newman:

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when you mention that "connection will be cut in three weeks" Is this area between the web of the fingers ? or some other area.


The graft on my little finger is still connected to the ring finger, where the flap of skin came from, so the blood supply is intact. They will be operating again next week to disconnect the skin flap once the graft has taken well. Currently my first section on both fingers are joined together with that skin. Once he cuts the fingers apart he may possibly do yet another graft on the inside of the ring finger to cover up any exposed tissue that still needs it. I had my first apt with the doc today since the surgery. He asked in my research on skin grafts if I had heard of anyone else doing cross flap grafts. I had not seen anything here on it and he said that he thinks he may be the only one doing it right now. He has done a dozen or so.
He agreed that grafts do prevent recurrence and uses them routinely on palms when needed. So far, I just needed it on the finger itself as all that was contracted was the PIP. I may do my other hand in the spring. It is at about 45' and says that it will be much less complicated if I can do it early instead of at 90' which is where my right pinky was.

Hi Newman, thanks for the info. I am now 12 days out and saw the Dr yesterday for the first time since the surgery. He seemed to think it was all going well but he may do one more small graft when he cuts the cross-flap in another 10 days. He did not extend the graft into the palm at all, but said that he does do grafts in the palm when it is called for. I will stay away from bleach and had already planned on buying some gloves with cushioning in the palm and fingers. My graft for the top of my ring finger was taken from the outside of my leg, just above my knee. The next one will come from the forearm. Now I am working on getting the finger to flex again. After two years of being permanently flexed it doesn't like doing it again!