Surgery treatment for rheumatological arthritis offers hope for improving the functioning and quality of life of many seriously ill patients, but, like any surgery, it is accompanied by a range of potential complications that require both medical and medical attention and care.
Post-operative infections are one of the more common and serious complications in surgically treated rheumatism arthritis. Prolonged use of drugs, such as immunosuppressants, further weakens the resilience of the body, resulting in a significant increase in the risk of post-operative infections, as a result of the immunofunctional disorders of the patients themselves. The infection can occur in the part of the surgical cut, in the form of local edema, pain, seepage, which can lead to laceration and delay in healing when severe. If the infection spreads to a deep tissue or joint cavity, it may cause sepsis, osteoporosis, etc., which not only increases the suffering of the patient, prolongs the hospitalization period, but also leads to the failure of the operation, with devastating effects on the joint function. For example, joint cavity infections that occur after a joint replacement operation often require re-surgery, replacement of prostheses, and may even necessitate joint integration because the infection is difficult to control, leaving the patient permanently without the function of the joint.
II. Complications related to prostheses are more prominent in joint replacement operations. Easier prosthesis is a common long-term complication, and over time the prosthesis may become unstable as a result of wear and tear between the prosthesis and bone tissue, bone absorption or infection. Patients may feel the re-emergence of joint pain, which is gradually increasing, with abnormal noises during joint activity and X-rays showing signs of relaxation around prosthesis such as flash belts. Prosthetic wear is also a problem that cannot be ignored, and it results in a local tissue inflammation response that leads to the decomposition of the bone around the joint and further accelerates the process of decomposition of the prosthesis. In addition, prostheses are sometimes removed, mostly as a result of inappropriate post-operative physical activity of the patient, an imbalance of muscle power around the joints, or inappropriately installed prosthesis positions. If a prosthesis occurs, the patient suddenly feels a severe pain in the joint, the joint loses its normal form and ability to function, requires timely repositioning and proper fixation and rehabilitation, otherwise it may be repeated, seriously affecting the restoration of the joint function and the quality of life of the patient.
There is a risk of damage to the surrounding nervous vessels during the operation. Surgical operations in the joint, such as the replacement of knee joints, can damage the surrounding blood vessels, leading to haemorrhage and haematoma. Critical vascular damage and failure to detect and treat it in a timely manner may cause physical blood circulation disorders that can cause severe ischaemic necrosis and lead to remedial operations such as amputations. Neural damage can also have serious consequences for the patient, for example, the upper limb surgery may cause damage to the hysteria, the cystals, etc., which leads to an abnormal feeling in the hand, a weak muscle, and an influence on the fine movement function of the hand; the lower limb surgery can cause symptoms such as lower limb numbness, pain, and perusal, which can cause the patient ‘ s mobility difficulties and significantly reduce his/her ability to provide for himself. Even if it is avoided as far as possible during the operation, neurovascular damage may occur due to the complex structure of anatomy around the joints, in some exceptional cases, such as severe disfigurement of the joints, variation of the anatomical structure or restricted view of the operation.
Some patients may not recover their joint function as expected after the operation. This may be due to technical aspects of the operation, such as the imperfection of the installation of joint prostheses and the inadequate handling of soft tissue balance, which results in limited scope of joint activity and poor joint stability. In addition, the delay, irregularity or poor patient dependence of post-operative rehabilitation training are important reasons. Fear of pain prevents patients from performing early joint activity exercises, or from training in muscle strength in accordance with the guidance of the rehabilitation therapist, which can lead to a bonding of the tissue around the joint and atrophy of the muscles, thereby affecting the normal functioning of the joint. For example, after the replacement of the knee joint, if no effective knee stretching exercise is carried out at an early stage, the joint may be bound by a scarring tissue, limiting the mobility of the knee joint and making it difficult for the patient to walk normally, up and down the stairs, etc., after the surgery, to fully enjoy the benefits of the operation.
Although the surgical treatment of rheumatism arthritis provides an effective way to improve joint function, the presence of potential complications requires the medical team to fully assess the patient ‘ s condition and risk prior to the operation, to develop a well-developed surgical programme and preventive measures; to strictly follow the operating rules of the operation, to perform it carefully; and to closely monitor the recovery of the patient after the operation and to deal with the problems that arise in a timely manner. At the same time, patients should actively cooperate with treatment and rehabilitation training to minimize the risk of complications and increase the success and satisfaction of surgical treatment.
