Post Op Shoulder Joint Replacement

C

Charlie Seagull

Guest
I had advanced arthritis in the shoulder and some rotator cuff tears. i held off on renewing my medical until after the shoulder joint replacement. Everything went well, post op rehab takes a while. It's still weak and there are still some range of motion issues. I expect full recovery with limits. Anyone know if there any specific criteria I need to meet before getting my medical renewed?
 
Really isn’t, if you’re good enough to fly (range of motion, strength, not currently on a scrip for pain meds), should be good to go.

Leastwise that’s how it was for me after a back operation.
 
Good to hear you have completed the most difficult part of the process - actually convincing yourself to go through with the surgery.
I put it off for over ten years, and the result was joint wear much worse than when first diagnosed. Luckily I was referred to a "rock star" by my normal orthopedist. He does shoulders, but felt that the amount of work to rebuild lost structure may be beyond his skill level. I appreciated his honesty, and the doctor he referred me to in Dallas was exceptional. After a three-hour session I emerged with a reverse shoulder protheses and a new lease on life. That was in July of 2021. Due to the continuous shifting of duties from the diseased shoulder to the healthy shoulder, it needed rebuilding too. I had an anatomical replacement done by the same "rock star" surgeon in Dallas in November of 2021.
I found the reverse was much, much easier to recover from - but in each case I was back to work in six weeks! I went in for my initial Third-Class medical 7 weeks postop (Jan 2022). While a little weak on adduction (left side), I still passed.

This coming Tuesday (07/23) I get a new left knee. I am dreading that. I still remember the recovery from the right knee back in 2016.
 
@Dry Creek , I’m encouraged by your post…I’m sitting in the waiting room right now while my mom is being prepped for a reverse replacement. Thanks.
 
Charlie Seagull said:
I had advanced arthritis in the shoulder and some rotator cuff tears. i held off on renewing my medical until after the shoulder joint replacement. Everything went well, post op rehab takes a while. It's still weak and there are still some range of motion issues. I expect full recovery with limits. Anyone know if there any specific criteria I need to meet before getting my medical renewed?
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No. Things like this are self-limiting. I recently had a knee replacement. Can’t fly until I can climb into the airplane :D.

Obviously, you will need to report it on your next medical and you might want some backup material, but it’s usually simple. I had a hip replacement 16 years ago. I walked into my next 3rd class with a binder full of reports.

“What’s that?” my AME asked.
“I had a hip replacement and thought you’d want to see this.”
“You walked in, didn’t you?”
 
Essentially what Mark (Midlifeflyer) said. If you can do a jumping jack with the shoulder you're good to go: "AME inspection".
 
midlifeflyer said:
Knee replacement is no fun. I’m just about 2 months out from mine.
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I'm hoping that this time I bounce back quicker. But as others near have pointed out, I am eight years older and about 15 pounds heavier.
 
But as long as I’m here… ;)

Since my mom will be largely one-handed for a while, I threw this together so she could open jars one-handed…quart jars down to pill bottles, anyway. She indicated that it’d probably be handy even after she’s recouperated, in which case I’ll probably make one that’s a little nicer.

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