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Capital Health Summit
Shoulder replacement set out by someone who had one: how total, reverse, and partial differ, what the rotator cuff decides, the rehab that makes the result, and how long the joint holds.
Shoulder replacement, from the worn joint to the settled result.

The roundtable

Readers of this site putting their heads together: the ones still working out whether it is a total or a reverse they need, the ones counting the days until the sling comes off, and the ones a year on who can finally reach the top shelf and want to say how it went. Every account here is one shoulder and one operation. A thread that draws no reply for two months closes itself.

Total or reverse Working out which operation your shoulder needs, and why the rotator cuff, not your age, tends to decide it.
Thread Replies Views Last post
Six month X-ray letter after my reverse says "grade 1 inferior scapular notching". What does that mean and should I be worried? started by deltoid_derek, Oct 10, 2026 6 420 deltoid_derek Oct 24, 2026
Type 2 diabetes and waiting for a shoulder replacement. The surgeon wants my sugars down before he will book it. Has anyone else had this? started by glenn_postie, Sep 21, 2026 5 360 glenn_postie Oct 9, 2026
Six months after my right total the LEFT has started. Can they do both shoulders at once, and if not how far apart do people have them done? started by PotteryMargaret, Sep 7, 2026 5 260 PotteryMargaret Sep 18, 2026
Years down the line, how would I actually KNOW my replacement is failing, and what does a revision involve? started by sleptsittingup, Jul 11, 2026 5 280 onearm_gardener Jul 28, 2026
Reverse replacement and I can lift overhead fine now but still can't reach behind my back. Is that limit permanent? started by deltoid_derek, Jul 1, 2026 4 280 deltoid_derek Jul 8, 2026
I'm 62 and about to have a new shoulder, terrified I'll outlive it and be back for the whole thing again. How long do these actually last? started by keencaravanner, Nov 14, 2025 5 260 keencaravanner Jun 27, 2026
I'm 79 and the surgeon didn't blink, but my family think I'm too old for a shoulder replacement. Am I? started by PotteryMargaret, Apr 22, 2026 4 240 PotteryMargaret May 14, 2026
My good shoulder was a total and it's brilliant, now the other one needs a reverse and it feels like the consolation prize. Is a reverse a downgrade? started by keencaravanner, Apr 10, 2026 5 300 keencaravanner May 2, 2026
Should I be asking which implant they are putting in, and is stemless something to request? started by deltoid_derek, Feb 16, 2026 5 240 reverse_at_68 Mar 4, 2026
Told it's a total OR a reverse depending on my rotator cuff, not my age. Can someone explain why the cuff decides? started by deltoid_derek, Jan 14, 2026 4 320 deltoid_derek Feb 3, 2026
Offered a partial (hemiarthroplasty) after I broke the top of my arm. Is a partial worse than a full replacement? started by onearm_gardener, Oct 9, 2025 5 280 onearm_gardener Nov 4, 2025
Sling and rehab The sling weeks, the physiotherapy, and the slow months where the real result arrives.
Thread Replies Views Last post
Dentist asked whether I need antibiotics before a filling because of my shoulder replacement. Do I? And how long do they keep checking a new shoulder? started by onearm_gardener, Oct 25, 2026 6 330 onearm_gardener Nov 2, 2026
Seven months after my reverse, a new sharp pain right on top of the shoulder and I can't lift the arm like last week. No fall. What could it be? started by BrendaK74, Oct 18, 2026 6 380 BrendaK74 Oct 31, 2026
Four weeks after my shoulder replacement my thumb and first two fingers tingle and feel numb. Is that the nerve block still or something else? started by Marjorie W., Oct 2, 2026 5 310 Marjorie W. Oct 14, 2026
Week 3 and my whole hand is puffy with a bruise that has crept down to my wrist. Is that the operation draining or is something wrong? started by keencaravanner, Aug 24, 2026 5 300 keencaravanner Sep 4, 2026
When can I get back to golf, and is it true there's a weight I can NEVER lift again with a new shoulder? started by keencaravanner, Jun 9, 2026 5 320 keencaravanner Jul 15, 2026
How much physiotherapy do you actually need after a shoulder replacement? The passive vs active thing is confusing me started by reverse_at_68, Jun 18, 2026 4 300 reverse_at_68 Jul 8, 2026
When can I actually drive and get back to work after a shoulder replacement? I'm self-employed and the not knowing is doing my head in started by PotteryMargaret, May 6, 2026 4 300 PotteryMargaret Jun 20, 2026
Week 5 after my replacement and the arm feels WEAKER than before the op. Is this normal, and when does it turn round? started by PotteryMargaret, Apr 22, 2026 4 340 PotteryMargaret May 29, 2026
A fortnight until my total and I have no idea what to actually sort out at home first started by PotteryMargaret, Mar 2, 2026 6 300 PotteryMargaret Apr 6, 2026
The nerve block wore off at about 3am on night one and nobody had warned me it would hit like that started by deltoid_derek, Mar 24, 2026 5 320 deltoid_derek Apr 2, 2026
How many weeks am I really in this sling, and when did the actual pain settle? Still sleeping bolt upright in a chair two weeks on started by onearm_gardener, Dec 3, 2025 4 280 onearm_gardener Jan 15, 2026
Showering with the wound and the sling on. When could yours get wet and what did you rig up? started by onearm_gardener, Dec 10, 2025 6 260 reverse_at_68 Jan 8, 2026