Dear Professor Levy,
At our most recent appointment I suggested that I give an account of the outcome of the Verso operation you performed upon my right shoulder on May 7 2015.
The shoulder had been injured playing Rugby football when I was about 17 i.e. some 48 years previously. There was little supporting muscle on the arm, shoulder or back as I had been protecting it for many years. The range of movement was very restricted and there was considerable pain from the arthritis.
The Verso operation was carried out at the Berkshire Independent Hospital and I was given pain relief in the form of a nerve blocker and other drugs of which I have no details. On leaving hospital I was prescribed paracetamol (4 times 1000mg per day) and codeine phosphate (15 mg per day).
I felt no pain after the operation, and after the effect of nerve blocker wore off there was only mild discomfort. Shortly after returning home I was able to reduce the pain control to paracetamol (3 times at 500 mg per day) and eliminate the codeine. This regime was further modified so that by 28 June no pain relief was needed.
I had 12 sessions of 30 minutes each of physiotherapy at the Shoulder Unit and I think that specialist physiotherapy exercises are vital to support the surgery, My usual physiotherapist was Pratikshya Sherchan who was excellent and a great support.
After about 8 months from the operation, my range of movement is almost as good as my left arm and the only difference is that, so far, my right arm is not as strong as the left. I had always been a good swimmer before the shoulder became ineffective and I now swim front and back crawl as well as ever –but not quite as fast!
Thank you very much for your skill and kind attention and giving me back the use of my arm after so many years. Professor Levy, I am deeply grateful to you.
Yours sincerely
Michael Eustace