Patient Spotlight: Dave Meredith
Sandusky resident Dave Meredith suffered from shoulder pain for years. His physician, Dr. Matthew Widmer, recommended he have a shoulder replacement, but Dave was adamantly opposed to having surgery. After undergoing numerous surgeries during his 80 years, including the brain, open heart, carpel tunnel, and carotid, it was easy to understand why. “I had been cut on so much I just didn’t want any more surgeries,” he says.
Dave’s shoulder pain began 30 years ago when he had open heart surgery at a Cleveland hospital. “I was told that the way I was positioned during the surgery damaged my left shoulder. I’ve been battling pain ever since,” he explains.
For the past several years, Dr. Widmer, a member of the Firelands Physician Group who practices family medicine and sports medicine at Firelands Health, has helped Dave manage his shoulder pain through injections and physical therapy. “Dr. Widmer is wonderful. He is an amazing doctor who did everything he could to help me with my shoulder pain. Dr. Widmer advised me to have surgery but never pushed it. He knew how much I wanted to avoid it and left the decision-making to me. Finally, last summer, the pain was so intense I told him I had to be realistic and have the surgery,” says Dave.
Dr. Widmer referred Dave to Kevin Bailey, D.O., a Firelands Physician Group orthopedic surgeon specializing in shoulder, knee, and hip injuries who had also completed an orthopedic surgery sports medicine fellowship at Allegany Health Network in Pittsburg. Because Dave’s shoulder had suffered severe damage, Dr. Bailey recommended a reverse total shoulder replacement. In this type of surgery, the damaged parts of the shoulder are removed and replaced with artificial parts.
The difference between a reverse prosthesis and a standard shoulder replacement is that the ball is placed on the socket side of the joint, opposite of where it is naturally located. The socket is then placed on the arm side and is supported by a metal stem in the arm bone or humerus.
Dr. Bailey explained to Dave that a reverse total shoulder replacement would result in a better outcome for him because his rotator cuff was so severely damaged. A standard total shoulder replacement relies on muscles and tendons around the shoulder joint to be intact. A reverse prosthesis is for situations where the rotator cuff is torn or malfunctioning. “In addition to his rotator cuff damage, Dave also had severe arthritis, which was causing him significant pain, weakness, and limited range of motion. By the time I saw Dave, he was ready to have the surgery,” said Dr. Bailey.
Following the surgery, Dave received physical therapy from Tim Albrethsen, P.T., at Firelands Health’s Bone Creek. His recovery is progressing well. A few weeks after the shoulder replacement, Dave returned to work at Toft Funeral Home and Crematory and is again enjoying family vacations with his wife of 57 years, Dianne, their children, and grandchildren. “Tim did an amazing job helping me recover from the surgery. I have more movement in my shoulder than I’ve had in years. Best of all, I have no pain,” says Dave.
“This whole experience has been unbelievable. Dr. Bailey, Dr. Widmer, and Tim are responsible for my success. In my opinion, there is no reason to go out of Sandusky for orthopedic care. We have the best doctors and therapists right here. We are so fortunate to have the resources we do at Firelands.”
