Finger Surgery...

[2danes]

So,
if you don''t know me, I started posting here:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/im-new-my-story.80288/

Hurt my finger recently, and had to have my rings cut off. Was looking to have my original ering reset... to offset the sadness
of having it cut in two. Am loving pricescope, and the supportive community here, so thought I might start posting here since I won''t be shopping for a setting anytime soon.

So, after doing OT since November, I just found out the results of my MRI.
I''m going to have to have surgery. Anyone here have any surgery on their fingers? I''m curious to know what to expect.
I haven''t actually spoken to the doc yet, so I don''t know the details, but there is talk of pinning my bone.

I am sad, and I am scared, but more than anything, I am disappointed that I can''t get my new ering (how warped is that?)

 

[ladypirate]

I had to have invasive surgery on three fingers on my right hand last July (I severed the tendons at the knuckle and they had to go in and reconnect them). Expect a LONG recovery time. I still have stiffness and pain in those fingers (especially in the mornings), and while I have 90-95% of my movement back, that's after 6 months of intensive OT (2 hours twice a week). The joints are still swollen as well, meaning no RHRs in the foreseeable future.

As far as immediate recovery stuff, you won't be able to drive for a week or two after the surgery and I wouldn't expect to be doing anything that uses your hands intensively for 4-5 months (I swing dance, and I couldn't do it for about that long). I was in an extension splint for about 6 weeks (had to learn to write, type, and eat with my left hand, but if you're right handed you should be OK). That part is itchy and uncomfortable and you have to shower with a plastic bag over your hand--your DH will probably have to help you wash your hair and whatnot. Then I got put in a smaller removable splint that I could take off to shower.

At 6 weeks, I started OT and continued with that for about 6 months. At about 3 months post surgery, I had about 40% of my motion back, 70% at 4 months, 80% at 5, and got to where I am now at 6, at which point I stopped OT because they said that the rest was sort of a matter of time. At this point, I'm not really restricted from doing anything (although my grip strength is still not as good as it used to be) except for the aforementioned not being able to fit any rings over my knuckles.

If you're not having surgery in a joint, I don't know if this will apply since they told me that swelling takes the longest to go down in areas that have to move constantly. If it is in the joint, you could think about getting a temporary setting with an arthritic shank--it gets bigger to fit over the knuckle and then clamps down to fit correctly on the finger.

Hopefully that didn't sound too doom and gloom--I don't want to scare you, just give you a realistic expectation of how long things will take (I was so PO'd at my doctor for telling me I'd have full use of my fingers back in no time only to find out that it was a really long recovery post-surgery.) I'm sorry you have to go through this--it is no fun.

Good luck with the surgery and make sure you let us know how it goes!

 

[2danes]

Oh WOW!
I appreciate the realistic kick in the pants. I think I needed that!
Yup, it''s the joint.
SOOOoooooo,
I should set my sites to a LONG recovery...

Thanks so much for replying!!

 

[Lynnie]

Hi 2danes! My Mom had an accident at work (she worked at a factory) about 15 years ago. A machine crushed her left ring finger and she lost part of her left pinkie (from the top knuckle up). She had to have 3 surgeries (one involving implanting a metal plate into her ring finger).
Like ladypirate said, expect a LOT of PT/OT, and a long recovery. You don''t realize how much you use your fingers until you can''t!! My mom had to relearn the piano. She can''t bend the top joint of her Rfinger and can only bend the bottom joint about 50%.
Having the metal in her finger, she does suffer pain in cold weather. And her finger and knuckles are definitely bigger than before - she doesn''t wear jewely on those fingers (she''s divorced anyway), because she''s still self-conscious even after all this time.
Good luck with the surgery, and with your ring situation! Keep us updated!

 

[chizzy1982]

Hi 2Danes

Sorry to hear about your finger woes. I couldn''t access your original post so just wondering what your original injury was and where in your hand it was, if you don''t mind me asking? (I''m a physio with some expereince in hands and pastics plus ortho) Tendon (extensor/flexor) to take a LONG time to heal based on the fact of poor blood supply to the tendons and you have to keep them splinted for about 2 months to ensure no undo stress is put on them which could potentially cause them to re-rupture.

Any detail would be great so i can give you the most accurate info

Take care

L

 

[qtiekiki]

I cut through 90% of the tendon at the knuckle of my left index finger, and had surgery to reconnect the tendon. I don't think it's as bad as your injury since no bone was broken. For me, the surgery and recovery wasn't so bad at all. Since I am right-handed and my left finger got hurt, I was able to do everything. The surgery took about an hour in the office. Then I have to keep it in a splint for two months. After the splint was taken off, I have to stretch my finger and bend it at the knuckle to get the movement of the finger back. The thing that bothered me the most was actually the stitches. My dr. used the thread that is supposed to be absorbed by the body, but my body was rejecting it and was trying to push the stitch out. It was kind of uncomfortable. About 5 months after the surgery, I got over 90% of movement back. Now it feels like it's 100% back (although that's not possible, it feels like it). The only time it feels different now is when it's really cold because I can feel a little bit of pain.

Hopefully your recovery will be easy.

 

[cara]

Many years ago I broke my finger and had surgery to put in a pin and a screw. A piece of the bone in the middle digit had broken off and my finger tip was crooked.

Definitely not a "long" recovery (I remember maybe two months, no formal PT), so maybe those tendon injuries are more difficult to rehab? I did stretching exercises and got back maybe 90% of range of motion, but never completely regained strength or vascularization. So it is the first finger to get cold, the last one to warm up, and not so useful carrying heavy bags. Finger doctor said this is typical, if better range of motion than most people who don''t do their exercises.