Meet Mike
Age 63, from Alexandria, IN
Enjoys running, snowboarding, home projects and spending time with family
Injury/Condition: shoulder dislocation & rotator cuff tear
CIO Provider/Treatment: Dr. P. Jamieson Kay, reverse total shoulder replacement
Mike’s Story
Mike’s shoulder pain originally started with an overuse injury – simply from hard work throughout his lifetime. He had a longstanding rotator cuff tear and had been managing his pain with periodic injections and medication.
In March 2018, Mike and his wife were snowboarding with friends in Colorado. Mike fell, dislocating his shoulder, and was rushed to a nearby medical clinic to be evaluated. The clinic was able to pop his shoulder back into place, but it had dislocated again by the next morning. A CT and MRI showed a chronic rotator cuff tear, shoulder dislocation, a lesion and large deformity.
Mike has been a patient of Central Indiana Orthopedics many times in the past, so he flew home to Indiana and got right in to see Dr. Kay. At the time of evaluation, Mike couldn’t lift his shoulder and was in constant pain due to recurring dislocations and his shoulder’s condition from previous injuries. Dr. Kay suggested reverse shoulder replacement surgery, but based on Mike’s history and the quality of his shoulder, Dr. Kay shared that this was a salvage operation and there were no guarantees – this surgery would be the best option for Mike for stability, pain relief and increased function.
Dr. Kay was very pleased with Mike’s surgery and recovery! Mike was recovering well – and fast. At 4-weeks post-operation, he began using his shoulder again to rebuild a carburetor and work on his riding mower. But Dr. Kay cautioned him to take it slow and be careful with his activity as he recovers. 🙂
“I can do more things now with my shoulder than I could do before,” Mike shared. “It’s been a game-changer for me because I believe my shoulder is better than it has been in 15-20 years.”
Today, Mike’s shoulder is better than ever. He continues to work on home projects, enjoys golfing and is even back on the ski slopes!