Orthopaedic Surgery

Orthopaedic surgery is any surgery that treats issues with your musculoskeletal system. This includes your bones, joints, muscles and connective tissue.

Orthopaedic surgery can include:

• Repairing injuries or damage
• Reshaping bones, joints or tissue to help them work better
• Inserting artificial implants
• Removing tumors or growths

Injuries and health conditions that affect your musculoskeletal system can make it hard, painful or unsafe to move and use your body. Healthcare providers usually suggest other treatments, like physical therapy and medications, before recommending orthopaedic surgery.

But surgery may be a good option for you if other treatments don’t work and you still have symptoms like pain, stiffness or trouble moving. You may need surgery right away to treat some kinds of emergency injuries, especially if they can be life-threatening.

Some examples of orthopaedic surgical procedures include:

• Joint replacements
• Repairing ligament or tendon tears (like ACL or Achilles injuries)
• Treating rotator cuff or labrum tears
• Meniscus surgery
• Procedures like ORIF to repair broken bones
• Repairing dislocations
• Bunion surgery
• Microsurgery to repair muscles, nerves or blood vessels
• Amputations or limb salvage

This isn’t a complete list. There are many more types of surgeries and reasons you may need them. Your healthcare provider will tell you which procedure is best for you and why they’re recommending it.

Benefits/risks

There are several advantages of orthopaedic surgery. It can:

• Reduce pain and other symptoms
• Help you move better
• Fix injuries
• Remove tumors or growths that can hurt you

Complications after surgery may include:

• Bleeding
• Infections
• Blood clots
• Nerve damage
• Issues with implants

Your surgical care team will explain everything you need to know before surgery. They’ll help you make the best decision for your body and health.

What happens during orthopaedic surgery?

You’ll meet with an orthopaedic surgeon before your surgery. They’ll explain which procedure you’ll need and how they’ll do it. Don’t be afraid to ask your surgeon lots of questions.

You may need a checkup to make sure it’s safe for you to have surgery. You’ll probably also need tests like X-rays, an MRI or a CT scan.

What happens during surgery depends on the specific procedure you need. There’s a wide range of techniques, including everything from removing or reshaping a part of your body to inserting tiny tools into your body through cuts smaller than a pencil eraser.

You’ll need someone to drive you home after surgery. Many orthopaedic procedures use general anesthesia to put you to sleep. It won’t be safe for you to drive soon after waking up. You may not be able to move a part of your body that you need to drive right away. Arrange transportation to and from your surgery appointment ahead of time.

Orthopaedic surgery recovery

Your recovery plan will depend on which surgery you need. And surgeries like a joint replacement will have a different recovery timeline than surgery to repair a broken wrist.

Your care team will be your best source of information for what to expect and how to plan ahead. You may want to ask them:

• How long it will take to recover
• How to manage pain safely
• Any movements or activities you should avoid, and for how long
• When you’ll need to start physical therapy or other kinds of rehab
• How you can safely take a shower, and how to keep your surgery site clean
• If you’ll need any special equipment, like crutches or a walker

Your surgeon will tell you when you’ll need follow-up exams and tests. They’ll probably want to see you soon after your procedure to make sure you’re healing well. You may need more appointments later on, too.

When should I call my healthcare provider?

Call your surgeon if you notice any of the following symptoms:

• Fever
• Severe pain even after taking medications
• Bleeding
• Swelling
• Discoloration in the skin around your surgery site
• Drainage, pus or fluid leaking from your surgery site