Jump to content

Menu

Has anybody ever had finger surgery?


Recommended Posts

My daughter had finger surgery about 2 weeks before we moved overseas.

She had pins put in her finger, with a splint on it. One week after we got here, I took the pins out (that was kinda creepy). It's now been one more week. We've been buddy taping (we're supposed to do that for three weeks after pin removal), but it is still really swollen. It almost looks like it healed wrong. Her big knuckle, which she broke, is really large. Is it normal for it still to be this swollen?

 

I can't really just call and make her an appointment here to have it looked at. I plan on trying to call the Dr. who did the surgery on Tuesday, since Monday is a holiday. I am just really concerned that it healed improperly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Call the doctor and see if there is someone locally you can see. My son has had 3 hand surgeries, but they weren't for the same reasons. He had finger separations as he has fused fingers. It took a full 6 weeks before we could remove all the bandages each time and before swelling went down to normal levels.

 

Dawn

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, Dawn. The problem is is that I can't call to have her seen here. I don't speak the language, and very few people here speak English. I would have to have a bilingual friend call around for me, and then come with me, and they have their own work and kids, and it would be very time consuming for them. So a Dr.'s appointment would happen only if it HAD to.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was a surgical/office nurse for a hand surgeon for many years. Which knuckle is involved? If it is the middle interphalangeal joint (the one you use to "knock on wood"), then this would be normal, especially if there was a fracture within the joint itself. Of all the joints in the hand, that specific joint swells significantly after trauma and usually becomes very stiff when pinned, splinted or taped for any amount of time.

 

No redness or increased pain in that joint? Just want to make sure there are no signs of infection...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do you still have insurance in the states where you could call a nurse line? I have been to two international/foreign hospitals and there has always been someone there who spoke some English, or we've managed to get our points across just fine. If you're concerned I'd take her in or try to call someone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had finger surgery, rebreaking and resetting a bone, and two nail bed reconstructions. 10 years later it still doesn't look quite normal. My last knuckle joint is enlarged, and my finger nail still isn't right.

 

So, somewhat enlarged? Could be normal. If it seems very swollen, especially if it is red and inflamed, it could be an infection. I seem to remember my finger taking a long time to heal, but I can't remember for sure. It is better to find a way to have it seen if in doubt.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, that is the joint. The break was through the knuckle. It actually was broken for a while, and healed improperly, hence the surgery with pins. It does not look infected. It only hurts if she tries to bend it farther than it wants to. It just looks REALLY big. And if I feel on both sides of the knuckle, it feels hard, like bone, not soft, like tissue, which makes me nervous. Could it still just be swollen tissue, even though it feels quite hard?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That sound normal. That specific joint looks cartoonish big after fractures/pinnings. It starts to go down slowly over a long time... months, not weeks (and it may always be a little bigger than her other ones). If she was told to start moving it, I would encourage you to work on it many times a day.... that joint is difficult to get full range of motion back.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...