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Arthritis surgery: Everything you need to know.

Men's Health, Women's Health / By

Arthritis surgery

Arthritis is inflammation in the joints which causes pain and stiffness that worsens with age. Although arthritis cannot be cured, several treatments can manage the condition like medications, and rest among others. In cases where these treatments don’t work, surgery can be an effective option.

Arthritis surgery types

There are different types of surgeries to treat arthritis. The best option for you depends on your case and other personal health factors. Let’s take a look at the different types of surgery:

  1. Arthroscopy

  • This procedure is done with an arthroscope, a thin and flexible tube with a light at the end.
  • This surgery is done through a small incision and can be used to remove broken pieces of cartilage or repair damaged ligaments
  • Procedures performed with an arthroscope are less invasive than open surgery, they require less anesthesia, and have a quicker recovery.

  1. Total joint replacement (TJR)

  • This replaces a damaged joint with an artificial implant made out of metal, plastics, or ceramics.
  • It is most often performed on the knee or hip, but can also be done elsewhere.
  • Recovering from a total joint replacement can take a long time. The National Health Service recommends giving up crutches and other crutching aids six weeks after a knee replacement. While the swelling will start to go down in a few months, it could take up to a year for it to go away.

  1. Partial joint replacement

  • This surgery only replaces part of your knee or hip instead of the entire joint.
  • The inner or outer compartment is removed from the knee, whereas for the hips, the joint socket is replaced with a metal cup and the joint ball is covered with a layer of metal.
  • You will recover in 3 to 6 weeks.

  1. Osteomy

  • This involves cutting one or more of your bones, or adding a wedge near the damaged joint, to prevent further damage.
  • It is however complicated and highly specialized.
  • Recovery takes about 3 to 6 months and for a hip osteotomy, it may take up to a year.

  1. Synovectomy

  • A synovectomy treats inflammatory forms of arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis.
  • A synovectomy removes most or the entire damaged synovium to relieve pain and improve joint function.
  • The recovery period depends on the joint that has been treated, however it usually lasts at least 3 weeks.

  1. Joint fusion

  • If you have osteoarthritis or inflammatory arthritis, joint fusion may be necessary.
  • Your surgeon will fuse two bones during the procedure with pins, plates, or rods
  • Recovery is within 6 months to a year.

  1. Joint revision

  • This replaces a malfunctioning or damaged implant.
  • Factors like infection, dislocation, loosening of joint implant and worsening joint problems may lead to the need for early revision surgery.
  • It may take up to 12 months to recover from knee revision and 12 to 18 months to recover from hip revision.

Complications

  • Every surgery comes with potential complications.
  • In some cases, the original surgery won’t be successful at treating your arthritis, and you’ll need a second procedure.
  • For a joint replacement, there’s a small chance that there will be problems with the implant itself while for a knee replacement surgery, complications occur in about 1 in 20 people.
  • Other potential complications of arthritis surgeries are an adverse reaction to anesthesia, blood clots, bruising, and persistent pain among others.