection between the bones meeting at the shoulder joint. Without such connective tissue strips, the anatomy and mechanics of a shoulder joint cannot happen.
This post contains information about the procedure and recovery time after the shoulder reconstruction surgery.
What is shoulder reconstruction?
Like all your joints, the shoulder is also held in place with the help of ligaments. These are soft-tissue strips or bands that connect one bone to another bone.
Thus, sometimes, these ligaments get damaged, injured or stretched, causing conditions like pain, swelling, tenderness, inflammation, and immobility.
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Why do we need this surgery?
This reconstruction procedure is performed to treat a variety of shoulder conditions as follows.
● Severe Shoulder Dislocation
● Rotator Cuff Tears
● Labral Tears
● Shoulder Instability
● Bone Abnormalities
● Arthritis, i.e., osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
● Sports Injuries:
● Traumatic Injuries, i.e., road accidents
Procedure
The procedure to treat ligamentous injuries to the shoulder can be either arthroscopy or an open surgery where the joint will be exposed up to a maximum extent with large incisions.
Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive medical procedure. This is performed with the help of a camera instrument called an arthroscope. It is a pencil-thin device with a camera, on top of it, capable of producing high-tech visuals of the interior of the concerned shoulder joint.
If your shoulder injury needs open surgery requiring wide and extended exposure of the joint, you will be first put under general anaesthesia. As a result, you will be completely unconscious throughout the surgery.
After the surgery, you will be transferred from the surgery room to the recovery room where all rehabilitation care will be facilitated.
Anaesthesia used
If arthroscopy is sufficient to repair or reconstruct your shoulder, it might be that only your shoulder is made numb and sensation-less through the Regional Nerve Block. So, the rest of your body remains either fully awake or dizzy.
However, a surgeon can also put their patient under complete anaesthesia. This form of unconsciousness is achieved through General Anaesthesia.
GA is either given through an infection in the vein or inhalation that goes into the lungs from where the anaesthetic is taken to the brain, ultimately seducing you to enter a state of consciousness resembling deep sleep.
Recovery Time
Your shoulder is a major joint of the body that allows you to make all sorts of arm-related physical mobility. Right after the surgery, your arm will be immobilised for some time until it has recovered well.
On average, you will have been recovering for the coming 6 months after the surgery. This much time is generally required for everyone to recover even though the recovery process varies a lot from person to person because of the involvement of multiple factors, i.e., immune system strength, comorbidity, genetics, etc.
So, in your case, you might recover earlier or later than 6 months.
Physiotherapy will start as soon as you are ready to move your operated shoulder without any problem.
With the help of certain exercises, massages, and heat-ice compressions along with elevation, the therapist will help revive the full normal range of motion of the shoulder joint without the involvement of drugs, injections, and medicines.
You will also be put on medication for pain management along with antibiotics for fighting any potentiality of infection and blood clots.
Even if you have been discharged from the hospital, there will be follow-up sessions where you will have to meet with the same surgeon so it can be ensured that there is nothing to worry about.
Postoperative complications might arise at any moment so it is important for you not to miss any follow-up checkups after the reconstruction intervention.
Make sure you don’t lift heavy weights using the operated arm or shoulder for a reasonable period as it can strain, sprain or revive the same problem once again.
For the best outcomes, you will have to ensure a skilled doctor for your surgery. An experienced ortho doctor in Delhi NCR will always offer you the best results.
What are the benefits of shoulder reconstruction surgery?
The most crucial advantage is you get rid of shoulder pain and regain mobility. Now, you can live a more active life than before.
If you don’t treat your shoulder conditions causing discomfort and disrupting your life, it will degenerate further making the situation worse. So, shoulder reconstruction surgery corrects medical issues and puts a stop to the deterioration.
After the surgery, you can live your life effortlessly.
Dietary Instructions
Once your surgery is done and you are on the track of recovery to get back to your normal life, be aware of your diet.
Try to eat a balanced diet and see that you avoid junk food totally. The reason is that junk food often doesn’t have all the nutrition that your body requires.
Eat the recommended amount of protein along with calcium and vitamin D. Protein is required for surgery wounds to recover and get back to normal shape.
Calcium is necessary for healthy, strong, and resilient bones. Vitamin D helps in calcium assimilation.
Vitamin C is also good after the surgery. It has excellent anti-inflammatory properties. It will help with the inflammation of the incised muscles and also help the body fight off any chances of infection. However, your surgeon will also have given you antibiotics for postoperative infection risks.
Conclusion
If your shoulder has had pain for months and it isn’t going away, it is time to see a good orthopedic doctor. In case, a surgeon has already diagnosed the condition and suggested a reconstruction surgery, ensure you get the treatment from the best surgeon in the field. A well-qualified surgeon will make all the difference. You will get the best results.
