how do we make preparation for a finger surgery ?

June 18, 2013 8:11 AM

my fiancee is getting a surgery inserting a collagen-based nerve guide conduit for ulnal nerve repair in his ring finger, what can I do to help him prepapre for the surgery, what things should he know, and what can I do to help him recover
posted by denimchair to Health & Fitness (6 answers total)

I have no idea what that particular surgery involves, but I had to get 5 stitches in my ring finger a few months ago, and it was wrapped up for 3 weeks while everything healed. The worst part was that I couldn't get the bandage wet or dirty, so it was hard to do things around the house (cleaning anything, washing the dishes). My partner did all of the cleaning and helped me with basic things like straightening my hair. For the first few days, he basically shadowed me while I was home so that he could take over when things were too annoying/frustrating, or if it seemed like my finger might be at risk of getting dirty. If your fiancee's finger has to be 'protected' while it's healing after surgery, I think it would be wise to make yourself available for the first few days while you figure out what tasks he will need the most help with. Best of luck!
posted by gursky at 8:39 AM on June 18, 2013

For your fiance: Trim all fingernails so you don't have to do it post-surgery for a bit. Take the meds when you need to (I fell asleep, missed a dose, and woke up to really unpleasant sensations - after that I set timers so if I was asleep I wouldn't miss it again). Try not to bump the hand, and if you work with/around kids or animals wear a sturdy covering on the finger longer than you may think you need to avoid surprise bending. Navigate the shower situation with help. Do the exercises that are meant to restore function consistently. If at the point you're prescribed exercises you can get it wet, try doing them in the shower under hot water (way easier/less painful for me). If you were prescribed a gel or lotion or cream to lessen scarification, use it.

For you: Make sure his medicine is accessible, taken at the correct times, and that he is guarding the hand appropriately. Make sure that he doesn't take a lot of pain medication and then think he can drive or something equally dangerous. Help him get finicky clothing off if necessary and any shower help he needs. Remind him to do his hand exercises and to use the descarring cream.

Oh, and I couldn't take the pain meds on an empty stomach (made me nauseous) so stock up on mini muffins or something that he can easily choke down even at 4am if he needs to.
posted by vegartanipla at 8:55 AM on June 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

Buy large dishwasing gloves and cut the fingers off to use to protect the bandage in situations where it may get wet.
posted by srboisvert at 9:00 AM on June 18, 2013

I had a growth removed from my middle finger (between the nail and the nail bed) once, and I would think that my surgery was more intrusive than what your fiancee is going to experience.

The only challenge I had was that it hurt like hell for a day or so. Plus, it was really shocking to see the incision a week later, when the bandages were being changed.

However, everything turned out fine, with no problems.

I can't recall what issues there were with bathing or whatever, but it couldn't have been too bad.

As surgeries go, this is going to be all right.
posted by KokuRyu at 9:08 AM on June 18, 2013

One of the most annoying things about hand surgery for me was remembering that I couldn't do stuff with it. Especially when it was my dominant hand!
posted by The Underpants Monster at 10:26 AM on June 18, 2013

From your question, it is hard to know what you already know and what you don't, so forgive me if any of this stuff sounds really obvious.

I believe I had that same surgery, but about 10 years ago, so things may have changed.

When I had it done, I had to have a full cast, from above my elbow to practically my fingertips for several weeks. This was so that I could not possibly move anything and mess it up. Will he need that? If so, I found that I could not operate a stick-shift car, and needed to switch cars with my husband for that time period so I could use an automatic. I can't remember any other specific tasks that ended up seeming impossible, though.

I assume his doctors will get him set up for hand therapy afterwards, but if not, definitely ask about it!

One thing to be aware of is that the surgery may not "work" -- he may continue to have no feeling in places. The way my dr explained it to me was that they were setting up the nerve to regrow in the proper direction. This regrowth may or may not happen, to my understanding.

Those paraffin hand treatments are amazing, when he is able to get it wet and do something like that. You might consider getting one of the home setups for that.
posted by freezer cake at 10:24 AM on June 19, 2013