Shoulder arthroplasty in patients with a history of epilepsy is safe and effective

BackgroundThe safety of shoulder arthroplasty for patients with a history of convulsive seizures is unknown. Concerns include the possibility of a postoperative seizure resulting in dislocation, cuff disruption, or implant failure. We sought to compare outcomes and complications following shoulder arthroplasty in patients with and without a history of convulsive seizures.MethodsOur institutional Total Joint Registry Database was queried to identify all patients with a history of convulsive seizures who had undergone a primary shoulder arthroplasty between 2000 and 2018. The query identified 56 shoulders (49 patients) with an average age of 61.8 years. 51.8% of patients were female. This cohort was matched 2:1 to a group of patients with similar surgical and demographic characteristics who did not have a seizure history. Kaplan–Meier estimates and univariate Cox regression models were utilized to compare implant survival and reoperation rates. Patient-reported outcomes, including the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score were also extracted.ResultsAt most recent follow-up, cumulative reoperation rates were equivalent between the groups (P = .9) with 3 reoperations out of 56 shoulders (5.4%) in the seizure group, and 7 reoperations out of 112 shoulders (6.3%) in the nonseizure group. Rates of implant revision were also similar. Five-year Kaplan–Meier survival estimates free of reoperation were 97.8% (95% confidence interval, 91.1-100.0) in the seizure group and 93.1% (95% confidence interval, 87.4-98.9) in the nonseizure group. Postoperatively, 23 of 56 patients in the seizure group had at least 1 known seizure after their index arthroplasty, at an average of 4.4 years after surgery. None of the patients with postoperative seizures sustained a dislocation. Altogether only 3 episodes of prosthetic dislocation were observed, all in the nonseizure group. The only complication attributable to a seizure was an early postoperative seizure resulting in subscapularis failure, although this patient never underwent reoperation. Patient-reported outcomes and range of motion were similar between groups, with average American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scores of 77.2 and 74.9 in the seizure and nonseizure groups, respectively (P = .6).DiscussionReoperation rates and implant survival following shoulder arthroplasty were similar when comparing patients with and without a history of convulsive seizures. Postarthroplasty seizures occurred in a notable number of patients but did not result in any major complications. While it remains prudent to ensure that patients’ seizures are well controlled prior to arthroplasty, our data suggest that individuals with a convulsive seizure disorder can undergo shoulder arthroplasty safely.