Yes. Gravity pulls swelling from your shoulder into the hand and fingers. Come out of the sling multiple times a day for gentle range of motion of the elbow and wrist. A small stress ball or sock can be used to squeeze the muscles and help pump the swelling back up the arm and to you heart.

Depending on the style of total shoulder you had you will usually be in the sling for about 6 weeks. Your doctor and therapist will teach you exercises to do post op as well as motions to avoid. When in a controlled environment, you may unstrap the sling to relieve the pressure on your neck. Some people will use a washcloth or towel under the neck strap to offload some of the pressure on your neck.

Previously, surgeons would issue cards stating that patients had a total joint replacement. In today's computer age, there is no way to verify these cards are official, so as a result, we no longer routinely hand them out. If you do set off a metal detector, just inform the guard / TSA agent of your total joint location and they might ask to see your surgical scar and use the hand wand.

With total joints you can expect to improve up to about one year post operatively. Most people are doing most of what they want to do at 3 months post op – however everyone recovers at different rates.

Absolutely. There are multiple side effects of narcotic pain medication. These medications are prescribed for immediate post-surgical pain and are utilized for brief periods of time. Although we try to minimize the length of time you are on these medications, there still is the risk of addiction. For this reason, we ask that you only take the medications when the other over-the-counter medications are not effective enough in managing your pain. We work with you to wean you off of the narcotics as soon as possible post operatively. These drugs can also cause constipation and nausea. We highly recommend adding a stool softener like Colace two times a day while you are on the narcotics, drinking lots of water, and eating a high fiber diet. It is also important to store these medications in a secure location to avoid the risk of anyone else gaining access to them.

Yes.  Joint replacement is a major procedure, and post operative pain is to be expected. We utilize a "multi-modal" pain control approach for helping to keep you as comfortable as possible post operatively. Our goal is to make your pain tolerable, but there is no way to make it a pain-free experience. Most people can expect pain to be a "5" on a 1-10 pain scale.  You can expect the surgical pain to rapidly improve over the first 2-4 weeks, and for many, it is far less severe than the pain caused by the deteriorating joint that was replaced.

No!  If you develop either of these symptoms, call the office immediately at (607) 734-4110. If this shortness of breath or chest pain occurs during non-office hours, call 911 or go to the emergency room.