DUBAI 27 July 2018: Angelika Eksteen, 57 from Germany, who works for an Artificial Intelligence (AI) company, sustained a fracture in the left shoulder 10 months ago, for which she underwent a surgery at a local hospital.
However, the surgery wasn’t successful, and Angelika continued to have complications in form of pain, lack of movements and weakness. As such, she couldn’t cope with daily activities which not only affected her daily chores, but also her sleep.
The unbearable pain eventually led her to be referred to Burjeel Hospital for Advanced Surgery (Bhas), where Dr. Bhuvan Machani – Consultant Orthopaedic Upper Extremity Surgeon, performed a total reverse shoulder replacement surgery on her left shoulder. Following surgery and recovery that included targeted physical therapy, Angelika gained a new lease on life.
“Angelika was in continuous pain and needed a complex surgery surgery which had to be done in two different times. The first session aimed to remove all the implants which had been inserted and treated with antibiotics for infection. Once that settled, the next step was to perform the surgery. Total reverse shoulder replacement surgery is a condition when there are no rotator cuff tendons left, which was a case as a result from the injury and subsequent failed surgery. This is performed usually in elderly patients, however in her case there was no choice and this surgery had to be performed,” said Dr. Machani.
“This surgery is performed at times when bone fragments are displaced involving the shoulder. Whilst fracture in the shoulder can be complex, it should certainly not be taken lightly, and be treated by expert consultants who are efficient at managing such injuries and not for surgeons who have no adequate expertise. It is to be remembered that the first-time surgery is the best surgery, as such it is important to treat with great caution and expertise,” added Dr. Machani.
“The best part of my treatment is the complete resolution of pain. I was in terrible pain after my first surgery. However, just after five weeks of undergoing the total reverse shoulder replacement surgery, my life is back to normal and I feel extremely grateful to the entire team of Burjeel Hospital for Advanced Surgery for their cooperation and support,” said Angelika Eksteen.
A total reverse replacement surgery is generally performed for elderly patients as compared to middle-age groups and is usually performed to restore function of the shoulder. Though the cost of such surgeries is higher than the normal procedures, it is covered by insurance and 70 percent of these surgeries last for 10 years and more.