Fred Manzanares

“Surgery isn’t what most people want to do, but for me, it was great. My shoulder is not in pain anymore. Dr. Shah is a wonderful surgeon, and the whole staff is fantastic!”

Fred Manzanares works hard and plays hard. He spent 40 physically demanding years as a professional tile installer. The married father of a college student enjoys being active with his wife: golfing, biking, hiking, and traveling. About 18 months ago, left-handed Fred started to have pain in his right shoulder. “In my line of work, I expected my knees to go, or maybe my shoulder on my dominant arm, but the repetitive motion of my work simply wore out my right shoulder.”

Fred didn’t have insurance at the time, so he just worked through the pain. “The pain got worse and worse, and I was grumpy all the time. Just ask my wife.” The pain was affecting his work, too. Fred could barely lift his arm, so trying to lift the heavy tiles was impossible. When his wife got a new job with insurance benefits, Fred headed straight for the doctor and an MRI. “I thought maybe I had a rotator cuff tear, but when Dr. Shah saw my images, he told me it was much worse. I needed a new shoulder.”

Fred and Dr. Shah talked and decided to undertake some conservative treatments first. “Dr. Shah is brilliant, candid, and knows how to talk to patients about their options.” Fred got a cortisone shot and went to physical therapy, but none of it helped; his shoulder was just too far gone. “Dr. Shah was upfront with me and told me that this was a career-ending surgery. I had planned to work for one more year, but I went ahead and retired.”

Fred had a reverse total shoulder replacement. The major difference between a traditional shoulder replacement and a reverse shoulder replacement is that the socket and ball parts of the shoulder change sides in a reverse replacement. Their natural position is reversed. Fred was in the hospital overnight. Fred wore a sling for two months. He went to physical therapy two times a month for a couple of months and then went once a week for a month. “I do my exercises religiously every day, and it seems to be working. Before, I couldn’t lift my arm, and now I can reach for the ceiling without any pain!”

Fred is starting to enjoy retirement pain-free with a trip to Playa del Carmen, and he can’t wait to golf again. “Surgery isn’t what most people want to do, but for me, it was great. I am not in pain anymore. I am feeling good. My scar is beautiful, and my wife makes me show it to our friends! Dr. Shah is a wonderful surgeon, and the whole staff is fantastic!”