[Surgical treatment of rheumatic diseases].

Authors' conclusions The scientific literature on the benefits of surgical treatment for rheumatic diseases shows that scientific methods in the field can improve substantially. Currently, the methods are evaluated largely on the basis of accepted clinical practice and uncontrolled studies. The methods which are considered to be still under development in the field of rheumatic surgery should be applied only when accompanied by follow up studies and assessments. Individuals active in this field should assume the additional responsibility for controlling the selection of prosthetic material and surgical methods.