[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/10\/luanns-story\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/10\/luanns-story\/","headline":"Luann\u2019s Story: Regaining Mobility After Reverse Shoulder Surgery","name":"Luann\u2019s Story: Regaining Mobility After Reverse Shoulder Surgery","description":"<p><\/p>","datePublished":"2024-10-16","dateModified":"2025-07-15","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/orthopaedics-regions","name":"UPMC Orthopaedic Care","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/orthopaedics-regions","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/orthopaedic-surgery\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/GettyImages-1462667794.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/GettyImages-1462667794.jpg","height":869,"width":1999},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/10\/luanns-story\/","about":["Health Topics A-Z","Orthopaedics"],"wordCount":746,"keywords":["North Central Pa Ortho"],"articleBody":"At 73, Luann is no stranger to pain.The Williamsport, Pa., resident had her right rotator cuff repaired arthroscopically 20 years ago. She has a history of osteoporosis and has fractured her wrist, leading to carpal tunnel syndrome. Her lower spine is fused.So, when she tore her left rotator cuff sometime in 2023, she knew to pay attention to the pain.At first, Luann noticed when the pain increased. Trying to hang something up or pull a sweater over her head became bothersome. Then, she had to stop her go-to exercise \u2014 swimming.\u201cAfter my back surgery, I was recommended to swim, which was great because I enjoy it,\u201d says Luann. \u201cBut then my shoulder started bothering me, so I eased up a little bit, then tried to ease back in.\u201dIn the meantime, Luann\u2019s husband was ill with leukemia and needed constant care. \u201cI was doing a lot \u2014 I needed to do a lot because he couldn\u2019t.\u201dDuring this time, a physician assistant gave her a shot for the pain, but she was too focused on taking care of her partner to follow up with her own care. \u201cI became busy and neglected myself because I had my husband to take care of, so by the time I saw Dr. Campbell, my shoulder was too far gone.\u201dRonald A. Campbell, MD, is no stranger to Luann. He previously cared for her fractured wrist and performed her carpal tunnel surgery.\u201cI just love him \u2014 he gets right to the point,\u201d Luann says. By the time she saw Dr. Campbell, she had torn and retracted her left rotator cuff beyond repair. He told her that shoulder replacement surgery was the only option to regain the function and relieve the pain.The Right Surgical OptionThe type of surgery Dr. Campbell recommended for Luann was a reverse total shoulder replacement. This is an alternative option to conventional shoulder replacement surgery. It works best for people with torn rotator cuffs who may or may not have shoulder joint arthritis.In a traditional shoulder replacement, the placed device works the same way a normal shoulder does. It features a plastic cup fitted onto the shoulder socket, and a metal ball at the top of the humerus, the upper arm bone.A reverse shoulder replacement surgery switches the ball joint and the socket. It fixes the plastic cup at the upper end of the arm bone and fixes the metal ball to the shoulder.The reverse shoulder replacement relies on the deltoid muscle to move and position the arm. That&#8217;s according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. The deltoid essentially recreates the role and function of the destroyed rotator cuff.The surgery originated in Europe in the 1980s. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved it in 2003.About 60,000 Americans undergo it each year with satisfactory results. That&#8217;s according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).The Gift of a New ShoulderLuann saw Dr. Campbell around the holidays in 2023. He performed her reverse total shoulder replacement surgery on Valentine\u2019s Day 2024 \u2014 which was also Luann\u2019s 73rd birthday.\u201cI told my husband that I was getting a new shoulder for my birthday, so he didn\u2019t need to get me anything else,\u201d says Luann.A week later, Luann was out of her sling and in physical therapy sessions.\u201cThis surgery was a walk in the park compared to all the others I\u2019ve had,\u201d she says. \u201cI didn\u2019t have a lot of pain right after surgery and I don\u2019t have any pain now. It really is a whole new shoulder!\u201dFreedom to Be Mobile AgainLuann loves staying active \u2014 hunting, fishing, and staying on the go even in her 70s. Reverse shoulder replacement surgery gave her the freedom to get moving again.\u201cUntil you are incapacitated, you don\u2019t think of all the little things it affects,\u201d she says. \u201cIt was time. I was overdue.\u201dWhile Luann hopes she doesn&#8217;t have to see Dr. Campbell for another injury, she&#8217;s pleased to have had so many positive outcomes with him.\u201cWhat can I say? Dr. Campbell is my hero,\u201d she says. \u201cI tell everyone \u2013 don\u2019t be afraid of replacement! It\u2019s been great for me.\u201cEven though I am 73 and I know I am not 20 anymore, there is still a lot I want to do. I don\u2019t want to sit around, and now I don\u2019t have to worry about that!\u201dSources"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2024","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"10","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/\/10\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Luann\u2019s Story: Regaining Mobility After Reverse Shoulder Surgery","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/10\/luanns-story\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]