COLUMBUS, Ohio – A central Ohio orthopedic surgeon is among the first in the nation to perform a new thumb replacement procedure designed to drastically shorten recovery for patients suffering from thumb arthritis. Dr. Stephen Berling, an orthopedic hand surgeon with OhioHealth, performed the procedure in July, offering a quicker path back to daily life compared to traditional surgery.
The new procedure, which utilizes a specialized implant, received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last year and has been performed in Europe for about a decade, according to Dr. Berling. He was the first surgeon in Ohio to perform the operation.
Julia Brown, a patient who had endured severe pain in both thumbs for about two and a half years, was among the first to receive the new treatment. Brown reported that her condition impacted her ability to perform everyday tasks, despite still having some hand function. “I could still use my hands; I could still use my thumbs and everything prior to the surgery, but there was a lot of pain, tremendous amount of pain, actually,” Brown said.
Brown, who previously worked as a medical assistant and now works as an author and caretaker, relies heavily on her hands. She explained that ordinary movements with her left hand were extremely painful before the surgery. She suffers from thumb carpometacarpal arthritis, a common condition affecting the joint at the base of the thumb that Dr. Berling frequently treats.
Unlike traditional operations that remove the arthritic bone, this new procedure involves an implant. Dr. Berling described it as essentially a miniature hip replacement for the thumb. The implant consists of a cup placed within the joint and a stem extending into the metacarpal bone. Dr. Berling explained that this design provides “immediate stability and motion right away so you can use it.”
The surgery typically takes about 45 minutes and does not require an overnight hospital stay. A major benefit of the new procedure is its significantly shorter recovery period. Dr. Berling stated that traditional thumb arthritis surgery can demand six to nine months of recovery, whereas the new method can reduce this to approximately six to nine weeks.
For Brown, the results on her left hand have already made a noticeable difference. She reported being able to use her left hand normally without the pain she experienced before the surgery. Brown shared her satisfaction, stating, “Using my hand daily, I don’t feel I ever had surgery in my left hand at all, and that’s pretty great.” She also noted that this feeling contrasts with other joint replacements she has had, such as a knee replacement, where she can still sense the surgery.
Dr. Berling emphasized that the primary advantage is getting people back to their lives faster, preserving strength more quickly, and making the thumb feel normal sooner without pain. He noted that several patients who have undergone the procedure on one hand have already scheduled surgery for their other hand. Brown herself is scheduled to have the procedure performed on her right thumb later this fall.
While the new implant does not eliminate the need for surgery for patients with severe thumb arthritis, Dr. Berling indicated that the procedure is designed to preserve strength and allow patients to regain movement more quickly than with the traditional operation. For patients like Brown, the ultimate goal is clear: less pain, greater use of the hand, and a faster return to everyday activities.
