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I’ll let you know. I am having my right hand done a week on Friday.
All done. Still spaced out on GA after effects but following my nutritional recovery plan diligently. Cast off in a week, stitches out after 10 days, splint at night time for 3 months.
Take solace from the fact this means you are a viking! Its a relatively recent ( in evolutionary terms) mutation that occurred in the viking population so you only get it if you have a viking ancestor.
Particularly living on your own then you do need an OT assessment. As above - there are gadgets that can help and an OT is the person to help
Thanks TJ. Mrs Bloke, currently driving me home is primed to help me. Sköl!!
When my dominant hand was in a cast for three months due to a very serious wrist fracture (among many others), I bought the recumbent trike to continue commuting to work 🙂 . The insurance of the at fault driver paid for it. It took a while to use the left hand for mouse and typing. And at least CTRL-ALT-DEL has finally gone! Hope you heal fast.
Take solace from the fact this means you are a viking!
My Chinese colleague is a viking? He'll be delighted as a first generation migrant!
tired - thats what I have thought it was - a chinese bloke getting it - thats weird.
I’ll cross my fingers for your recovery while I still can. Heal well!
OP. TD/LR life disruption is minimal, results are fantastic. 100% worth it for me.
I'm exactly 1 week post op and had my cast removed this morning. I have a light dressing on for a few more days and have the sutures out on Monday. I am really, really chuffed with how well it's gone. I've had no pain at all, even immediately post op. I already have nearly full movement back in my hand. My finger is almost completely straight, maybe 97 or 98%. All the sometimes painful nodules are gone.
The cast wasn't too bad. A bit uncomfortable sleeping and a pain having to wrap it up for showers. I had my thumb and two good fingers sticking out, so I wasn't completely one handed. From now, I'm encouraged to use my hand as much as possible. It'll be at least a month I reckon before I'm cycling. I have physio to do, have to wear a splint at night and need to treat the scar with E45. In my case the contracture was seriously inhibiting lots of stuff I like to do. The improvement, after just one week is remarkable. Big up the awesome NHS.YMMV, but for me it has really improved my quality of life with no downsides.
My hand now. To be fair, there is a very juicy scar under the dressing (pics available on request)! If anyone asks, I earned it in a knife fight in a Saigon bar in 76, - but I don't like to talk about it!
@qwerty - update. 2 ½ weeks post op. Hand almost completely healed, I've been driving for nearly a week, now riding a bike (road not MTB yet) and most other stuff. I'm back in the gym, though using much lighter weights for any hand/upper body exercises. I can do press ups again for the first time in a few years as I can now flatten my palm completely. All the above sanctioned by the physio.
So a few more weeks until I can start swinging kettlebells or doing any DH runs, but other than that, the disruption to my life has been minimal and I can do a lot more now with my hand than I could before. So don't let the worry of being out of action for ages stop you getting your hand fixed.
That's awesome recovery. Good stuff!
Just makes me jealous though. Still not back on the bike nearly 3 months post-injury (a month post last surgery) and with maybe 40% movement in three fingers - this is me trying my hardest to make a fist (ignore the weird pinkness - trying to keep the residual swelling down)...
Sorry to hear that @colournoise. It does sound like your condition is complex with multiple ops. I think you said earlier in the thread rehab would take 6 months. You've a way to go yet, so hopefully things will improve!
@blokeuptheroad thanks for the positive update
@colournoise making a fist is easy the challenge is extending my little finger and ring finger - my consultant was certain that I must start full finger extension from day one post op, regardless of pain.
Just had the op yesterday. Hope I get as good a result as you @blokeuptheroad. Think mine was a bit worse than yours and affected 2 fingers.
Best of luck for a great result and with the recovery @Oblongbob. I saw my consultant for a follow up review 2 days ago. He was pretty pleased with my progress, as am I. There are no restrictions now, I'm riding mtb again and basically using my hand as it was before the contracture started. I have some very minor numbness on the outside edge of my little finger, which may or may not improve, but otherwise it's been great.
Apparently a nerve in my pinky was nicked as it was caught up in the fascia, but the surgeon repaired and hopes it’ll heal ok. I can feel on the tip of the finger so hope that’s a good sign. A bit achy just now but paracetamol is enough to take the edge off. Haven’t needed the codeine they gave me. Dressing to be changed on Monday morning so I’ll get a look at the gore then!
So, I had my surgery today under GA with nerve blocks to keep the pain down over the next 48hrs, consultant said mine was pretty bad, unlikely to be fully straightened but will be better. Physio follow up in 5 days with consultant in 2 weeks, home with codeine which I aim too avoid unless absolutely needed. Hospital team were amazing 🤙🏻
I've had the surgery twice now on the same finger, left pinkie. First time in 2008 then again 2017 and it's just as bad again, it didn't take that long after the surgery each time to start contracting again. Given up with having it done again as it doesn't really affect anything, I've basically got used to it being like that!
Got lots of other nodules on both hands but they aren't affecting anything yet.
Both times after the surgery the physios said to get it moving ASAP, around 3 days IIRC, they said not to worry about the wound bleeding and stretch it as much as possible. I only had a couple of weeks off work so would have been driving and was back on the mtb once the stitches were out, albeit easy rides to start with.
Codeine helps me sleep. Only take it at night (different issues). No issues with bowl movements unless it's taken as prescribed, 4x a day.
I've a half slab cast fitted that has my fingers curled so no option to straighten until it comes off in 5 days.
Consultant thought I need a skin graft but I didn't get one which is good.
Nerve blockers still working 19hrs later but feeling gradually coming back .
I slept well last night without codeine.
So, 16 days post surgery and I managed a few miles along a flat cycle track on my folding bike.
My consultants not available to review so I had my stitches out at 14 days at my GP surgery, it feels much better with those removed and seems to be healing better.
My little finger is still really swollen which is inhibiting ROM and is still numb laterally and in the palm, time will tell if felling comes back as the swelling subsided or if it's permanent.
My little finger can straighten but I can't flex due to the swelling which is ironic.
Nearly at the end of my 24/7 splint, then it's 6 months of sleeping with it on.
6 months after my little finger surgery hell tackle my ring finger.
I had surgery in May. The palm swelling as gone down alot but is a little tender if using a screwdriver or something similar.
My finger is still a bit swollen and I can't use full grip with it. This is possibly because of some scar tissue?
@Bruce did you massage the palm / finger during rehab / physio?
I have been massaging my palm and finger since the wound healed using E45 cream. My finger still has a bend in it.
I have been surprised how little contact I have had with doctors throughout the process.
I'm 5 weeks and a few days in now, palm and little finger still have numbness in them, I seem to have a large amount of scar tissue that needs massaging and making a fist to break down.
I wore the splint continually for two weeks and now it's nights only for 6 months, my finger is straight in the morning but starts to curl a few hours after taking the splint off.
My palm still has a small 6mm bit of skin / scar tissue that needs to close but is resistant, this really impedes my ability to make a fist, I can just about clasp a handlebar diameter - I managed my first off road easy ride this week.
I'm a bit worried it's already trying to go back to it's previous shape, time will tell.
I had numbness for several months but it has gradually reduced until finger sensation is back to normal.
My finger is like yours quite straight in the morning and curls during the day.
I still can't fully bend my finger so I suppose there is some scar tissue.
I have enough grip now for cycling, sea kayaking , heavy furniture moving, scything and high grip diy activities.
Hopefully your hand will gradually return to normalish as well.
Good luck.
@qwerty it's still relatively early days for you. I had similar at that stage. I was religious about wearing the splint, massaging with E45 and doing the physio exercises for months. Mine still sometimes gets a little tight and starts to curl in ever so slightly, 9 months in. So I still stretch and massage a little every day, and that seems to relax and straighten it. So most of the time it is as straight as it was after the op - about a 5 degree bend as opposed to more than a 90 degree bend before. I can do so much more than before, it was definitely worth it for me. Best of luck with your continued recovery.
Thanks for the upbeat vibes both 🤙🏻