Surgical Therapy for Rheumatoid Arthritis: Is it Worth the Risk?

For someone living with chronic, debilitating joint pain, life can get frustrating at times. After trying so many different drugs and exercise therapies, nothing seems to really work in the end. That's what life can be like for someone with chronic rheumatoid arthritis. Some patients suffering from this may start to lose hope that things will ever be better. The pain can impact even the most basic of activities, making someone miserable and unable to engage in the hobbies they used to enjoy.

It can be scary when considering surgery

As a last resort, sometimes surgery is an available option to those who suffer from chronic RA.

Surgery is a major decision, however, and always comes with a certain level of risk. It's scary to make a decision like that, so you know the pain must be pretty bad to consider this as a viable option. Surgery can be a scary thing, so deciding to go through with it can prove to be extremely difficult. Though the pain during the procedure is largely taken care of due to the use of general anesthesia, the pain and recovery process is still nothing to overlook.

There are always risks that come with any type of surgical procedure

Surgery is never a light decision because it always comes with risks. Any surgery, no matter how minor has some risk of basic complications, and though rare, can lead to serious consequences. For one, infections can happen simply because you are getting the procedure done in a hospital. Add that to the fact that a surgeon is cutting open your skin with a knife, which opens the door to all kinds of germs to enter your body. Though we've come a long way in terms of sterile technique and antibiotics, infection is still a relatively common and completely realistic concern to have when going through surgery.

Besides infection, there are many other complications

Aside from infections, there are lots of other widely accepted complications that can happen to you during a surgery. You could potentially lose too much blood during the procedure, or your body may interact badly with  anesthesia. Basically, the risks are always there, which means that surgery shouldn't be taken lightly.

Surgery might be worth the risk in some situations where the benefits are great

However, if you really have terrible joint pain, surgery could also be your saving grace. Pain isn't anything to overlook, especially in a disease in which your own immune system is causing permanent, debilitating damage to your joints. Modern surgery techniques are able to correct damage done to joints because of RA, and there are ways to help relieve the pain too. Deformities can be surgically corrected in a way that can even restore function. Sometimes, surgery is the only way to make someone with rheumatoid arthritis finally feel dramatically better. In these cases, it might truly be worth it to take the risk.

Read on to learn more about surgery for RA.