Posted on May 22, 2008 in Latest News
Surgery for joint arthritis used to be the last option among many patients and doctors till some years ago. Today, however, a vast majority of joint arthritis sufferers prefer surgery as an effective method because of the devastating way in which the pain of arthritis affects the quality of life.
Types of Surgery
Before you decide to have surgery, make sure you know what you are jumping into and take appropriate actions to prepare before, during and after your surgery.
Arthrodesis: This is a bone fusion to relieve pain, often in the wrists, thumbs, fingers, and ankles. The two bones which form a joint are conjoined so that the resulting joint loses its flexibility.
Arthroscopy: This surgical method involves the use of an instrument called arthroscope, a real thin tube having a light at the end, to see straight into the joint through a small incision in the skin. This allows the doctor to see the extent of damage, and to diagnose and treat what might be causing pain. This type of surgery is performed very often on knees and shoulders.
Arthroplasty: This mainly involves the rebuilding of joints which can be done by relining or resurfacing the ends of bones especially when the cartilage has worn away and bone been damaged. Arthroplasty can also mean total joint replacement.
Osteotomy: Osteotomy means the correction of deformity of the bones by cutting and repositioning the bone, especially in people suffering from mild osteoarthritis and misalignment of specific joints and. Osteotomy is capable of correcting the forces across the joint, particularly for weight-bearing joints of the knee. It is extremely useful in patients with unilateral hip osteoarthritis who are too young for a total hip replacement.
Resection: Resection is the process of removing a part or all of a bone. This is often prescribed when diseased joints in the foot make simple activities as walking very painful and difficult, or to remove painful bunions. Resection on part of the elbow, thumb or wrist can help improve their function and relieve pain.
Revision Joint Surgery: This method involves the replacement of damaged bone and artificial joints with specially designed plastic and metal parts. This surgery becomes imminent when a previous joint replacement wears off. This surgery is more difficult and usually takes much longer than total joint replacement surgery. It is important to make sure your surgeon is well-experienced in this kind of surgery.
Synovectomy: This kind of surgery deals with the removal of the tissues or the synovium lining the joints. This helps reduce pain and swelling due to rheumatoid arthritis and slows down or prevents the wastage of joints. However, the synovium very often grows back years after the surgery and the problem can recur. Synovectomy may be performed by surgically opening the knee or with arthroscopy.
Total joint replacement: Total joint replacement means the removal of the joint tissue or the damaged bone, which is then replaced with ceramic, metal and plastic parts. This surgery is widely employed since many years with overwhelming results, especially for the knees and hips. Other joints like shoulders, elbows and knuckles, may also be replaced. This surgery has enabled millions who had been severely.
Unicondylar Knee Replacement: this is a method used when only either of the two major joint compartments of the knee – medial or lateral – is badly affected with arthritis. The advantages of a unicondylar versus a total knee joint replacement include less bone loss at surgery and a usually shorter operating time and recovery period.
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