Arthritis of the hand is a painful condition experienced by many men and women throughout this country. It is caused, quite simply, by a life of activity that results in progressive wear and tear of the joints of the hand.
This results in a loss of lining and collapse of the joint space. The thumb and fingers can become misaligned and deformed. Function and strength are lost. Pain can become debilitating resulting in inability to perform work related duties.
Patients may be unable to enjoy recreational activities such as golf and racket sports.
Many people believe that “you just have to live with it.” They have been told that there is no good surgical option. Not true on both accounts! In fact, there are excellent surgical and non-surgical treatments for arthritis of the hands. Some of the non-surgical treatments are anti-inflammatory medications, splinting, and corticosteroid injections. These serve to bring down the joint inflammation and treat the symptoms of pain. When these are no longer effective, there are proven, long lasting surgical options that can be life changing. Patients have a high satisfaction rate from these procedures and enjoy years of active, pain-free range of motion and improvements in strength.
We at Pasadena Surgeons have had excellent results in treating arthritis of the hands. Dr. Lakshman has personally helped physical therapists, mammogram technicians, and avid golfers, all resume their jobs and activities with significant improvements in pain free strength and range of motion. The key is proper training and experience. Dr. Lakshman has completed an orthopedic fellowship in Surgery of the Hand and is board certified. He has had extensive surgical experience in the latest advances in this field.
He will take his time to thoroughly explain the procedure and ease your fears. After surgery, he will personally provide the follow up care and not outsource the job to a lesser trained assistant. He even changes the post-operative dressings and removes his own sutures! We believe that this type of continuity insures the best results for our patients.
