skip navigation

John Ingraham can use his right shoulder again after a recent "reverse shoulder replacement" procedure at Dosher.
John Ingraham can use his right shoulder again after a recent "reverse shoulder replacement" procedure at Dosher.

A New Year, a new shoulder


John Ingraham has a new and improved right shoulder thanks to Dosher Memorial Hospital and board-certified orthopedic surgeon Thomas B. Kelso, MD, PhD.

John, of Ocean Isle Beach, is a financial advisor who travels the state and beyond hosting seminars on topics of investing, estate planning and filing taxes.

"People depend on me for information. I stand and give presentations with a pointer. It got to where I couldn't even hold the pointer anymore," John said.

Excruciating pain in his right shoulder due to extended rotator cuff damage became so elevated, he contemplated canceling all 19 workshops planned for this year.

What John needed was a "reverse total shoulder replacement." Unlike standard shoulder replacements, in a 'reverse,' the ball and socket parts of the shoulder joint switch sides. This allows other muscles, such as the deltoid, to do the work of the damaged rotator cuff tendons.

"I had my left shoulder done elsewhere seven years ago. It was not a good experience, so I was apprehensive," John said.

This time he went to Dosher where Dr. Kelso, with EmergeOrtho, performed the replacement the last week of December.

"It went extremely well. I had little pain and I didn't even take any pain medication. It will be three weeks tomorrow and I'm feeling pretty doggone good," John said on January 10.

He said Dosher's "superior patient care," is what makes the hospital's total joint replacement program stand out above the rest. John attributed his speedy recovery and little to no post-surgery pain to the ice compression wrap that Dosher sent home with him.

"The ice treatment was the real big deal they taught me how to use it, it compressed my recovery time. The goal is to use it often. I'd recommend anyone to use as much as you can," John said.

Dosher strives to educate their patients on all aspects of any joint replacement surgery to ensure a positive experience. At Dosher, patients needing joint replacements are invited to attend free informational sessions that include lunch and reserved parking.

"It's a class that helps them with their journey, from preparing for the procedure at home, to what happens the day of the surgery, and what's necessary for proper healing after release from the hospital," Nurse Navigator for total joint replacements Chelsea Cannon, RN, said.

John enjoyed being informed on every step of his care courtesy of the care boards in each patient room.

"They have a big, dry erase board informing you who is taking care of you, the nurse, the doctor, all of your vitals are on there. You could see if you're making progress. That was big plus," John said.

Dosher is the recipient of two national respiratory care quality awards and has one of the lowest post-operative infection rates in the state.

Meanwhile, John is ready to hit his busy 2019 seminar tour pointer and all.

"I had a lot of doubts whether I would be able to pull off this year, but not anymore. Dr. Kelso and Dosher have fixed my problem," John said.

Our surgical team

Other board-certified orthopedic surgeons who perform total joint replacements at Dosher are:

Craig N. Lippe, MD, and Chad M. Fortun, MD, MS, Carolina Sports Medicine and Orthopedics, 910-799-0110.
Eric Lescault, DO, and Michael Marushack, MD, EmergeOrtho, 910-332-3800.

Read more at Dosher.org/Joints.


Facebook