Pablo's Story
As a shoulder surgeon, Pablo Narbona, MD (Córdoba, Argentina), knows all too well how debilitating shoulder pain can be for patients. But he developed an even deeper understanding when his own injuries forced him to seek relief through a total shoulder replacement for himself.
Need for Total Shoulder Replacement Turns Surgeon Into Patient
Dr. Narbona spent years playing competitive rugby, which led to repeated shoulder injuries that ultimately began interfering with his daily life.
“After eight to ten hours of operating every day, I was in pain by the end of the day and would wake up feeling stiff and with limited range of motion in my arm,” Dr. Narbona said. “I didn’t remember what normal felt like — my shoulder pain was affecting my ability to live and be active.”
That’s when he turned to shoulder surgeon Patrick J. Denard, MD (Medford, OR), a friend and colleague from when they trained together during their orthopedic fellowship.
“It was both a tremendous honor and a lot of pressure to get that call,” Dr. Denard said.
“Pablo had a lot of inflammation and couldn’t lift his arm out to the side at all, so it was time to do the surgery.”
Looking For A Shoulder Surgeon Near You?
Not all of us are as lucky as Dr. Narbona when it comes to having orthopedic surgeons as coworkers and friends. And we all know that a good doctor makes all the difference. If you’re searching for a total shoulder replacement surgeon near you, use our free Find A Doctor tool to take the next step in your shoulder replacement journey.
*This real patient was compensated for the time they took to share their personal experience with the Arthrex Total Shoulder Replacement Surgery.
Arthrex Eclipse Is the Answer for Total Shoulder Replacement Assessment
With arthritis in Dr. Narbona’s shoulder joint and an intact rotator cuff, Dr. Denard said an anatomic total shoulder replacement was the clear choice. Because Dr. Narbona was relatively young and wanted to remain very active, together the two surgeons elected to use the stemless Arthrex - Eclipse™ total shoulder arthroplasty system.
What Are The Benefits of Using Arthrex Eclipse Total Shoulder Replacement System?
“The stemless design allows us to preserve as much bone as possible with the shoulder replacement,” Dr. Denard said, who is chair of the international Shoulder Arthroplasty Research Committee (ShARC), a collaboration of surgeons focused on research and improving patient outcomes for shoulder replacement surgery. “We know that active patients under the age of 55 are at risk for needing a revision at some point in their lives following total shoulder arthroplasty. With the Eclipse, we have over 20 years of data to support the likelihood of a durable, long-term outcome.”
The positive Eclipse total shoulder replacement data, combined with Dr. Narbona’s confidence in the surgical plan and his colleague’s expertise, convinced him to travel halfway around the world to have the operation in Oregon. Four days later, he made the trip back home to Argentina to begin physical therapy.
“He had an excellent outcome and is back not only to a full schedule of operating on his own patients, but he’s even playing rugby again,” Dr. Denard said.
Find a Doctor Near You
Arthrex Total Shoulder Replacement Helps Patients And Surgeons
For Dr. Narbona, it’s proof that having an anatomictotal shoulder arthroplasty replacement can provide life-changing results for patients and surgeon alike.
“Now, I have my quality of life back,” he said. “I am back to normal and pain-free for the first time in years."
When it comes to shoulder injuries, shoulder joint damage can happen to anyone at any age. Read about the other patients who have alleviated their shoulder pain, improved shoulder mobility, and are back to enjoying life again through total shoulder replacement or shoulder surgery products from Arthrex.
