How is trigger finger surgery performed

After open surgery, patients will have a compression dressing on the surgical site that needs to be kept clean and dry. The dressing can be removed after a day or two, and then the sutures may be removed after 10 to 14 days or they may dissolve on their own. The affected hand may be painful and swollen for a few days after surgery. Individuals can relieve pain and inflammation by:. Most people can return to work after a few days if they work in an office environment, however, positions that involve manual labor may require 2 weeks before returning to work.

Most pain and symptoms from the surgery will be resolved in a few weeks, although it may take 6 months for stiffness and swelling to completely subside. Recovery can take longer if multiple fingers were treated.

Some patients may benefit from physical therapy after surgery to recondition and rebuild strength in the hand. Patients should work with their physicians to ensure their recovery plan is appropriate for their unique situation. A corticosteroid injection can permanently improve trigger finger but, in some cases, the problem can return after treatment. You can have a second injection if the effect wears off, but it's often less effective than the first injection.

The risks of corticosteroid injections for trigger finger are small. Very occasionally, it causes some thinning or colour change in the skin at the site of injection. There's also a very small risk of infection. Surgery may be recommended if the above treatments do not work or are unsuitable. The surgeon will cut through the affected section of the tendon sheath so that your tendon can move freely again. Whether surgery is recommended will depend on considerations such as the amount of pain you're in, whether it's associated with other medical problems, such as rheumatoid arthritis, and how much it's affecting your life.

In most cases, trigger finger is a nuisance rather than a serious condition. However, if it is not treated, the affected finger or thumb may become permanently stuck in a bent position or, less commonly, in a straightened position. This can make carrying out everyday tasks difficult. Surgery for trigger finger is effective and it's rare for the problem to return in the treated finger or thumb.

However, you may need to take some time off work and there's a risk of complications see below. The operation takes around 20 minutes, and you will not need to stay in hospital overnight. The procedure is usually carried out under local anaesthetic , so you'll be awake but unable to feel any pain in your hand. If you have rheumatoid arthritis, these types of surgery may not be recommended because they can cause your finger to drift sideways.

Instead, a procedure known as a tenosynovectomy may be necessary. This involves removing part of the tendon sheath to allow the tendon to move again. If you have open trigger finger release surgery, the surgeon will give you an injection of local anaesthetic into the palm of your hand.

A small incision will be made in the palm of your hand along one of the natural creases, which may mean the scar will be less noticeable. People who have diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis have a higher chance of developing trigger finger. Trigger finger can occur in a different finger or tendon. Trigger finger is a painful condition in which a finger locks in a bent or straightened position.

It most commonly affects musicians, farmers, and…. Tendon repair is surgery to treat a torn or otherwise damaged tendon. A swelling tendon in your finger may be an indication of tendonitis. In many cases, you can treat finger tendonitis at home.

In some cases, you may…. A recessed maxilla can cause cosmetic issues like flat cheekbones and a prominent jaw, and lead to dental problems, speech issues, and obstructed…. If you do tear a meniscus, you might be tempted to "walk it off. A lateral pelvic tilt is when one hip is higher than the other.

Learn about five exercises that can help with this condition. Enthesopathy refers to pain and inflammation around your joints. This includes your wrists, knees, and ankles. Here's how to recognize and treat it.

Learn what might cause an itchy perineum along with treatment and prevention recommendations. Sprained and broken ankles have similar symptoms. A broken ankle is a more severe injury than a sprained ankle and usually takes longer to heal…. For trigger fingers that have not been cured with non-surgical treatments, trigger finger release surgery is recommended. For the standard open procedure, a very small incision is made in the palm near the base of the affected finger in order to allow the t surgeon to incise the constricted section of tendon sheath, widening it and preventing the tendon rubbing that was causing the problem.

The procedure generally only takes a few minutes and the problem is extremely unlikely to recur. Some patients are candidates for percutaneous trigger finger release surgery. The palm of the hand is numbed so that a needle may be inserted into the tissue around the affected tendon. The needle is used to help break apart the constriction blocking the normal gliding motion of the tendon. Recovery from this technique is generally faster, though the problem is slightly more likely to recur.

Regardless of technique, some soreness in the palm is normal after surgery. Keeping your hand elevated above the level of your heart can help reduce pain and swelling. The incision site usually heals within a few weeks; however, mild swelling and stiffness in your hand and fingers may persist for four to six months.

Sometimes a short course of hand therapy after surgery is helpful to teach patients how to do home exercises without overdoing it and making the healing take longer. Trigger finger surgery tends to be very successful, leading to resolution of the triggering, significant improvement in function, and pain relief.