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The fish that didn't get away: Shoulder-replacement surgery brings avid fisherman "reel" success

It was bad enough when South Florida resident Jim McDonald had to deal with the pain and limited mobility caused by an arthritic right shoulder. But when it kept him from enjoying game fishing, a hobby he and his wife loved with a passion, the 74-year-old felt adrift. Thanks to surgical advancements and Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon Dr. Mark Brodersen, however, McDonald got a new shoulder and an 800-pound black marlin.

McDonald, a semi-retired attorney from Homestead, Fla., and his wife, Tina, had immersed themselves in the sport of game fishing for nearly 20 years. Between the tournaments they competed in and vacation fishing trips they took, the two of them caught more than 200 blue marlin. It was a passion that took them and their 55-foot Sportfish cruiser all over the Caribbean Sea and parts of the Atlantic Ocean.

"There's a great deal of enjoyment in the art of professional game fishing," says McDonald. "Alot of it is desire, determination and a feeling of accomplishment."

Shoulder-replacement surgery helped Jim McDonald (left) land an 800-pound black marlin.

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McDonald's angling ability started to suffer when he developed osteoarthritis, a common condition that occurs when the cartilage that serves as a buffer between bones wears away. The result is pain, inflammation and stiffness caused by two bones grinding against each other. The cartilage between McDonald's scapula (shoulder blade) and humerus (upper arm bone) had deteriorated to the point where he had to either fish or cut bait. Doing nothing meant a future of chronic pain and limited range of movement; having surgery offered the possibility of less pain and more use of his shoulder.

Tina McDonald had been to Mayo Clinic a few years earlier for knee-replacement surgery. Her success encouraged McDonald to make a similar choice. In April 2002, he underwent a partial shoulder replacement. During the hour-and-a-half surgery, Brodersen replaced the ball of McDonald's shoulder with a metal prosthesis. After a few nights in the hospital, McDonald went home with strict orders to rest and avoid heavy lifting. As he recuperated, he returned to his normal activities. It wasn't long before McDonald longed to get back in his boat.

Nine months after surgery, McDonald was on a chartered fishing trip with a business associate off the coast of Panama when he caught a 350-pound black marlin. Catching a big game fish is timeconsuming and demanding, McDonald says. It takes strong shoulders, knees and legs to win a tug-of-war with a fish that size. Understanding the fish's instincts and orchestrating the fine dance between hauling up the rod and reeling in the line are key to not letting the big one get away. But this was just a test.

Three months later, he returned to Panama with another associate. This time he baited a 50-pound-test line with a live tuna, dropped it back into the water and hoped for the best. Four hours later he got a bite, and it was a big one. On the other end was an 800-pound black marlin. "The biggest fish I've ever seen," McDonald says.

"Because of my shoulder replacement, I had the strength and the stamina to fight this fish for over two hours," McDonald says. "It's not as good as having your real shoulder but better than the alternative. There are people who do have their own who can't land a fish that big."

Shoulder replacements do offer good function, Brodersen says.

"But ordinarily that means golf and doubles tennis. I'm delighted that he's doing so well and that he feels well enough to accomplish this sort of thing," Brodersen says.

And what happened to the huge fish? McDonald would have returned it to the sea, but it died during the lengthy standoff. So the fishermen brought it to Coiva Island off Panama and gave it to the islanders.

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