Help me make up my mind re humeral prosthesis

[MisguidedAngel]

10 years ago, after an accident, I had to have a humeral prosthesis followed by three months of intensive rehabilitation due to nerve damage. The mobility of my arm has always been restricted but this has had very little impact on my life and I have had no pain.

Recently I have been experiencing occasional pain at the top of my arm with small movements, just enough to make me wince, and it is getting a bit worse.

I live in France and am covered by the health system there, so I was able to get a GP appointment the day I asked and an x-ray three days later. The results of the x-ray were basically that there seems to be no problem with the prosthesis itself, no loosening or rupture, but that opinion could be sought from an orthopedic surgeon.

My GP seems to think it's nothing, he prescribed an analgesic gel, but did make a referral for the x-ray at my request. I know he will also refer me to an orthopedic consultant if I ask - this is the way the system works in France.

I am completely torn - on the one hand the level of occasional discomfort I am experiencing doesn't seem worth making a fuss about. On the other hand, I do a lot of travelling, I will be in UK for some time later in the summer and in Spain in the winter. If there is a problem, I would rather have it seen to in France.

I know that only I can make this decision, but I'd welcome opinions.

Depends a bit on what you would what the surgeon to do doesn't it? An xray confirming that the prosthesis is still in the right place/not loose doesn't tell you anything about the function of that arm/the joint above/below the prosthesis (although presumably your GP has examined you and has some idea of those things). Some people find it helpful to understand exactly why they have pain even if they don't want anything doing about it (keeping in mind that there's no operation on earth that can't make a problem worse). Might be worth exploring physio options in France if you're not keen on surgery.

Thank you walking, that helps. The last thing I want is another operation of course (I like your take on operations!). So I suppose I am one of those people who just want to know why. If it's age related arthritis or similar I can live with it. I might take the next step and then decide.