Has anyone here ever had hand surgery?

[Garson007]

Hey guys,

I've never ever had surgery, apart from extracting my impacted wisdom teeth - so I'm kinda nervous.

So some background. I pick up a distal scaphoid fracture in 2008 playing some football. I didn't know it was broken until I went for x-rays nine months later. The radiologist and the doctor at the time thought it was a non-issue - even though there was a non-union after nine months - which in retrospect I should have followed up with a specialist.

About a month back I had sudden wrist pain again. Bone against bone sharp pain. So I went back to the GP and got some more x-rays and the non-union was still there. He directed me to an orthopedic surgeon who then got me to do a CT scan (expensive). He then told me the best way forward is for me to go see a specialist in hand surgery.

Long story short both Dr. Pretorius (the hand specialist who will be monitoring me) and Dr. Wells (his mentor) is going to try and glue my scaphoid together with some hip, screws and nine months of splint wearing (Yes, NINE!). Now, I have very little concern when it comes to the expertise of these doctors (both of them are very well entrenched and respected within the South African Society of Hand Surgery) - but I suspect that Discovery is going to laugh at my 100% hospital rate. Never the less. Given it's an unusual case it's probably the best idea to see the best and not worry too much if I'm going to pay tens of thousands out of pocket (although it still makes me cry).

So I'm going into surgery on the 9th of June and awaiting the quote. Is there any advice from you guys?

 

[b_crazy]

I'm actually recovering from a 4th metacarpal break surgery. Wore a cast for 6 weeks. Took the cast off over a month ago. Still wearing a support brace off and on.

Advice? Don't get hooked on the pain meds

 

[R13...]

You'd think wisdom tooth surgery is a lot more painful than hand, no?

 

[Garson007]

You'd think wisdom tooth surgery is a lot more painful than hand, no?

It probably is, but apparently the hip part is really uncomfortable. I think I'll get very frustrated being a one-hand man for 9 months.

And b_crazy, living up to your name - who did you punch?

 

[MrSnyders]

I've actually had 3 surgeries to my one hand, but I don't think it was as bad as yours is. Fell through a glass and cut the edge of my wrist, severing some nerves. First surgery was to reattach nerves, second to clean scar tissue from the reattached nerve and third to move a tendon in the hope of improving my grip (this one might've done more bad than good).

All 3 ops I went in the morning and left the afternoon with a bandaged/splinted up hand.

My advice would be - try to minimize pain meds and, while your hand is still bandaged, wear your sling with your hand higher than your heart. It's weird at first, but prevents your hand swelling too much.

You get used to the one handed thing and you'll have the splint removal in 9 months to look forward to.
It's about 10 years since my last op and my hand still isn't fully functional, but I barely notice it these days.

 

[b_crazy]

And b_crazy, living up to your name - who did you punch?

It wasn't that spectacular . I was going down the stairs and slipped and landed on the hand :erm:

 

[Gezza]

So some background. I pick up a distal scaphoid fracture in 2008 playing some football.

Soccer*

 

[b_crazy]

[-]Soccer*[/-]

Football

 

[Gezza]

Football

Soccah!

 

[web]

Have had 2 operations on my hands one each from various breaks doing stupid things, both were bones connected to my fingers.

my 11 daughter has more power in her hands now

My right hand is not too bad but it aches like crazy all the time, my left hand i have no strength in my fingers at all, if i need to open a jar of pickles i need to get my other half to help

 

[Garson007]

Soccer*

Might as well call it that, because the incident was so monumentally stupid. I tripped over my own fellow CD during practice. :x

 

[Nicodeamus]

Broke my hand doing jui jitsu, at on stage I could pick myself up using one hand and do one hand push-ups. I can't do that anymore. It takes ages to heal and even longer if you're using your hands all day long. In my case Carpentry and typing.

 

[Garson007]

Had my surgery on Monday, discharged on Tuesday. Those pain injections are amazing. My hip is sore and I struggle to walk. Wrist is in a cast and it annoys me that I can't see the stitches. The stitches on the hip are really neat.

 

[KleinBoontjie]

Hard to believe that not one of these self confessed masturbaters on MyBB had carpel tunnel operations yet

 

[Garson007]

Taking two Tramacet tablets with every meal. Trying to scale down to one and a half, but then the pain sets in earlier. It really hits me though. A state of somnolence lasting an hour or so, accompanied with nausea and dizziness when standing. It works pretty great for the pain though.

 

[b_crazy]

Told you not to get hooked on the meds.

Nothing wrong with a little pain.

 

[Garson007]