Other surgeries for rheumatoid arthritis include:
- Carpal tunnel release. This can ease the pain of carpal tunnel syndrome in your hand and arm.
- Synovectomy. Doctors remove the lining, or synovium, of a joint so it doesn’t damage your cartilage and bone. You may need to get it done more than once if your joint lining grows back.
- Bone or joint fusion surgery. Doctors call this procedure arthrodesis. It’s done to lessen pain in your ankles, wrists, fingers, thumbs, or spine.
- Arthroscopy. This is a procedure usually done on large joints. The doctor makes a small cut in your skin and uses a thin lighted tube to look at your joint. If necessary, he can remove bits of floating bone or cartilage to improve the way it functions.