Jerry Blackstone Story
After fighting through the pain and struggling to lift his arms for over 20 years, Jerry Blackstone regained his freedom and ability to command the podium after undergoing bilateral anatomic shoulder replacement surgeries.
As one of the nation’s leading choral conductors with two Grammy awards and countless accolades, Professor Jerry Blackstone’s entire 30-year career has been made by the expressive use of his arms.
“I love words, I love working with choral musicians and bringing the music to life,” he said.
That love — and exceptional talent — has taken Jerry all over the world conducting choirs. But after three decades at the University of Michigan, he retired in 2018 with debilitating shoulder pain.
“I had shoulder pain for at least 20 years,” Jerry said. “I traveled a lot and often guest-conducted for seven to nine hours a day. It got to the point that I could not lift my left arm above shoulder level. I also had pain in the right shoulder, but it wasn’t as acute.”
Despite the pain, Jerry leaned on physical therapy and rest to push through — all the while keeping the problem from everyone but his wife. He says he couldn’t risk taking time off to have surgery.
“People in my profession don’t talk about this; if you do, there goes your career,” he explained. “My poor wife had to deal with Mr. Grumpy Pants after long hours of conducting.”
But then the COVID pandemic shut down choral performances along with the rest of the world, and Jerry received a timely referral to renowned shoulder surgeon Anthony Romeo, MD (Chicago, IL).
“Jerry came to me with advanced osteoarthritis, with large bone spurs that were limiting his range of motion and causing him pain,” Dr. Romeo said. “His rotator cuff was intact and pretty healthy. He had the downtime, so it was the perfect time to do the surgery.”
Dr. Romeo performed a total shoulder replacement on Jerry’s left side using the Eclipse™ total shoulder system which involves a stemless implant that Dr. Romeo helped Arthrex develop and gain approval in the United States.
“With a stemless device we are able to place the implant in the most anatomic position and keep it there. If the humeral head is in the right spot, the shoulder moves much better,” Dr. Romeo explained. “With the stemless device there is far less blood loss and pain is significantly reduced in the early postoperative stage.”
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With the addition of the Virtual Implant Positioning™ (VIP™) preoperative planning system, Dr. Romeo was able to create and execute a surgical plan that placed the implant in the optimal position for Jerry’s anatomy.
“With precise reaming and placement, we put the implant in exactly the right place, and it’s the right size,” Dr. Romeo said. “With this approach and planning, we can provide the patient the best longevity with the shoulder replacement.”
For Jerry, the results were remarkable.
“This surgery gave me my life back,” he said. “It’s been an incredible blessing.”
Jerry’s outcome was so good, he decided to have his right shoulder replaced after the left one had healed.
“I truly didn’t know how bad it felt until I no longer hurt so much,” he said. “The first time I lifted my left arm overhead I started weeping — I hadn’t been able to do that for over 20 years.”
Today, Jerry is back to guest-conducting. He also accepted a position as a visiting professor at the University of Notre Dame’s department of sacred music training other conductors.
“Because of the surgery, the doors to my creativity have opened up again and I am finding new ways to bring the music to life,” Jerry said. “I get emotional just thinking about it. I wish I had had the surgery earlier, but I am so glad I finally did it.”
Dr. Romeo says that is what makes this specialized surgery so worthwhile and important.
“Today’s modern technology and highly trained surgeons who know how to do this can help patients not only be free from pain but get them back to the things they love to do.”
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This is not medical advice and is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by a surgeon or other qualified medical professional on the use of these products. You should talk with your physician or health care provider for
more information about your health condition and whether Arthrex products might be appropriate for you. The surgeon who performs any surgical procedure is responsible for determining and using the appropriate techniques for surgical procedures on each individual patient. Arthrex recommends that surgeons be trained on the use of any particular product before using it in surgery. A surgeon must always rely on their own professional medical judgment when deciding whether to use a particular product when treating a particular patient. A surgeon must always refer to the package insert, product label, and/or directions for use before using any Arthrex product. Postoperative management is patient-specific and dependent on the treating professional’s assessment. Individual results will vary and not all patients will experience the same postoperative activity level or outcomes. Products may not be available in all markets because product availability is subject to the regulatory approvals and medical practices in individual markets. Please contact Arthrex if you have questions about the availability of products in your area.
This real patient was compensated for the time he took to share his experience. Physician is a paid consultant of Arthrex, Inc.
*This real patient was compensated for the time they took to share their personal experience with the Arthrex Total Shoulder Replacement Surgery.