What About Surgery For Arthritis?Arthritis is a chronic condition that requires ongoing treatment just to keep going every day. A particularly frustrating part of Arthritis is that the treatment may need to be changed over and over as one medication no longer works as well. When the pain becomes unbearable, the disability level increases and deformity becomes noticeable, some patients are ready to consider joint surgery. Consultation with a surgeon who specializes in joint surgery is the first step. Each patient must be evaluated carefully to determine what type of surgical procedure to choose. Since joints are already weakened from Arthritis, surgery may improve yet not make those painful parts as good as new. And as with any surgery, the potential for complications needs to be understood. Prior to surgery, an patient needs to get in the best possible condition. Losing weight for an obese patient can greatly improve the recovery process. So it makes sense to take a few months to lose weight and develop a moderate exercise program to prepare the entire body to tolerate post-surgical recovery. Any other health problems, such as an infection, blood pressure or heart condition needs to be under medical management in plenty of time before surgery. The treating physician for these other conditions also needs to communicate frequently with the surgeon to coordinate care and medications. The arthroscopy is the most basic surgical procedure for arthritis and is less stressful on the patient than other types of surgery. Done in an outpatient setting, this procedure generally results in a faster recovery. Arthroscopic surgery lets the surgeon see inside the joint area with the insertion of a miniature camera on a thin tube called the arthroscope. That small arthroscope is a powerful tool which can perform some procedures such as cartilage repair, removal of loose cartilage, smoothing over a ragged joint or taking tissue for a biopsy. Arthroscopic surgery is most often used for knees and shoulders. Other types of surgery for Arthritis treatment include: Arthrodesis is fusing of the bone to relieve pain by making the joint stronger. The fused joint is less able to bend but it becomes more capable of supporting weight. Arthroplasty rebuilds damaged and worn joints by creating a new lining in the areas where cartilage pulls away from the bone. Osteotomy attempts to reverse the bone deformity by resetting the bone in a stronger position. Resection removes a portion or all of the bone to improve njoint function and relieve pain in feet, elbows and wrists. Revision Joint Surgery is necessary to replace a metal, ceramic or plastic artificial joint that is worn and no longer functional. Synovectory is commonly used to reduce pain and inflammation of Rheumatoid Arthritis by removing the synovium tissues from inside the joint area. Total Joint Replacement is the most comprehensive surgery in which an artificial joint is inserted, most often used for hips or knees. Improvements in the materials and construction of artificial joints result in high post-surgical success rates. |