“Cut nerve in fingertip”
Hello,
3 weeks ago I cut my finger just above the joint nearest the fingertip. The cut was 5mm deep, I visited a hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam, where they gave me stitches. I told them that my finger was numb and was told that this was normal. Nerve damage wasn't mentioned and I thought I would make a full recovery. I had my stitches removed after 12 days and the wound is healing well. I have no feeling above the cut on the side of my finger, and I have shooting pains whenever I touch the area. I visited another hospital and spoke to a hand surgeon who told me the nerves in the fingertip are too small to reattach.
I would just like to confirm that there is no hope of reattaching the nerve and regaining some feeling. It sounds daft, but it's a bit depressing. Many things I love to do have been affected, I've played the guitar for 30 years and also play the piano and drums, and enjoy many sports which involve catching.
Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated. If there is no hope of a partial recovery I will get on with getting used to it! I understand that time is crucial with this kind of injury and if there is any possibility of increasing my chances of some kind of recovery I would try it.
Thanks for your help,
Tim.
3 weeks ago I cut my finger just above the joint nearest the fingertip. The cut was 5mm deep, I visited a hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam, where they gave me stitches. I told them that my finger was numb and was told that this was normal. Nerve damage wasn't mentioned and I thought I would make a full recovery. I had my stitches removed after 12 days and the wound is healing well. I have no feeling above the cut on the side of my finger, and I have shooting pains whenever I touch the area. I visited another hospital and spoke to a hand surgeon who told me the nerves in the fingertip are too small to reattach.
I would just like to confirm that there is no hope of reattaching the nerve and regaining some feeling. It sounds daft, but it's a bit depressing. Many things I love to do have been affected, I've played the guitar for 30 years and also play the piano and drums, and enjoy many sports which involve catching.
Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated. If there is no hope of a partial recovery I will get on with getting used to it! I understand that time is crucial with this kind of injury and if there is any possibility of increasing my chances of some kind of recovery I would try it.
Thanks for your help,
Tim.
Male | 42 years old
Complaint duration: 3 weeks
Medications: None
Conditions: Cutnerve
2 Answers
You indeed cut the nerve.You might be lucky and the nerve on the other side might overlap and restore some sensation.Once the skin wound is healed massage the area with cortisone cream 2-3 times per day.At 6 months if no progress the numbness is likely permanent.If you have shooting type pains a direct cortisone injection might help.Good luck
The proper digital nerve at the distal interphalangeal joint ( dipj) divides into 3 small branches.your scar is at ninety degree angle to these branches indicating you probably cut maybe2/3 of the branches. current literature does not recommend surgical intervention. Early in my surgical career I repaired them with OR microscope on helped about 1/2 the patients.at 3 weeks you have significant scar tissue around nerve endings and my recommendation would be occ. therapy
Concentrating on desensitization and scar massage. If you form a neuroma around the nerve endings will need surgery. Only go to hand surgeon if this occurs some medications may help
Neurontin or lyrica but have side effects
Hoped this helped iam an orthopedic hand surgeon withCAQ
Concentrating on desensitization and scar massage. If you form a neuroma around the nerve endings will need surgery. Only go to hand surgeon if this occurs some medications may help
Neurontin or lyrica but have side effects
Hoped this helped iam an orthopedic hand surgeon withCAQ
