WHAT ARE THE RISKS?

AS WITH all surgery, there is a small risk of infection.

THERE is a slight chance of injury to a nerve, blood vessel or tendon. Any damage would require another operation and rehabilitation.

‘I THINK this is a very good operation and it has been gaining popularity for a while, as it is straightforward and reliable,’ says Professor Grey Giddins, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Royal United Hospitals in Bath.

‘The wrist is a complicated joint, so replacements don’t always work well. Proximal row carpectomy is a way of simplifying the wrist joint — and there’s proof it works.

‘However, for those with very advanced arthritis, this surgery is more likely to fail and we’d advise fusion or artificial joint replacement.’