Dr. Brian Cohen performs reverse total shoulder replacement live

CHILLICOTHE – Adena Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Brian S. Cohen taught his technique for the reverse total shoulder arthroplasty procedure to more than 500 peers, live via simulcast from a surgical suite inside Chillicothe’s Adena Regional Medical Center, Monday, May 19.

The other physicians were attending a conference in Las Vegas, NV, titled Current Concepts in Joint Replacement (CCJR). Dr. Cohen was selected as a member of the CCJR faculty, and often teaches his surgical methods to other physicians. The course was titled, “Live in Las Vegas: Shoulder Reconstruction from the Adena Bone & Joint Center.”

“We usually have three or four surgeons a month visiting our operating room here at Adena,” said Dr. Cohen. “When asked to present to CCJR we had been requested to go to another location to do this operation; and I, along with Arthrex, said we had no problem doing the operation as part of the program, but we wanted to do it from Adena.”

Using two cameras and a video encoder, fed through the Internet, Dr. Cohen explained each step of the surgical process. On the other side of the country, moderator, and Dr. Cohen’s mentor, Dr. Tony Romeo fielded questions from the participants during the more than one-hour procedure.

The patient, 69-year old David Evans of Logan, OH, first injured his shoulder in 1964 when he fell off the wing of a B-58 bomber, while serving in the U.S. Air Force. Evans has had four surgeries on the shoulder, which had deteriorated after several injuries over the years. A recent fall forced his decision to finally have the shoulder replaced.

“I couldn’t raise it, I couldn’t move it, I couldn’t do anything with it really,” Evans said. He’s hopeful the surgery will restore full use of his shoulder and enhance his quality of life. “I hope I’ll be able to use it like I used to. I work in the woods a lot. That’s my enjoyment,” he said. The surgery went well, as expected.

Dr. Cohen made headlines in June 2013, when he became the first surgeon in the U.S. to perform a total reverse shoulder implant using the Arthrex Reverse Universe device. Dr. Cohen has performed more than 1,000 reverse shoulder procedures and over 350 with the Arthrex device.

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