Total Shoulder Replacement - Post-Operative Instructions
ACTIVITY
Wear sling you were fitted with after surgery for 1 week.
bathing
You may shower 24 hours following surgery.
See “Wound Care” instructions below for more information.
diet
Gradually resume regular diet, as tolerated.
You may experience nausea the day following surgery from anesthesia, but this should resolve.
driving
No driving for 24 hours post-surgery due to the anesthetic or anytime you are on pain medication.
excercise
Pendulum exercises.
Forearm and wrist exercises.
No external rotation.
Start physical therapy on Friday on Monday.
Only wear sling for 1 week.
educational
The medication which was used to put you to sleep will be acting in your body for the next 24 hours, so you might feel a little sleepy. This feeling will slowly wear off. For the first 24 hours, you should NOT:
Drive a car, operate machinery, or power tools.
Drink any alcoholic drinks (even beer).
Make any important decisions, sign any important or legal papers.
For your safety, we strongly suggest that a responsible adult stay with you for the rest of the day and during the night.
If you have TED hose, we recommend wearing these until you resume your normal level of activity. These stockings help increase circulation and decrease the risk of blood clot after surgery.
Medication
Narcotic pain medications can cause constipation. You may take an over-the-counter stool softener or laxative if needed.
A bowel movement every other day is reasonable.
It is very important to properly dispose of unused narcotic medications. Please contact your local pharmacy or visit https://takebackday.dea.gov website for further instructions.
Please call your pharmacy as soon as possible to make sure your pain medication is able to be filled.
Notifications
Call the physician at the office if you have any of the following:
If you have drainage continuing past 3 days.
Fever greater than 101F.
Unmanageable pain despite pain medication.
Redress, swelling, or increased tenderness to the site.
Questions or any other problems.
Follow-up
You will follow-up with your surgeon in approximately 2 weeks.
Return to work
You may return to work at your physician’s discretion.
weight bearing
You shoulder is in a sling or brace to protect your shoulder after surgery. KEEP SLING IN PLACE, except to shower and to perform exercises.
wound care
You may remove your dressing in 24 hours.
If you have small tape strips (steri strips) on your incision sites, please leave those alone.
Change the dressing daily.
Tape some dry 4x4 gauze pads (can be purchased at any drug store) over the sites.
To Shower:
Apply waterproof band-aids to the incision sites. Make sure that the adhesive from the band-aid does not touch the incision site.
Do NOT pull or clip any visible suture ends or stitches.
Do not put any ointments, lotions, oils, or creams on the incision sites.
Do not soak in a hot tub, bath tub, or pool.
Ice applied to the surgical area will help control swelling and keep pain to a minimum. Frozen peas, reusable gel packs, or crushed ice placed in large freezer bags are ideal. If possible, use an ice wrap to hold the ice in place.
Apply for approximately 20-30 minutes, remove for 45-60 minutes, and reapply, ice should be used 307 days or until swelling is gone.
DO NOT APPLY HEAT PACKS!
patient experience
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