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trigger finger surgery

Hi Sarah, I haven't had the surgery myself but my ex-husband did back a few years ago. His was his thumb though. It took him quite a while until all the feeling came back in his hand. Even now the end of the thumb is still numb feeling. It did take about 10-14 days to take the stitches out. At least now he can use that hand before surgery he couldn't use the hand all. It has straightened out very nicely though. Ann

I am still recovering from my trigger finger surgery on 8/4/08 and it is now 8/11/08. My ring finger was completely locked. My hand still burns and stings where the incision is and my hand is still swollen and is bruised which i was advised is normal for the next few weeks. I was told that the doctor did not advise on my chart of any hand exercises. I read somewhere that if my finger was not completely straight after surgery that I would most likely need therapy but I don't know yet I have my first appointment with the orthopedist 8/21/08. Hope this helps at least somewhat.

Hi. I just had this surgery on my middle and ring finger the 27th of August. Stitches came out Friday. 10 days. The joint in my middle finger is still tight and hurts but nothing compared to how it felt before surgery. Dr said it would take awhile to get the swelling down and the pain to go away. I have all feeling in my hand, no numbness and very little swelling.

I had surgery on the middle finger of my left hand on August 14, 2008. I had to wear a bandage on the hand for about 14 days, I was told this would allow the incision to heal from the inside out. The three stiches were removed at the same time and I had normal feeling in all my fingers and hand. The doctor did not suggest any type of exercise other than puttung pressure to the middle joint over and over to allow it to straighten.

It is now September 14, 2008 and the finger is bent slightly and extremily painful & tight when I try to straighten it or put pressure on that middle joint. I occasionally have spasms where the finger seems to want to lock but doesn't or can't. If I can indure the pain and keep the finger straight for a couple of minutes the pain will disappear and the finger feels normal.......for about 20 minutes and then it will stiffen again. I'm not at all sure what is going on but hoping the finger will become flexable and pain free as time passes. Actually I was wandering if it would help to soak the hand in warm water....does anyone have any suggestions and can I expect the finger will get better in time....what are the best exercises I could do? Oh yeah, I'm unable to make a tight fist and my hand seems to be getting weaker.

Thank you, James Fort Pierce FL

I had this surgery on 11/05/08 on my right ring finger and still have the stiffness, swelling and some numbness that you speak of. are you stilll having problem? Did it just go away or did you have to do something else? I hope to hear back from you. My doctor told me that I should give it another 30 days but that'll end in a few days. Thanks, jack

I have had 3 surgeries so far and need 3 more fingers fixed. I have not had any of the problems you listed. My thumb was the worst one because I could not bend it and the doctor did the surgery the next day because he said it could end up permanently straight. It was hard to bend my thumb so quite some time, but I felt I had instant relief from the surgeries. I am diabetic so I cannot have the cortisone shots. They do not work too well for diabetics. In my sleep my fingers would twitch which was extremely painful the first few days, but I on missed 2 days of work each time. I remember rubbing the palm of my hand lightly and increasing the pressure over time. That seemed to help. Doing the dishes was great also because I had it in hot water. I also just started extending my fingers as much as possible and did that throughout the day to increase motion. Hope this is helpful to you.

I had trigger finger surgery in december .I took 10 days off since Iam in the medical field where i have to use my hands all the time.The stiches where in for 10 days. I had 2 finger done plus i also got a cyst removed , a synovial cyst they call it at the base of my ring finger.Iam doing a lot better but my fingers are still stiff in the am,but once i get moving iam ok.

I had my first surgery on 1/31/09 on my right middle finger. After surgery, when the numbness wore off, I realized it stayed numb on the lateral side of that finger. They did an exploratory surgery on 2/18/09 to find out the cause of the numbness and found nothing. I think the doctor may have nicked a nerve but either can't see it because it's so small or just doesn't want to admit it. Not once has anyone talked to me about physical therapy or any exercises I should do at home. You'd think you should start those exercises as the scar tissue is forming, otherwise the scar tissue will be too tight. I'm getting my second set of stitches out today and believe me, I won't be going to this doctor for my left hand surgery. I guess this numbness and pain will be something I'll have to live with all my life.

I had surgery on both hands, middle fingers, 4 weeks ago. My fingers were sore and hurt when I bent them. I still have a problem making a fist on both hands. In the morning they feel as if they are swollen and have to worked in order to bend a little. Does anyone else have this problem? I'm going to check with my doctor tomorrow about therapy and if that would help..

I just found out that me 3 year old daughter has Trigger Finger and will be needing surgery. I am very very nervous. I guess i would like to know what really is done in surgery and what to expect when she's done. She will be put under because of her age. And also how long is the surgery? Everything i have read is that it's a pretty painful recovery. I guess the more information i have, the better understanding i have about this Trigger Finger, and what to expect. Like i said i am so scared right now for my daughter. would like to hear what other people have to say about this. Thank you .

I just had trigger finger surgery on 5/18/09. Almost a week ago. I had pointer and thumb done as well as carpal tunnel. Fingers were not locked all the time-thank goodness. I have splint on and see my surgeon next Thursday. Hoping to get splint off and maybe stitches out. Finger and carpal tunnel seem good but thumb is still very very sore and swollen (I don't keep it raised enough I guess) Doctor told me I probably wouldn't need therapy but told me to bend all fingers down toward wrist and then straight up, 10 sets-10 times a day. Same with thumb (however I don't do as much with thumb as it hurts-usually take vicodin and then do a couple sets) Hard to do lots of things as you do use thumb and pointer lots! But as you can see I can kinda type-lol Hope this info helps someone

I had middle trigger finger release and the biggest problem I have been having is the burning in the incision area and tenderness in the finger itself. It feels as though the stitches are way to tight, I am a home health aide and he said I could go to work immediately if I wished and I feel that's crazy there is no way I could put ted hose on someone or some of my other duties.

I am having both of my middle fingers fixed for trigger finger this monday. I am a little nervous about having both done at the same time..... Dr has not mentioned therapy or excerises to do after. Anyone else had 2 done at a time of diferent hands?

I just had trigger finger surg on 9-17-09 on my right hand ring finger. I am SO GLAD I came across this blog because I thought I was gonna have some major issues in the future. It's only been 2 days, but my right hand has been killing me, down to the wrist. Aleve and vicoden have helped. The trigger finger is still bent, but not as far as before the surg. Took the bandage off this morning to air it out, and have more bandages if I need them. Actually starting to feel better with the bandages off! The doc said to leave them on for 2 days. I have an antibiotic and I may be feeling better because of the half pill of vicoden I took a few minutes go!

I had surgery middle finger, right hand on 8/13/09. Stitches out 8 days after surgery. I still cannot straighten my finger. I have been in therapy for 3 weeks now, and it has not really helped. I have only had a slight 13% improvement after stretching, bending, ultrasound, splint, etc. The therapist thinks I am scarred in. She thinks the scar tissue is attached to my tendon and is keeping me from straightening my finger. It is very painful, to try to straighten it. Has this happened to others? She thinks I may need surgery to remove the scar tissue and then come to therapy the next day, with sutures in, and start movement of my finger. This is scarry and may be painful. Help. I see my surgeon soon and he will advise me what my options are. Just wanted to know if anyone else has been scarred in and what that entails. Thanks.

I'm scheduled for surgery tomorrow for all four fingers of right hand. I've been told by a hand therapist to use the pain meds if I need them, to schedule for therapy as soon as I can drive. I'm just six weeks out from a total hip replacement at 64, and doing very well due to physical therapists that came to my house twice a week. I do think it's key in reducing scar tissue and increasing circulation and mobility. I'll let you know how it goes for me. Good luck to you all.

Hi Sarah,

I happened upon this website a few moments ago looking for post surgery exercises and saw your note. I am new to this also.

I had 3 trigger fingers on one hand operated on the 24th of September! (They tell me that is highly unusual since diabetics are prone to multiple trigger digits.) We tried cortisone a few times but that didn't work, hence the outpatient surgery.

I still have one on my prominent right index finger but will worry about that another day.

My stitches were removed 2 weeks after surgery (yesterday) and everything is healing nicely but I still cannot make a fist.

I was told that would occur over the next four weeks. The area is still tender to the touch.

I am to press as hard as I can on each incision 4 x a day (located on the fleshy palm of my hand on an angle about 1/2" below the crease where the fingers meet the palm) to help prevent scar tissue and move my fingers as much as possible without lifting anything more than 5 pounds. (Oh and I am supposed to keep in dry and buy some Mederma or Vitamin E cream.

I found that wearing a surgical glove over the bandage (which I changed when the next day one of the cuts started to bleed). I then cleaned it with alcohol and covered it with a water proof bandage and wrapped it thickly with gauze and stretch tape to buffer it against anything.) I was also told to keep my hand raised as much as possible since my index finger was blueish (not like a black and blue mark but the kind you get from lack of circulation.) There is still a little swelling around the knuckles and below.

Anyway, today I am not wearing anything on it and if I keep using (vaseline) my all time favorite, it should be fine in no time.

I hope you have good luck with your experience. With what is going on in our world, this all seems like a very minor thing. It could be worse, right? Dee

I had trigger finger surgery on both hands (middle and ring on each) and a bone removed from my thumb on my dominant hand(right) on April 9, 2009. I went to hand therapy and continued therapy, until my therapist thought there must be something wrong. My hand surgeon kept saying it was extremely rare and he was taking a 'wait and see' . After waiting 3 mos., I saw another hand surgeon, who said it was likely I had Dupuytren's Disease and when I had surgery, my hands just 'exploded' with it. What do I know? He said that he wouldn't operate for a year. Knowing how hard it is to find a doc who would be willing to go back in, I went back to my original doc and told him what the 2nd doc thought, and he thought it was a non issue. In the meantime, the pain was excruciating and my hands are basically nonfunctional. He decided to go back in and told me he could get rid of the pain, which at this point, was the main thing. On August 27, I had my left hand redone, and on September 17, he redid the right. He said he pulled out all the stops and put an anchor in my thumb. It is now October 11, and my middle finger left hand is still triggering , right hand still sore especially thumb. The hand looks disfigured and worst of all, I'm still in constant pain. I started physical therapy a week after surgery and going twice a week. I have been taking Vicodin since the beginning, and my primary doc put me on 2400 mg of Ibuprofen per day, which I try to keep to 800-1600 per day as my stomach is starting to bother me. I haven't worked for over 6 mos. I'm a flight attendant and won't be able to perform my duties. Please think about this operation carefully. I wish I would have lived with it. I am so much worse than before I had it.

I live in Galesburg, IL and had trigger finger surgery on my right hand, middle and fourth finger. The surgery was done on September 15, 2009. Today, just one month later, my right hand remains very swolen and sore. My knuckels on my fingers are also very tender. I am concerned that I have this much swelling a month after surgery. My doctor told me before the surgery that my hand would return to normal use and strength in a month but I am still far from this kind of recovery! The morning is generally the worst part of the day as my fingers are stiff and difficult to move. As I use them they do seem to gain more flexibility. In talking to my doctor's nurse now I'm told that it will just take more time but I'm not so sure. The nurse told me to get some Play Dough and knead that around in my hand to exercise the muscles. Last night my middle finger locked up and it was very scary as this hadn't ever happened before the surgery. I found this site looking to see if what others have experienced after their surgeries. I am very nervous about my progress so far and am disappointed in my doctor's post-surgery support. I feel he should have been more forthcoming regarding post-operative side-effects. I would never have him do any other surgeries on me or my family.

Just curious. Has anyone heard of surgery for the index finger? I don't want to fix because I can not work. My right index finger hurts like hell! It is deformed and I have been left with little options aside from meds and fixation. One does not work well anymore, the other is unacceptable. Any suggestions?

I've been wondering about what to do with the trigger fingers on both of my hands. I haven't seen my orthopaedist about my fingers and don't know when I plan to do that. He's 1-1/2 hrs. from me which means taking a day off from work to go see him. I went to a Wonderful orthopaedist who specializes in the hands & arms. I had bilateral endoscopic carpul tunnel surgery 4 yrs. ago this Dec. The surgery stopped the pain in my hands and tingling/numbing in my right arm and tingling/numbing in my left hand. It helped a lot.

I worked at my current job when I had my surgery. I was off work for 1 week and was on light duty for 2 months. A few months later, I did a little too much plastic canvas and I noticed my right middle finger started to trigger and eventually my right hand started hurting. I left my job in 2007 (a renter/new management) and was off work for 2 yrs. Then the owners hired me back in March of this year. Was fine for awhile but then noticed that both of my hands & arms started hurting...thought I had overworked them too much. Then the middle finger, ring finger, & pinky finger on both hands started triggering. Both index fingers rarely ever trigger but don't always touch my hands when folded down. My left middle finger is my worst finger with my right hand fingers close behind in triggering & pain. I'm right-handed but use my left hand a lot off & on.

I've had 6 accupuncture sessions so far to help with the pain in both of my hands. It has helped to a certain degree. I've been trying not to have to see my orthpaedist, if possible. I've got my own insurance and it helped pay for my surgery but didn't pay a lot like I had hoped. My older sister paid most of my surgery bills for me...share a house together. Right now, just going to my orthopaedist and possibly having steroid shots would be expensive. I can't afford surgery at this time. I need my job and need to keep working.

My hands aren't as bad when I'm at work 'cause I'm moving my fingers a lot. I do watch what I do though. My problems are when I'm home and are working on plastic canvas projects or after I've woke up from a nap or in the mornings. My fingers triggers then and hurts. What suggestions do anybody have for dealing with trigger fingers without having steroid shots or surgery?

Thanks,

Darlene

Hi, this is the first time I have done this. I have had at least 6 fingers fixed for trigger finger. I am going on the 5th for another. My doctor did the surgery at his office and it has gone well for all involved. I had 2/3 stitches and my daughter or husband did the snip and zip to take them out. I have also had carpal tunnel surgery on both wrists. You can see the scars on the wrists but not on the fingers. Both of my hands are great and I have had no problems after the surgery.

I JUST HAD TRIGGER FINGER SURGERY DEC.10 AND MY STICHES COME SOUT TODAY.MY DR PUT A CASK ON MY

HAND, SO ITS NO WAY YOU CAN USE YOUR HAND,OR EVEN DRIVE.MY FINGER IS STILL STIFF,AND I HAVE HAD VERY LITTLE PAIN ,ITS MY INDEX FINGER ON MY RIGHT HAND.BUT ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO I HAD MY THUNB DONE AND IT WAS NO MORE THEN A PAPAR CUT ,HE DID NOT PUT A CASK ON IT ,PUT A BAND AID ON IT ,IT CAME OFF IN 2 DAYS TOLD ME TO RETURN TO NORMA WORKING ,GOT THE STICHS OUT IN 7 DAYS ,AND I HAVE HAD NO TROUBLE WITH IT AT ALL.BUT I BELIEVE THIS ONE IS GOING TO BE WORST ,IT IS STIFF AND I WILL BE GLAD TO GET THIS CASK OFF MY HAND,SEE THAT SI THE DIFFERENCE IN THE DOCTORS.AND THEY PUT ME TO SLEEP TO HAVE THIS DONE .NEXT IS CARPAL TUNNEL ON MY OTHER HAND,DOES ANYONE KNOW ANY THING ABOUT THAT SURGERY

Just had trigger finger surgery for right ring finger. Also called "A-1 Pulley Release"on insurance codes.A bit of trouble typing with the soft cast/splint on but so far so good on day 4. I had 4 or 5 cortisone injections over 2 years in 2 fingers (one on each hand) but the right ring finger just didn't work well. Making a closed fist was impossible...and it kept on "popping" more often.It used to lock up in a closed position but stopped after the first couple injections. 10-14 days total time before stiches are removed per doctor. The only side effect that I noticed is numbness on the inside of the ring finger. Probably some nerve damage but "normal" per doctor.

I was a bit surprised by the level of surgery pre-op done. I was expecting to get it done in the doctor's office with a simple slice and bandaid but they went for their standard procedure at the hospital with getting into a hospital gown and onto a gurney, with IV and simple sedation to relax me. Surgery took about 15 minutes, with very mild pain the first day after. I didn't need any pain killer.

Best part is that I hope my hand will close normally after a couple months. Physical therapy is scheduled for 4 weeks so that should do it. Maybe the numbness will go away too but as long as I can use my hand again without pain that would be nice.

I had Trigger Finger Surgery about 1 1/2 years ago - disaster! It was my left index finger - I'm a lefty. I'm also a semi-pro classical / jazz guitarist and since I play righty, my left index finger is crucial. It's true that I couldn't play guitar with the trigger finger problem, so something needed to be done. They said I'd be back playing in a month. It's 1 1/2 years later and my finger still feels like there's a band-aid wrapped around it. The triggering is gone, of course, but the outcome is terrible - I feel like I"m playing with rubber bands between my fingers. I've had 2 2nd opinions already. They say that the doc jumped to surgery too soon, I should have tried a 2nd shot of cortizone, tried immobilizing the finger for a while and other things. They also say that over time, it will indeed get better. But - my finger feels weak, stiff, unstable and slow. I've done hand therapy and scar treatments - not much help. Besides my guitar playing, my handwriting has gone downhill. Bottom line - if you need your hand for serious work, surgery should be a last resort!

I just had surgery for my trigger thumbs on Monday. Both of them. Maybe it wasn't the smartest move, but I thought it would be best to get them both done at once. Right now I am having some discomfort and pain, but I think that is normal. I can take my bandages off on Saturday. My stiches come out on the following Friday. I kinda peeked underneath, and it is bruised and swollen, but I can already tell I have better mobility in my thumbs. I'm just trying not to over use my hands. From what my doctor said, it is a cure for trigger thumb/finger. I hope. I feel pretty good considering. I'll let you know.

Hi!!! I have muy thumb finger done. Iīm reading all the messages and nobody seems to have my problem after surgery. I was operated 5 weeks ago. Still swollen , but I have a problem: my finger is still cklicking, maybe 20 times a day. After surgery I heard the cliking and my doctor says to wait, little by litle, he said. When my stitches were out I tol him the same: my finger is still clicking. He said to forget about the clik and to come back on February. Everything is fine , behalve the click that makes me very nervous because I think that the surgery didnīt go on well. Nobody hier has the funny clicking after surgery? If anyone would contact me, I would be very thankful my mails are carmonlaca@hotmail.com carmenmontaner@yahoo.es

I have trigger finger in both of my ring fingers. I'm left handed and my left is worse. Mine isn't locked down though. I cannot make a fist and I'm afraid if I accidentally force it down, it will lock. I've had 1 cortisone shot and almost passed out from the pain. It didn't help. I have an appt. with a hand specialist 2/9 and figure I'd have surgery. After reading all the posts, I don't think I want to have it now. It doesn't hurt much but with overuse, hurts on the pad below the finger. It is mostly annoying not being able to use it and don't want it to stay this way the rest of my life. I am a school cook and use my hands a lot to lift, wash heavy pans, etc. I would like to just do therapy to help it. Has anyone ever had it and it just went away?