Mr George-Malal publishes paper on reverse shoulder replacement

Mr Joby George-Malal and his colleagues at Bedfordshire Hospital NHS FoundationTrust published a paper on reverse shoulder replacement performed as a day case in JSES International, a companion title to the respected Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery.

Reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) is an increasingly popular treatment approach for glenohumeral joint arthritis in association with rotator cuff arthropathy. In the paper, the authors hypothesised that RSA could be safely carried out as a day case procedure with reduced risks to the patient and a smaller cost implication for the hopsital.

Between March 2015 to August 2018, patients were assessed to see if they were suitable for undergoing RSA as an outpatient procedure. The criteria for involvement in the study was that they were experiencing shoulder arthritis that had failed to respond to conservative management. They also had to be over 50 years old and had deltoid muscle function intact. Patients that had previously undergone total shoulder replacement or were undergoing RSA for trauma were excluded.

Satisfaction with reverse shoulder replacement

Of the 21 patients that underwent reverse shoulder replacement as a day case procedure, 88% were ‘very satisfied’ or ‘satisfied’ with the service and 81% would undergo the surgical procedure again as a day-case procedure. The study authors concluded that RSA can be carried out effectively as an outpatient procedure with high patient satisfaction in carefully selected patients.

For more advice on RSA as an outpatient procedure, call 03330 124 051 to arrange a consultation with Mr George-Malal.