Conclusion - Surgical Guide to Right Total Shoulder Replacement

Your shoulder replacement will serve you well, if you work hard to restore and maintain your full range of motion and strength. When your formal rehabilitation is completed, your therapist will give you an individualized exercise program that can be performed at home or at the gym. He/she will also point out which exercise equipment can be most helpful in achieving your personal goals. In addition, modifications of your current exercise regime may be suggested.

To achieve your ultimate goals you will need time to develop confidence in your shoulder. A staged conditioning program, which offers progressive improvement in function of your shoulder, is critical to reaching your goals.

In other words, a graduated program of increasingly challenging activities will help you achieve success. For example, progress from hitting ground strokes in tennis to the more challenging overhead serve, or beginning swimming by doing the breaststroke and then progressing to the backstroke.

Today is a good time to consider which staged activities will contribute most to your goals and to begin planning your involvement. By beginning to plan your individual, graduated program now, you will enable a faster return to using your shoulder confidently to regain the lifestyle you want.

We encourage you to seek out additional information that is located on the HSS website at www.hss.edu. There will be many opportunities to review the material provided in this manual. During each visit, HSS staff will reinforce the information and will likely provide additional and more specific instructions. In addition, our patient education staff will review the information during the pre-operative education class and will respond to any questions that you may have. Your surgeon and physical or occupational therapist will continue to guide you during the post-operative phase.

Can We Help Someone Else?

Now or later, you have family members or friends who may need the services of an orthopedist (in any specialty) and rheumatologist. An easy way for them to get in touch with Hospital for Special Surgery is to call the HSS Physician Referral Service at 1 (800) 854-0071.

Providing Feedback to HSS

You may be able to help us!

Hospital for Special Surgery has achieved a national reputation for excellence in nursing, orthopedics, rheumatology, and patient-centered care. All of us on the HSS team strive to provide you with the care you need to achieve the best health outcomes.

Feedback from our patients has been a critical component in achieving this excellence. We listen. And we respond…especially when we learn of new opportunities for further improvement.

Another important part of achieving excellence is to know when things go right! We also want to know when our staff members provide outstanding care.

When you have a moment to reflect, we would appreciate your feedback. You can, of course, send a letter or note to any HSS staff person, or to your doctor. You already know your doctor’s address. He or she appreciates hearing from you.

To address a hospital staff person whom you know, you can write to that person at the hospital’s address below. Or, you may contact us through the Hospital’s website. Otherwise, please feel free to address your feedback to:

Louis A. Shapiro, FACHE
President & Chief Executive Officer
Hospital for Special Surgery
535 East 70th Street
New York, NY 10021

Thank you for choosing Hospital for Special Surgery.