Northern Plastic Surgery (NT)
Arthritis and finger and joint deformities
Both osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis affect the hand. These and other conditions cause pain, joint deformity, functional problems or growths. When medical treatment fails, surgery like removing painful areas, rebalancing the fingers or even joint replacements or fusions are required. Dr Mahajani is happy to provide you with advice that relates to your condition. As the operations are varied, they wont all be described save for joint replacement as this is the most common operation.
Operation for joint replacement in the finger. When the joint is destroyed or very painful, and you cannot move the finger, the joint can sometimes be replaced. An incision is made over the top of the finger, the tendon retracted, and the old joint removed. An artificial joint is inserted and the alignment checked with an x ray. Then the incisions are closed. The patient is discharged from hospital the next day and commences a hand therapy course. See instruction sheet on joint replacement.