Surgical Procedure

Your surgeon will make an incision (cut) over your shoulder joint to access the joint area. He will remove the head (top) of your upper arm bone (humerus) and put the new metal head and stem into place. Next, your surgeon will smooth the surface of the old socket and put the new one in place.

After these steps are complete, the incision will be closed with staples, sutures, or special skin glue, and a dressing (bandage) will be applied over the incision. The arm is placed in a sling and a support pillow is placed under the elbow to protect the repair. Drainage tubes may be placed to remove excess drainage. The procedure usually takes anywhere from 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Total Shoulder Replacement

Reverse Shoulder Replacement