Orthopedic Surgeon Frisco TX: Arthritis And Surgical Intervention

An orthopedic surgeon Frisco TX can help you with a variety of conditions and diseases that can be seriously debilitating and that can threaten your quality of life.  One of the most common conditions that they treat is arthritis. Arthritis is inflammation and stiffness in joints like hips, knees and elbows, and it can cause the sufferer to have chronic pain, even when the joint isn’t in use.  Often, the pain can be relieved by non-invasive treatments like rest, applications of heat and cold, exercise, splints and medication.

Orthopedic Specialist Frisco TX:  Conservative Treatments May Not Be Enough

If you have chronic arthritis, you may find that these conservative, non-invasive treatments don’t relieve enough of your pain, consistently, to be considered successful.  When that happens, you should consider the option of surgery.  Not only can surgery reduce pain, but it can also improve your movement and help you to regain more use of your joints.  Continuous inflammation and the wearing away of bone and cartilage can cause damage to joints, tendons and ligaments and can even cause them to be pulled out of place.  When that happens, surgery can also be used to stabilize a joint or replace it altogether.  

Orthopedic Surgeon Frisco TX:  Is Surgery The Best Option?

Your orthopedic specialist will likely try many conservative treatments before suggesting surgery, for one very good reason - surgery is a big deal and the decision to choose surgical treatment should never be taken lightly or made without good reasons.  Before you choose surgery, ask your doctor why he thinks surgery is the best option.  You should also ask him if there are any alternatives, what the risks are and what’s involved in the recovery process.  Don’t hesitate to ask a lot of questions of your surgeon, including how many times he’s performed the procedure he’s proposing and what his success rate is.  Make sure you have realistic expectations, based on the information your surgeon gives you, about the outcome of the surgery.

Orthopedic Specialist Frisco TX:  Questions To Ask Before Surgery

Talk to friends or family members who’ve undergone surgery -- either for arthritis or something else -- and get their input about presurgical questions you should ask your doctor.  Make a list of any questions you might have so that you won’t forget something important.  These are just some of the questions you need to ask your doctor before you have surgery:

    What will happen during surgery?

    Will the surgery be outpatient or will I have to spend time in the hospital?

    What are the risks of the surgery? How likely are they?

    What are the risks from anesthesia?  How likely are they?

    Can I donate my own blood in case I need a transfusion?

    Will I need more surgeries later to correct my condition?

  

To find out more about the use of surgical intervention to treat chronic arthritis, call Texas Orthopedic Partners at (469) 293-4000 to schedule an appointment to talk to an orthopedic surgeon Frisco TX.  To find out more about our services, visit us online at www.texasorthopartners.com.