The Gift of Sleep…after Shoulder Surgery

Dear Colleagues:

One of the biggest problems for our patients with shoulder arthritis or rotator cuff tear is sleep disturbance. So, it is no surprise that one of the greatest gifts we can give our patients is sleep.

We all probably know as surgeons how sleep deprivation affects our everyday life. I posted on this previously in this blog, Sleep is Your Super Power.

Enclosed is a link to a study we have just completed entitled Sleep Quality and Response After Rotator Cuff Repair, Total Shoulder Arthroplasty and Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty.

We observed that Shoulder Arthroplasty patients recover the ability to sleep more comfortably faster than do those undergoing shoulder arthroscopy; however, all patients predictably improve in their ability to sleep in the short-term postoperative period.

Additional references on this topic are shown in the links below. This is an important question your patients will ask you so consider these articles as a resource for your patients and a reassurance that they will benefit with better sleep in the short term after your surgery.

Kind Regards,

Jon “JP” Warner MD

Founder, CSS

Additional Articles:

Which shoulder functions correlate with patient satisfaction after primary shoulder arthroplasty?

Risk factors associated with pain while sleeping on the affected shoulder after primary reverse shoulder arthroplasty

Outcomes following total shoulder arthroplasty in patients with obstructive sleep apnea

Sleep alterations following elective shoulder surgery: A systematic review

Sling Results in Better Sleep Quality and Less Anxiety Early After Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair: A Randomized Single-Blinded Trial

Analysis of related factors influencing the sleep quality in patients with rotator cuff tear after arthroscopic surgery

Effects of Melatonin on Sleep Quality and Patient-Reported Outcomes After Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Surgery: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial

Rotator cuff repair: Sleep disturbance significantly improves after arthroscopic tendon repair

Psychosocial Factors, Sleep, and Central Pain Processing for Making a Prognosis About Recovery of Pain, Function, and Quality of Life After Rotator Cuff Repair: An Exploratory Longitudinal Study

Improvement in sleep disturbance following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair

Improvements in Sleep After Shoulder Arthroscopy Are Correlated With Improvements in Various Patient-Reported Outcomes: A Systematic Review

Patients with rotator cuff tears present a psychological impairment, not only a functional deficit: a systematic review

Validated Wearable Device Shows Acute Postoperative Changes in Sleep Patterns Consistent With Patient-Reported Outcomes and Progressive Decreases in Device Compliance After Shoulder Surgery

Improvement in Sleep Disturbance Following Anatomic and Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty

Resolution of Sleep Disturbance and Improved Functional Outcomes After Rotator Cuff Repair

Patterns of limitations in activities of daily living, sleep, and pain in the early postoperative period following total shoulder arthroplasty: a prospective study