“What is the recovery time for "trigger finger?"”
I have "trigger finger" and will need to be scheduled for surgery. What kind of anesthesia is used for this hand surgery? Also, what is the recovery time for a procedure like this? It's my right forefinger, and I need the use of that finger for work.
9 Answers
Is this your first trigger finger? have you failed a trial of a steroid injection and or a trigger splint at night? most commonly a trigger release is performed under straight local (wide awake with some numbing medicine in the palm) or under light sedation. It is important for the surgeon to ask you to make a fist to ensure no further locking in the operating room. Common post op protocol is a band aid or light dressing the next day and early motion. Depending on how stiff you are, one may benefit from some hand therapy but that is not commonly needed. If you need really good grip strength for your occupation or avocation it may be up to 6-8 weeks even thought it is a quick surgery , sometimes the recovery is longer than you expect. Please ask your doctor to try an injection or splint if not already
Usually a mild sedative and local numbing in the finger should do it. Anesthesia recovery should be less than 30 min. Surgical recovery questions should be directed to your surgeon.
The surgeon can tell you about recovery time. Anesthesia is typically local, sometimes intravenous sedation can be used. Recovery from anesthesia is fast, 1/2 hour or so.
Boris Yaguda, M.D.
Boris Yaguda, M.D.
I have administered regional block on several patients for this kind of Surgery. The Recovery time will depend upon how extensive the procedure it was and the presence of complicating conditions like Diabetes etc. To go back to work if you are not a manual laborer it should only take 2 to3 weeks. If you need to use your hands at work it would take 6-8 weeks.
This is a question for your surgeon. There are a number of ways to surgically relieve "trigger finger" and only your surgeon will know which they are planning to use. The technique the surgeon chooses will dictate whether local anesthesia (numbing the area), sedation, or general anesthesia will be used.
Different doctors may suggest different types of anesthesia for this procedure. I do it under local anesthesia but others do it with sedation or general anesthesia. After surgery, heavy lifting or strenuous gripping will be difficult for 2 to 3 weeks. Light tasks or administrative/computer work is OK to perform within a day or 2.
If you have a local anesthetic or hand block, recovery will be very quick. With general anesthesia, most of the day will be needed. The surgical recovery time should be addressed with your surgeon, but I suspect it will be 2-8 weeks.
Trigger finger is usually a very short procedure. It can be done without anesthesia (not recommended). There are several other options which you can choose from. Local anesthesia is an option, with or without sedation. A regional anesthetic, either intravenous (Bier Block) or nerve block, is also a possibility. A general anesthetic is also a possibility. Any sedation or general anesthetic will require a period of recovery which varies with the type of anesthesia and the medications used. Generally, it lasts for a brief period of time (several hours). It is usually recommended not to work or drive for 24 hours if you have a general anesthetic or sedation. You can ask your anesthesia provider to accommodate your own concerns in forming your anesthesia plan.
Trigger fingers are usually performed under straight local anesthesia or local anesthesia and sedation. In the majority of cases, the recovery is usually pretty quick. You can start using the hand the next day and do light typing and activities of daily living. Full recovery can sometimes take about 4 weeks, in terms of activities such as lifting weights at the gym.
