My father is going to have his shoulder replaced. I know someone else who had it and had nothing but trouble. How successful are shoulder replacements?

Shoulder arthroplasties, or replacements, have a good success rate. The average results are that 87 percent of patients still have their original shoulder replacements after 15 years.

It isn’t always possible to predict who will do well following a replacement surgery and who will not. The strength of the bones and the muscles around the joint plays a role in the healing process and if the replacement will hold. However, sometimes there are unforeseen events, such as an infection in the joint or hardware breakdown.