Arthritis Surgery: Types, Recovery, Complications, and More
Inflammation and swelling in one or more joints are caused by arthritis.
There are over
Surgery can be an effective treatment for cases of arthritis that don’t respond to more conservative treatments, such as rest and pain medication. Arthritis surgical options range from minimally invasive procedures to total joint replacements.
There are pros and cons to surgery to treat arthritis, including types, pros and cons.
Doctors recommend conservative treatments before surgery.
Non surgical treatments for arthritis are common.
- rest
- Changing the activity level.
- steroid injections.
- There are medications.
- Physical therapy.
- applying heat or ice
If none of these treatments offer relief, you and your doctor can suggest next steps. Surgery can help improve your joint function, reduce pain, and prevent further joint damage. Depending on your individual case and other personal health factors, you can pursue surgery for arthritis.
There are many different types of surgeries that can be used to treat arthritis.
The best option depends on a lot of factors.
- Which joint is affected?
- How severe is your arthritis impairment?
- Your overall health.
- Your age.
- Other personal risk factors are not limited to.
What procedures look like and what research says about their effectiveness are topics we will explore.
An arthroscopic procedure is performed with a tool called an arthroscope — a thin, flexible tube with a light at the end. Surgeons guide this tool through a small incision to do detailed work such as removing broken pieces of cartilage or repairing damaged ligaments.
Procedures performed with an arthroscope are less risky than open surgery, and have a quicker recovery.
However, arthroscopy is not considered the go-to arthritis treatment, and many doctors caution against it. For example, the Arthritis Foundation actively discourages arthroscopy to treat osteoarthritis. Research shows that arthroscopy usually
A total joint replacement is a procedure to replace a damaged joint with an artificial implant.
A TJR is most often performed on the knee or hip, but can be done elsewhere.
A total knee replacement can reduce pain while improving quality of life and mobility. However, joint replacements eventually wear out and require joint revision surgery. For example, most knee joint implants should last at least 10 to 15 years. Revision surgery can be more expensive and complicated than the original surgery.
The best candidates for a total joint replacement are people with severe pain who haven’t found relief with less invasive treatments. Your doctor may recommend this procedure if you have
Recovery from a total joint replacement can be a long process. According to the National Health Service, you should be able to stop using crutches or other supportive devices 6 weeks after a knee replacement. It may take 3 months for pain and swelling to go down, and up to a year for swelling to disappear completely.
A partial joint replacement only replaces part of your body. The most common way to remove the knee is from the inner or outer compartment. The ball of the joint is capped with a metal layer after the hip joint is replaced.
Partial knee replacements can help improve daily function. Partial hip replacements may allow you to participate in high-impact sports. The downside is partial replacements tend to be difficult to perform and may have higher complication rates than full joint replacements.
The Arthritis Foundation says that people with arthritis in one of the three compartments of their knee are the best candidates for partial knee replacements. Men under 50 with a large build are the best candidates for a partial hip replacement, as they are more physically demanding.
People with smaller bone structures may not be a good candidate for partial joint replacement.
Returning to daily activities after your procedure tends to take about 3 to 6 weeks. Many people can return to sports like golf in 6 to 10 weeks. Hip resurfacing typically causes pain and discomfort for several weeks after surgery, and you’ll most likely resume regular activity after about 6 weeks.
An osteotomy is the removal of bones or a wedge near a damaged joint to prevent further damage. A knee osteotomy is a procedure that involves cutting and reshaping your shin bone or upper leg bone to relieve pressure on the joint.
According to the Arthritis Foundation, the best candidate is in their 30s and younger than what’s usually recommended for a total joint replacement.
It can take more than a decade for a joint replacement to be needed. They are complicated and highly specialized.
A knee osteotomy may be performed in people with early-stage osteoarthritis on one side of the knee. A hip osteotomy may be recommended for young adults with arthritis isolated to a small part of the hip. The procedure involves cutting the femur or pelvic bone to prevent further cartilage deterioration.
After a knee osteotomy, you may be able to resume normal activities after 3 to 6 months. After a hip osteotomy, it may take up to a year.
A synovectomy is a procedure that treats inflammatory forms of arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis.
The most common joint in your body is called a synovial joint. The synovium is a thin layer of fluid on the joints.
Synovial joints are included.
- The knees.
- The elbows.
- The shoulders are big.
- The fingers of the person.
- The hips are not straight.
- The The wrist is not straight.s.
Inflammation of the synovium can cause damage to the joints in people with inflammatory arthritis. A synovectomy removes most of the damaged synovium to relieve pain and improve joint function.
Candidates for a synovectomy include people with inflammatory arthritis with only minor cartilage damage in a joint and who didn’t respond to anti-inflammatory There are medications.. A potential complication of the procedure is a limitation in your range of motion.
The surgery has fewer complications when performed with an arthroscope than with traditional incisions.
The recovery time depends on the joint you have treated, but usually takes 3 weeks.
If you have damage from arthritis, you may need joint fusion. During the procedure, your surgeon will use pins, plates, or rods to fusion two bones so that you can no longer move your joint. New bone tissue will grow between the two bones.
This surgery may be performed on you.
- An ankle.
- The wrist is not straight.
- The bones of the finger.
- The spine.
The knee or hip fusion is not done often.
Joint fusion offers permanent results. The downside of this procedure is it can alter your range of motion and flexibility and lead to problems in other joints due to altered biomechanics. Fusion of a joint like your The spine. is a major operation. It’s common to need to wait 6 months to a year before being able to return to some activities.
Joint fusion is only used to treat arthritis pain. It was a standard treatment to treat arthritis before joint replacement surgery.
A joint revision surgery replaces a malfunctioning or damaged implant. Joint replacement usually lasts more than a decade before needing replacement.
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There are factors that may lead to the need for revision surgery.
- The joint implant is loosened.
- A dislocation.
- It is an infectious disease
- Joint problems are getting worse.
Revision surgery is very variable. The procedure is more complicated than the original procedure.
It may take up to 12 months to recover from knee revision. Recovery from hip revision surgery may take 12 to 18 months.
There are potential problems with every surgery. It is important to talk to your doctor about the risks of the surgery so you can make an informed decision.
“If the original surgery isn’t successful at treating your arthritis, you will need a second procedure. If your surgery or revision isn’t successful, you may have more pain or a limited range of motion.”
There is a chance that the implant will have problems if you receive a joint replacement. This can include an allergic reaction from your immune system.
Other potential problems of arthritis surgeries include:
- adverse reaction to anesthesia
- It is an infectious disease
- There are blood clot.
- Nerve injury.
- It was bruised.
- There is an injury to the blood vessel.
- Loss of range of movement
- There is persistent pain.
For knee replacement surgery, complications occur in about 1 in 20 people.
Arthritis can cause significant pain and discomfort. Depending on the joints affected, you may experience serious impairment in your daily life and activities. Surgery is one option used to treat arthritis when other first-line treatments, such as Physical therapy. and pain medication, aren’t effective.
Many types of surgery are used to repair or replace joints. Depending on your case and health factors, surgery is a good choice. Discuss the pros and cons of arthritis surgery with your doctor, as well as any concerns you have about the procedure.
