Ron Neubauer
“My left shoulder really started bothering me about a year ago,” recalls Ron Neubauer of Sturtevant, an eighty-six-year-old retired firefighter who still works part-time making and repairing boat enclosures and upholstery. “I worked my whole life, and I just plain wore my shoulder out,” Ron says.
“As a result, I couldn't do much of anything with my left hand or arm, and the pain was unbearable - the worst pain I ever had in my life,” Ron says.
That’s when Ron went to see Dr. Mohammad Al Sawaf, an orthopedic surgeon at Froedtert South who specializes in arthroscopic and reconstructive shoulder and elbow surgery. “I never met a doctor like him,” Ron says, “I can't say enough about him.”
Dr. Al Sawaf recently performed a procedure that’s called a reverse shoulder arthoplast to address the pain and stiffness in Ron’s shoulder.
“I checked into the hospital one day with so much pain,” Ron recalls, “then walked out the next day with a new body part and no pain. None. That’s amazing!”
Trends in shoulder pain
“Ron is an example of one of the trends we’re seeing in shoulder injuries,” says Dr. Al Sawaf. “Work and sports injuries that used to be more common in younger patients are on the rise in our older population as people remain active longer,” says Dr. Al Sawaf. “Some of the rotator cuff injuries we’ve typically seen in people in their twenties and thirties are now happening to older people.”
“There are many options and methods for repairing a torn rotator cuff,” says Dr. Al Sawaf, “so we work hard to match the right approach to the patient and the size of their tear. We put extra effort into preparing patients before surgery, performing the right procedure for their specific needs, and then getting them into the right therapy program as quickly as possible after surgery,” says Dr. Al Sawaf.
Leslie Medrano
When you know you need a new shoulder
“I couldn’t lift my arms,” recalls Leslie Medrano, a sixty-five-year-old Kenosha woman. “I couldn't reach up into a cupboard to pull out a plate. I couldn't lift anything over my head or reach behind me. I couldn't get my arms up to wash my hair. Really, I couldn't do anything at all. My arms were just worthless,” Leslie says, “and the pain was extreme.”
“When I learned that my right shoulder was bone-on-bone from arthritis,” Leslie says, “I went to see Dr. Al Sawaf. I told him that I need my arms so when my daughter and her husband have a baby, I can hold my grandchild.”
“We performed a reverse shoulder replacement on one of Leslie’s shoulders,” Dr. Al Sawaf says, “a procedure that is specifically designed for patients with arthritis who have rotator cuff damage that causes severe pain and disrupts their normal activities. Three months after Leslie’s surgery, she had recovered well, and was so happy with the amount of function she had gotten back in that shoulder, that she decided to have the same procedure on her other shoulder,” says Dr. Al Sawaf.
“We're performing the latest generation of reverse shoulder replacements,” Dr. Al Sawaf says. “The implants are much smaller, more bone is preserved, the incisions are much smaller, and the range of motion we’re able to restore is greater,” says Dr. Al Sawaf. “Shoulder surgery once had a reputation for being extra tough on patients, but that has changed dramatically.”
Making the pain disappear
“I'm so happy to be out of that pain,” says Leslie Medrano, “and so happy that I can reach over my head and wash my hair, or put my hair up in a ponytail. I just love it!”
“I can't believe that I no longer have any shoulder pain,” says Ron Neubauer. “Everything's back to normal. I'm doing whatever I want.”
“Seeing good results with our patients is so satisfying,” says Dr. Al Sawaf. “It’s so great to see a patient who is doing so well. We feel we’ve accomplished something; we’ve made a difference in their life,” Dr. Al Sawaf says, “and that's a good feeling.”
“I just love Dr. Al Sawaf and his whole team,” Leslie says. “He's very kind. He's soft spoken and listens to you. He gives you the game plan, and then tells you what he's going to do, and why he's going to do it,” Leslie says. “I'm going to get a tee shirt made that says, ‘If you need a new shoulder, go see Dr. Al Sawaf.’”
“Everything about my experience was fantastic,” Ron says. “Everyone is very nice, and they really helped me understand my options and make the right choices. I just wish I hadn’t waited so long.”
Dr. Al Sawaf
The shoulder care people need
“My team has worked together for a number of years,” says Dr. Al Sawaf. “We all share the same goal to minimize complications for patients, do all the legwork ahead of surgery to make sure there are no hiccups, and get patients off pain medication as quickly as possible,” says Dr. Al Sawaf.
“To anyone who is suffering with shoulder pain that has limited what they can do, my message is this: ‘We are a one-stop shop for shoulder issues,’” Dr. Al Sawaf says. “If they have questions, if they want someone to listen to their concerns and understand their goals, if they want to know all their options, or seek a second opinion, this is what we specialize in doing,” Dr. Al Sawaf says.
“The shoulder care people want and need is right here, close to home,” Dr. Al Sawaf says. “The leading-edge procedures and treatments are in use here. That’s why we're making a positive difference in the lives of so many patients every day.”
Shoulder pain by the numbers
According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons:
- Each year, millions of people of all ages go to their doctor for shoulder problems
- The rotator cuff is one of the most important components of the shoulder
- A rotator cuff injury may occur from a direct trauma or from wear and tear over time
The Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery (JSES) reports:
- 100,000 people in the U.S. have shoulder replacement surgery each year
- By 2025, the number of annual shoulder replacement procedures in the U.S. could total anywhere from 174,000 to 350,000
