Getting a second opinion on your shoulder

When a second opinion is worth getting

• You have been told you need surgery, and you want to be sure before you commit to it
• You have been told nothing more can be done
• An operation has not been successful, and nobody has been able to say why
• The plan you were given does not seem to fit what you actually need your shoulder to do
• You want the reasoning explained again, more slowly, before you decide

Plenty of second opinions end with agreeing that the first plan was the right one. That is a useful answer too — it is much easier to go into an operation you have decided on twice.

Bring the images, not just the reports

This is the single thing that makes the difference between a useful second opinion and a wasted appointment. A radiology report is a summary written by someone who was not examining you. The images themselves show a surgeon what they need to see.

So: ask the office that did your X-ray, MRI or CT for a copy on a disc or a link, and bring it. Bring your operative notes as well if you have had shoulder surgery before. The full list of what to bring is on the visit page.

What the appointment involves

• A conversation about what the shoulder stops you doing, and what has been tried already
• An examination of how it moves and where it is weak
• A look at your imaging, and usually new X-rays taken in the office
• An honest account of what the options are, including doing nothing

Bring someone with you. We give a lot of information in a short visit. If you want to record the conversation on your phone, ask — the answer is yes.Howard D. Routman, DO

Why this practice sees a lot of them

Dr. Routman has limited his surgical practice to the shoulder for twenty-five years, and a large share of his work is shoulders that have already been operated on — referred by other surgeons across the region. That is the background a second opinion is being given against. Revision work has its own page.

A second opinion is not a commitment

Coming for one does not mean changing surgeons, and it does not oblige you to have anything done here. You are entitled to understand what is being proposed for your own shoulder before you agree to it.

Common questions

How do I get a second opinion on shoulder surgery?

Call the office at (561) 627-8500 and say that is what you are coming for. Bring the actual images of your shoulder — X-ray, MRI or CT on a disc or a link — rather than only the written reports, along with any operative notes if you have had shoulder surgery before.

Do I need to bring my MRI images, or is the report enough?

Bring the images. A report is a summary written by someone who was not examining you, and it leaves out most of what a surgeon needs to see. If the scan was done elsewhere, ask that office for a copy on a disc or a link before you come.

Will getting a second opinion offend my current surgeon?

Asking for one is a normal part of deciding on an operation, and surgeons are used to it. Many second opinions end up agreeing with the original plan, which is a useful result in itself.

Can I get a second opinion if I have already had shoulder surgery?

Yes, and that is a large part of what this practice does — replacements that never felt right, repairs that did not hold, stiffness, and late infections. Being told nothing more can be done is not always the end of it.