The "Shoulder-Sparing" Secret: How Moving Muscles Instead of Cutting Them Are Getting Patients Back in Action

Two Christmases ago, 76-year-old Len Lawton went snorkeling on vacation. He took exactly one breaststroke before the searing pain in his shoulder forced him to quit.

For a guy who had spent years playing softball, bumping volleyballs, swimming, and hitting the gym, being sidelined wasn't just frustrating - it was heartbreaking. The wear and tear of an active life had finally caught up with him in the form of severe arthritis and a massive bone spur. It got so bad that Len couldn't even put his arm behind his back or pull on a coat.

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He was getting cortisone shots just to take the edge off, but Len knew he was only delaying the inevitable: a total shoulder replacement.

Len is hardly alone. Over 100,000 people in the US undergo shoulder replacement surgery each year, typically to relieve severe pain and restore mobility stolen by joint-destroying conditions like osteoarthritis, severe fractures, or irreparable rotator cuff tears. But when people hear "shoulder replacement," they usually brace for the worst.

The standard protocol is daunting: patients are typically "laid up" with their arm immobilized in a sling for two to six weeks, followed by grueling physical therapy that takes six to 12 months for a complete recovery. Friends warned Len and his wife, Liz, about this miserable timeline, and Liz quietly prepared herself to be a full-time caregiver while her husband recovered.

When people hear "shoulder replacement," they usually brace for the worst. Friends warned Len and his wife, Liz, about the standard protocol - months of painful rehab and a miserable six weeks strapped into a sling. Liz quietly prepared herself to be a full-time caregiver while her husband recovered.

Dissatisfied with the answers he was getting from a specialist at another hospital, Len's internist pointed him toward Dr. Eitan Kohan, an orthopedic surgeon at Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC).

It turned out to be one the best recommendations of his life.

Dr. Kohan and Dr. Frank Alberta, two shoulder specialists in the department of Orthopedic Surgery at HUMC, are pioneering a new and innovative approach to shoulder replacements. But Len didn't actually know he was a candidate for it until the very morning of his surgery on June 10.

Because Len's rotator cuff was fully intact, Dr. Kohan came in and pitched an alternative: the Subscapularis-sparing approach in shoulder arthroplasty.

Instead of slicing through the shoulder muscles, soft tissue, and tendons to reach the joint, the surgeon gently pushes them out of the way. It's a slightly longer, highly advanced procedure in the operating room, but the tradeoff for the patient is massive - way less pain, keeping the muscles intact, and a drastically shorter rehab. The only catch is that the surgeon won't know for absolute certain if they can do it until they are actually operating.

Hearing that the rehab was significantly easier, Len jumped at the chance. He told Dr. Kohan to go for it.

To say it worked would be an understatement. Len had his shoulder replacement and walked out of the hospital the very same day. No overnight stay required.

"The beauty of the subscapularis-sparing approach is that by gently sliding past the muscle instead of severing it, we preserve the shoulder's natural front wall," explains Dr. Kohan. "Not only does this eliminate the painful wait for a cut tendon to heal, but it gives the new joint instant, built-in stability. It dramatically lowers the risk of dislocation, which is exactly why patients like Len can safely move their arm and get back to their daily routines almost immediately."

And that dreaded six-week stint in a sling? Canceled.

Len was told he might need the sling for three to four days. In reality, he barely wore it around the house at all, only throwing it on as a precaution when he went outside. While he admits he had a little trouble shampooing his hair those first few days, he was already tying his own shoes.

Liz's fears of playing full-time nurse completely vanished. Len just didn't need the support they thought he would.

Even the professionals were floored. When Len walked into physical therapy to start his rehab, his physical therapist took his range-of-motion measurements and couldn't believe it. Len was the first patient she'd seen who had undergone this specific sparing procedure. At just two weeks post-op, she told him he looked like he was two months post-op. He was a full five weeks ahead of schedule.

Today, Len is incredibly proud to be one of the very first HUMC patients to say "yes" to this procedure, and he and Liz are highly recommending it to anyone who will listen. He's back to doing the things he needs to do, and getting ready to jump back in the pool for a real swim very soon.

If you're living with chronic shoulder pain, a grueling, painful recovery doesn't have to be your only option. Thanks to the advanced, muscle-sparing procedures offered at Hackensack University Medical Center, you can skip the long recovery, ditch the sling, and get back to your life faster than ever.

For more information on this innovative procedure or an appointment, click here.