Suspensionplasty, Arthroplasty, Interposition, Intercarpal or Carpometacarpal Joints
Suspensionplasty, Arthroplasty, Interposition, Intercarpal or Carpometacarpal Joints
Suspensionplasty, Arthroplasty, Interposition. Intercarpal, or Carpometacarpal Joints, is an elective procedure that is done to relieve pain and restore function to the joint after damage by arthritis or some other type of trauma. The Intercarpal joints are the articulations between the individual carpal bones. The Carpometacarpal (CMC) joints are five joints in the wrist that articulate the distal row of carpal bones and the proximal bases of the five metacarpal bones. Strong ligaments and muscles hold the CMC joint in position and provide stability.
Preoperative
Your health care provider will talk to you about how to prepare for surgery. You may be told not to eat or drink anything after midnight on the day of your surgery. You will be told what medications to take or not take on the day of your surgery before surgery; you will need to obtain clearance from your regular doctor if you have medical problems. You may be required to obtain some basic tests for screening before the surgery. Basic blood tests, a chest x-ray, and an EKG may be required depending on your health.
FAQS
Frequently asked questions about surgical procedures
Can I use my insurance and get these prices?
Payment is due 14 calendar days prior to your surgery date. If, after the cutoff, your account is not settled, your case must be postponed.
How quickly can I have surgery?
How will I meet my surgeon?
If I had a car or work accident, would you work with my employer or attorney for payment?
What if I get sick right before my surgery?
You could develop a respiratory infection, a urinary tract infection, COVID, or some other condition that may necessitate postponement. There is no penalty when this happens.
What’s Included:
- Facility fee
- Graft and hardware costs (if needed)
- Surgeon and assistant surgeon fees
- Anesthesiologist
- Time in the recovery unit (at no additional charge)
- Initial consultation visit
- One post-operative visit
*Please note: If you choose not to proceed with surgery after the initial consultation, or if you delay your procedure for more than 6 weeks, you will need to update your consultation at a cost of $375.
What’s not included:
- Lab testing before and after the surgery, as needed
- Electrocardiogram (EKG), depending on age. If you had one elsewhere in the past 6 months and it read “normal”, we can forego this expense.
- Imaging costs. X-rays and MRIs can be obtained anywhere.
- Physical therapy services
- Medications you’ll need (oral or IV antibiotic infusions if an infection arises)
- Wound care
- Bracing supplies
- Additional doctor visits (a pre-operative visit with the surgeon, in person, and any required post-op follow-ups after the suture removal to monitor your progress
- Additional surgical intervention if a complication arises
- Additional imaging or hospital care if a blood clot develops
What happens during Intercarpal, Carpometacarpal Joints surgery
Several surgery options are available. One method is to remove the destroyed joint surfaces and create a substitute joint:
- Arthroplasty, this procedure requires an incision in the forearm and over the arthritic joint. Almost all surgeries require the removal of all or part of the small wrist bone, the trapezium. In most cases, the space created by removing the trapezium will be filled with tendon material, which can be used to suspend and stabilize the base of the first metacarpal so that the reconstructed thumb will regain strength.
- Suspensionplasty has a favorable outcome for painful osteoarthritis in the carpometacarpal joint of the thumb, and the APL tendon can be removed as a deforming force without any abduction weakness.
- Osteoarthritis of the thumb carpal metacarpal joint is effectively managed by complete excision of the trapezium or excision of the distal half of the trapezium with maintenance of the space by insertion of interposition tendinous material from palmaris longus or flexor carpi radialis. The more recent modification of partial trapezium excision has improved pinch strength and maintenance of thumb length, and so has enhanced the final results. Carpal metacarpal ligament reconstruction is demonstrated because it is occasionally necessary.
What to expect after your surgery
How long is the recovery period?
Within three months, restoration of thumb motion begins, and pain is diminished. Most normal activities can resume in about six months and even earlier for some patients. Strength recovery takes 3-6 months and improves depending on the amount of weakness prior to surgery and the intensity of the strengthening exercises during rehab.
Risk
As with any surgical procedure, complications can occur; some possible complications may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Infection
- Damage to nerves, tendons, or cartilage
- Stiffness or loss of joint motion
- Tumor, Mass may reappear, though this is uncommon
- Stiffness can be addressed post-surgery with rehabilitation
Can I Travel to St George for Surgery?
Yes, and we’ll help you make all your arrangements.
- We have arrangements to try to obtain free flights through a non-profit volunteer pilot organization. We can do this with 10 days’ advance notice in most cases.
- We have discount codes for the Holiday Inn in town. This hotel is 1.5 miles from the surgery center and 2 miles from our clinic.
- We’ll arrange to send your after-surgery medications to your hometown pharmacy for pickup before you leave.
What if I would rather drive to St George?
No problem, we can help with those plans as well. When you have surgery with us, we’ll need to make sure you’re safe and comfortable after surgery. We’ll arrange cold compression therapy that requires an AC/DC adaptor/transformer and frequent stops to stretch and refill the ice reservoir on the road.
We’ll ask about the vehicle you’ll travel in to ensure you have a way to elevate and stretch out in the vehicle on the road while someone else does the driving.
How are follow-up and initial consultations handled?
In-person and telehealth consultations are possible with the surgeon to whom your case is assigned. The initial visit is included in the surgical package and is valued at $375.
We can also obtain the flights from the volunteer pilot nonprofit if you’d like to come for initial and follow-up visits in person. One follow-up visit is included in the surgical package at a value of $175. Any additional visits are charged at the time of service to your credit or debit card.
Transparent Pricing Guide
Find out the exact cost of your procedure in seconds, with no hidden fees, no surprises, and complete transparency every step of the way.