What's involved in CMC surgery?

Surgery may be required if medicines, exercising, and splinting do not alleviate the pain and bring back the range of motion. Some of the possible surgeries for thumb arthritis are.

Trapeziectomy: One of the wrist bones that are involved in your thumb joint will be removed.

Osteotomy: The bones of your joint will be moved and aligned rightly. In addition, they may also be trimmed to ward off excess growth.

Joint fusion: As the name suggests, the bones in your joint will be fused to improve stability and reduce pain. But, there will be no flexibility in your joint.

Joint replacement: As it sounds obvious, the joint will be substituted with tendon grafts.

What to Expect at Surgery?

Arrive at the hospital or surgery center at least 1-2 hours in advance to your surgery appointment.

This helps the staff in getting to know you better, get the formalities done and you will also be mentally prepared for the surgery. You will meet a preoperative nurse who will get you dressed for surgery. The anesthesiologist will provide you with various options available to help you sleep comfortably and pain-free during the procedure. The nurse and scrub technician will assist the surgeon during the surgery.

After the surgery, a postoperative nurse will help you recover from the anesthesia. The nature of anesthesia you were given will decide the time you will spend in postoperative care area. The time taken for discharge is unpredictable and can take long hours. This does not signify any emergencies.