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Patient Resources

  • Aftercare

    • Trigger Finger Release

    Pain Medication

    • A finger block is performed during the surgery.  It is normal to have increased pain when the block wears off. Please take your pain medications with food prior to the nerve block wearing off (when you start feeling tingling in your fingers).  Nerve blocks last 12-24 hours on average.
    • You may use Tylenol (acetaminophen). DO NOT EXCEED 3000 mg of Tylenol in 24 hours.
    • You may also alternate ibuprofen with Tylenol to supplement pain control.
    • It is recommended to use narcotics ONLY as needed (and directed) for additional pain control. Take it with food to prevent nausea.
    • Extended use of narcotics can lead to dependency/addiction and cause severe constipation and GI complications.

    Dressing–Typical Wound Care

    • Keep the dressing dry during the first 2 days, cover with a bag when in the shower. The dressing can be removed in 2 days and the site can get wet in the shower with soap and water.  Do not submerge the incision in the bathtub, sink, or pool.  No sauna or swimming.
    • Leave the dressing/splint intact and dry until following up with us in the office. Do not Remove. Cover your splint with a bag while showering to keep it dry.
    • You may remove the removable splint for your exercises, then reapply the splint.

    Wound Care/Dressing Changes

    • Wound Dressing Changes: Please remove current dressings, gently scrub/wash with soap and water or do it in the shower and replace the dressings with a wet gauze (either bottled saline solution purchased from a pharmacy or use boiled tap water that has been cooled off to room temperature), then add a layer of dry gauze and secure it with tape. Please do this 3x per day (shower counts one dressing change).
    • Warm Soap Water Soaks: Please remove current dressings, gently scrub/wash with soap water and soak in warm soap water for 20 mins and dry off and replace with dry dressings. Please do this 3x per day (shower counts one).

    Activity

    • Please keep the area elevated as much as possible for at least the first 5 days or until the swelling improves.  You are using gravity to help assist fluid movement out of the area.
    • For the first three days, please refrain from full-body exercises or activities that increased blood pressure and heart rate to prevent increased bleeding from the wound.
    • If the fingers were left unwrapped, this was intentional: please make a gentle fist a few times an hour to prevent stiffness and swelling. You may gently move your extremities within the confinement of your splint.
    • You are encouraged to move the joints of your wrist and fingers few times an hour.  Moving the joints helps assist in fluid movement of the surgical area preventing joint stiffness, pain and loss of function.
    • Returning to work and work-related activity will depending on your occupation and work environment.
    • NO DRIVING while under the influence of narcotic pain medication.
    • NO SMOKING.  Smoking interferes with circulation and wound healing and may cause serious complications such as wound infections.  It is in your best interest to refrain from smoking.

    First Post-op Visit

    • Often 8-10 days post-op unless directed otherwise. This visit is scheduled during the scheduling of your surgery.
    • Sutures are removed between 8-14 days depending on the extent of the wound and your past medical history.  Uncontrolled blood sugar (diabetes), smoking, certain medically conditions and some medications can delay healing.
    • Sutures are left in longer in situations of possible delayed healing and you may be directed to return at a later date for suture removal.
    • Scar Tissue Massage
      • Post-operative wounds/incisions heal with scar tissue.  The network of fibers that make up scar tissue changes and improves over time. Massaging a healing wound causes the fibers to align themselves to the directional stress you apply making the skin more pliable like normal skin.  This action also desensitizes the wound.  The best way to see it is to “move the tissue around and over the scar in all directions like kneading dough.”
      • You may use Aloe-Vera/Vitamin E skin cream
    • Formal therapy is often not needed.  Occupational therapy may be initiated in certain situations.  You will be encouraged to continue a home exercise program and activity modifications.
    • Time-frame for post-operative recovery
      • Everyone recovers from surgery at their own pace.  You can anticipate a return to activities “as tolerated” without restrictions 4-6 weeks following surgery.
      • Returning to activities as tolerated without restrictions does not mean there is an expectation you will be pain/symptom free.  The hand will need time to develop muscular endurance as you expose it to increasing activity much the same way an athlete develops endurance to run 10 miles.
      • Your post-operative pain, swelling, range of motion and overall function will depend on how proactive/compliant you are with your post-operative care, activity modifications/restrictions and home exercise program.

    When to Call?

    Please call the office if you have any questions or concerns regarding your post-operative care. If any of these symptoms are present please call:

    • Persistent fever greater than 101.5 °F or 38.5 °C
    • Increasing pain or swelling not controlled with medications
    • Excessive drainage or bleeding on the bandage
    • Chest pain, difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting
    • Cold fingers, or painful fingers that are not normal in color
    • Increasing redness beginning 7 days after surgery