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Mercy orthopedic surgeon Dr. Joseph Ciotola

Mercy's Dr. Joseph Ciotola Discusses Reverse Shoulder Replacement On WBAL-TV11's "Woman's Doctor"

A procedure called reverse shoulder replacement is making life better for many people who have shoulder pain.

A few months ago, Sharon Row couldn't do many shoulder movements without excruciating pain, and she said it hurt all the time.

"It hurt at night when I tried to sleep. I was having trouble doing things like drying my hair and getting dressed, and it really became a quality of life issue because I couldn't do the things I wanted to do," she said.

According to Mercy Medical Center orthopedic surgeon Dr. Joseph Ciotola, severe arthritis usually means that bones are rubbing on bone. It causes pain and dysfunction, which makes the reverse replacement useful.

"What this reverse shoulder replacement is really providing is a solution for which we didn't have," Dr. Ciotola said, pointing at a prosthesis that moves like a ball and socket joint. "Before, this prosthesis was a patient that had a chronic rotator cuff tear that was not repairable."

The procedure has provided good results.

"Excellent results if it's done for the right indication. It's really remarkable how well patients do," Dr. Ciotola said.

Row had her surgery April 5.

"It's incredible. The things that I couldn't do or that hurt to do before, I can do now, and there's just no pain," she said. "I'm not 100 percent yet, but I'm still working at it, and it's just been wonderful."

To view Dr. Ciotola’s interview with WBAL-TV11, click this link: http://www.wbaltv.com/health/28145403/detail.html#ixzz1OX1ZboQU