Excision Arthroplasty Elbow Treatment in India

Pari Kumar, a 58-year-old former tailor,...

Pari Kumar, a 58-year-old former tailor, had her life defined by precision and dexterity. For the last seven years, progressive rheumatoid arthritis had eroded her right elbow joint. The once-smooth movements of measuring and sewing were replaced by constant, grinding pain, severe stiffness, and a 30-degree fixed flexion deformity that left her arm perpetually bent. Simple tasks like brushing her hair or bringing a cup to her lips became agonizing ordeals. Her rheumatologist and orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Mehta, explained that the joint was destroyed beyond salvage. A total elbow replacement was considered but deemed high-risk due to her fragile bone quality from long-term steroid use. Dr. Mehta recommended an excision arthroplasty, explaining it as a 'joint cleanup' to remove the painful, destroyed bone ends and create a stable, pain-free false joint, albeit with some permanent loss of fine stability. Pari was terrified of losing what little function she had left. The surgery itself was straightforward. The recovery was challenging; her arm was immobilized in a splint for two weeks, followed by intensive, often frustrating, physiotherapy to regain motion without stressing the new joint. A year later, Pari's journey has transformed. The relentless, bone-on-bone pain is gone. She has a functional, pain-free range of motion from 40 to 120 degrees. While she can't lift heavy pots or fully straighten her arm, she can cook, dress, and even do light mending without wincing. Emotionally, she moved from a place of grief and helplessness over her lost craft to one of profound gratitude and adaptation. She has reclaimed her independence, trading the dream of perfect precision for the precious gift of pain-free daily life.