Apologies Bob - got side-tracked talking about Comfrey and rushing to get to school to teach. The surgery you are asking about most likely results in removal / replacement of the affected joint and (occasionally) a slight reconfiguration / "rejig" of the musculature / ligamental structures around the joint replaced.

From patients I have transported / known in the past (as both an ex- ambulance officer / paramedic and/or as a rehab patient myself); the surgery is VERY successful and with good 'rehab' physio and your own application to it - you will, in a relatively short time, be playing as you once did - with a LOT less pain!


On a personal observance - few injuries/debilitations/surgeries etc are bad enough to STOP the true music lover from playing. 8 years ago, I was involved in a motorcycle accident and should have been killed. Among the many physical injuries (including the pulped knee referred to earlier and having had 10% of each shoulder removed to assist the rebuild and rehab; I also suffered closed head injuries which lead in turn to my being classified as a mild ABI (acquired brain injury). The result of this is that I have little or no sense of taste or smell (great for when someone farts in the car - but not much else), very poor short-term memory (my memory USED to be eidetic (photographic), but worst of all, for some reason it affected the part of my brain relating to my music and music memory.

The result: I forgot HOW to play. I can no longer recall, remember chord progressions and if someone says "Oh, that song's played in the key of 'C'" - then Thanks - but NO HELP; as I can't recall the chords that go into the key of 'C'!!!.
Also; my fine motor control was buggered - so i can no longer finger-pick or barre chords; worse, even if I TRY to fingerpick a tune, the brain does somersaults trying to remember WHICH strings to pick and where AS WELL as remember the tune / words to sing.
Occasionally the brain and hands play "no speaks" so I can be strumming in the correct time / rhythm but the chording is "off" (out of kilter) or if I nail the chording, the strumming goes to hell!

My answer?: I relearned about a dozen or so chords I can recall fairly easily (though 'C' & 'F' confuse the HELL outta me - I avoid songs with F chords like the plague) - in their simplest forms and when I find a song I know and want to play, I chord it in the simplest format possible that still gives the correct tune and play it that way.
In order to remember the songs, I have made up my own song-books with all the lyrics printed out and the chordings / chord-changes placed in red above the point where it occurs (So every line of lyric has its attendant 'chord-line' above. This way I can once again play and recall songs: with my Short-term memory disability I have to do this as I can't recall how to START a song let alone play several. I simply open the book, take a second or two to 'reorient myself and play as written.

The only drawback is that I can't to "lead-ins" or improvise in 'chord-breaks' between verses as I can't recall what goes with what to complement the song itself.

In short: Have the surgery, do the rehab and gain an improved quality of life. If your playing is affected, find a way to work around it as I and many others have done.

This isan't meant to be a smart-arse response, but one of encouragement.

Music will ALWAYS find a way to be expressed by the true lover of its artform

GOOD LUCK