Has anyone else experienced a flare reaction after hand surgery? I am eight weeks out from a fasciectomy. I was doing great for the first four to five weeks. The fingers operated on where the pinky and middle of my right hand. We knew that I have problems with scarring and have keloid scarring. The OT immediately started things to help prevent problem scars. She's doing ultrasound and also had me use the CICA silicone gel. She also was careful that I not over-use my hand. After surgery, my fingers were perfectly straight. In the last two weeks, my fingers have contracted 20+ degrees. My entire hand is stiff as a board and swollen.

Today I saw the surgeon. To say he was shocked, is an understatement. He could not believe how 'backwards' I had gone. He thinks this is a severe inflammatory reaction to the surgery. And he's not seen a reaction this severe in years. He's not sure he's ever seen one this bad. He said that we have to try and stop the process so it won't continue to keep getting worse.

I am starting prednisone today. I'll take it for about two months and see what happens. I will also use Aleve twice a day. He was also surprised at how swollen my hand still is. So I'm going to need to wear an edema glove for the entire day and then the splint at night while I sleep. There's a fine line between aggravating the tissues with over-use and keeping things moving to avoid stiffness. My hand is also going numb at times and the tingling goes up to my elbow. He's not really sure what that is about but did tell me to pay attention to when this happens and see if there is activity that might be causing it.

What I am wondering and totally failed to ask him, is whether the damage already done can be reversed at all. Does anyone know or have experience with this? There seems to be very little info in the literature about flare complications.

~ dawn

There are very many good hand surgeons available. Depends where you are. Gary Pess is certainly one of them or e.g. Keith Denkler; or maybe callie can recommend one?

I myself had a swollen hand after fasciectomy for about 6 months and new nodules appeared within 2 months in not treated areas in both hands. But, luckily, my hand recovered and today I am satisfied with that surgery. After 13 years still no recurrence is pretty good.

Wolfgang

Edited 11/28/13 12:21

I honestly don't think I need to go to another hand doctor. I have a lot of confidence in the doctor who did my surgery. Like Callie said, this is a matter of my own body's response to the trauma of surgery. This has happened after previous surgeries as well as far as over developing scar tissue.

This morning when I work up I was pleasantly surprised to discover my hand feels some better. For weeks, it has felt like I had concrete poured into my fingers and palm. They were as hard as concrete and had no give in them when I would bend them the small amount that I could. Today, they actually give some when I bend them. Like all the 'stuff' inside my fingers is no where near as tight as it was. I was so excited and bending my fingers constantly. I keep reminding myself not to overdo it or the inflammation will get even worse. I'm thinking the prednisone is beginning to kick in and calm things down.

I was just wondering if anyone else had experience a severe flare after surgery. That is why I posted ... I'd love to hear someone else's experience if they did.

~ dawn

DMSO gel from Dr. Jacobs in Oregon is good to apply to minimize internal scarring. Ice packs applied for 15-20 minutes can help reduce inflamation and help the body to eliminate waste products and promote healing. Espeically important after doing any PT on the hand.

I am not a fan of prednisone as it affects the entire body. It is a bit of a sledge hammer response. I would definitely not take it for more than a couple weeks and then gradually taper off on it. Important not to stop taking it all at once.

Ibuprofen is better to reduce inflamation than Aleve. I get better pain relief with Aleve but with my hand I have taken ipuprofen instead figuring it might help more with swelling.