An accident left Jim Smith with shoulder pain so severe he couldn't even raise his arm.
"I was down to practically doing nothing because whatever I did, I couldn't even trim bushes in the yard because I didn't have any control of my right arm," he said.
A traditional shoulder replacement failed. Then, Phoenix Doctor Bryan Wall suggested something new - reverse shoulder replacement.
"The reverse shoulder replacement, what it does is it allows us to not only replace the joint that has become arthritic, but it puts the shoulder in a better mechanical position and changes the mechanics of the shoulder to allow people to elevate their arm," said Dr. Wall.
The surgery works best for older patients who have chronic shoulder pain, longstanding rotator cuff tears and arthritis. It doesn't work for everyone. There's a risk of patients dislocating the shoulder joint or loosening it.
"The best thing is whatever I do during the day, no matter what I do, I don't have any pain in my right arm," said Jim.
The procedure was approved by the FDA in 2004.doctor wall says younger patients are generally not good candidates for the procedure because they tend to put extreme stress on the shoulder joint.
The surgery is available at the University of Washington Medical Center.
