dupynz: I've been very encouraged by your whole story and the great photos of your hand, so thanks a lot! Congratulations on the 15 degree improvement I'm 2 weeks post op. today. I actually feel lucky that my little finger is as good as it is, considering it was right down in my palm before the op. and I do have a tiny bit of arthritis in my left hand and broke the knuckles in that hand in a bike accident as a teenager. So, the therapist says I might never make a proper fist because even my good fingers won't quite do it. I am starting to lose the numbness in my little finger, but of course there is a fair degree of tenderness in it and in my palm where they cut out an area of nodules and seem to have sewn the skin flap back over the top. (I didn't ask a lot of questions when I saw the surgeon after the op. - I was feeling too nauseated to think straight and not sure I remember half of what she told me!!). She decided not to do a skin graft, so I hope that was the right decision.
When did you stop wearing tape over your incisions? The therapist taped up mine again after a close inspection, and they are not quite closed yet. I'm wearing a tubular bandage for a bit of extra protection and comfort. In the shower I still wear a lightweight vinyl glove over my left hand (the gloves that food handlers use), with the opening taped round and round my wrist with parcel tape to keep the water out. Even having this much freedom with my dominant LH in the shower is great! I had 3 showers wearing the cast and that was a nightmare, with 2 bread bags and the parcel tape business keeping the cast dry. It worked but it was very awkward, as I do so little with my right hand in normal life.
I have arthritis in my knuckle on the finger next to the pinkie, so it will never be completely straight either and I broke the finger two years ago in a fall, so it can't bend properly. I cannot make a proper fist either, even when completely healed. The tingling feeling in my little finger is going away, but my palm is still sensitive. My incision is zigzag, but I don't have a flap. My hand therapist told me to stop using gauze on my hand the day before yesterday (Day 20). I'm just wearing the tubular bandage now.
My surgeon didn't want me to put anything over the surgical cast, so I went from no showers for 12 days to being able go to into the shower with just the tubular bandage on. Today I took a shower with no bandage as the wounds are closed.
If you were feeling nauseated after the operation, you must have had general anesthesia. I had general 20 years ago for my right hand, but twilight for my left hand. No nausea after twilight anesthesia.
So your left hand is your dominant hand? That must be frustrating. I know it was for me when I had my right hand done.
Just in case you need to protect your hand from water again, you can buy vinyl cast covers at the drugstore. You stick your entire arm into the cover. It fits tightly just above the elbow. Never leaked and I used it many weeks,in the shower. I could even put it on myself. I attached a photo which seems to be rather large. Sorry.
Your hand looks like mine, but I had another finger involved and another incision across the palm. I couldn’t wait to get rid of the old dead skin. Be sure to moisturize the scars. The physio said to start touching and rubbing the hand to get your brain working with your hand again as odd as that sounds. They’ve kinda been out of touch. I found my skin really sensitive and wore a cotton glove for a bit to protect it. It’s been 4 months and still no fist. Hand is still swollen. Can’t make a fist with fluid taking up the space. Still seeing physio once a week.
Just in case you need to protect your hand from water again, you can buy vinyl cast covers at the drugstore. You stick your entire arm into the cover. It fits tightly just above the elbow. Never leaked and I used it many weeks,in the shower. I could even put it on myself. I attached a photo which seems to be rather large. Sorry.
Your hand looks like mine, but I had another finger involved and another incision across the palm. I couldn’t wait to get rid of the old dead skin. Be sure to moisturize the scars. The physio said to start touching and rubbing the hand to get your brain working with your hand again as odd as that sounds. They’ve kinda been out of touch. I found my skin really sensitive and wore a cotton glove for a bit to protect it. It’s been 4 months and still no fist. Hand is still swollen. Can’t make a fist with fluid taking up the space. Still seeing physio once a week.
Hi Scarlettnova,
My surgeon wouldn't let me wear that device. She said just to wait until the surgical cast was off. I guess there have been mishaps with that device. After the surgical cast was taken off I was allowed to shower without any covering on my hand, although I kept my bandage on to shower and then replaced it with a dry one afterwards. It's been three weeks and I don't use anything any more as my incisions have healed.
I'm moisturizing several times a day. The dead skin is ugly, but I know it will soon be gone.
I do believe what your hand therapist said. The more I touch my finger and palm the more normal my hand is feeling. Doing the hand exercises also gets your brain retrained as the muscles and nerves have been disturbed, so your brain has to figure out how to use your fingers again.
I'm sorry to hear that after 4 months you can't make a fist and your hand is still swollen. The extra incision makes a big difference apparently. Are you seeing improvement?
Long term swelling after Dupuytren surgery is possibly not due to specific cutting of the hand but to the imdividual structure (constraints) of the veins in the arm. I guess that's just bad luck, though I recall a surgeon who claimed that coud be tested before surgery, but nobody is doing this Kind of tests.
Does the swelling recede week by week or is it all the same?
wach:Long term swelling after Dupuytren surgery is possibly not due to specific cutting of the hand but to the imdividual structure (constraints) of the veins in the arm. I guess that's just bad luck, though I recall a surgeon who claimed that coud be tested before surgery, but nobody is doing this Kind of tests.
Does the swelling recede week by week or is it all the same?
Wolfgang
My swelling has been going down, but it’s been very slow. It’s across the pads under the fingers and joints. I am working my fingers, but it’s a slow go....
Then you are on the right track and in maybe 2-3 months all will be OK. For me it took about 5-6 months until the swelling was gone. Wishing you the veyr best!
I should have taken a side profile as well. Wounds look even better today, Day 27. I've been using Vitamin E cream several times a day. I'm doing the exercises and wearing the splint at night.
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I'm 2 weeks post op. today. I actually feel lucky that my little finger is as good as it is, considering it was right down in my palm before the op. and I do have a tiny bit of arthritis in my left hand and broke the knuckles in that hand in a bike accident as a teenager. So, the therapist says I might never make a proper fist because even my good fingers won't quite do it. I am starting to lose the numbness in my little finger, but of course there is a fair degree of tenderness in it and in my palm where they cut out an area of nodules and seem to have sewn the skin flap back over the top. (I didn't ask a lot of questions when I saw the surgeon after the op. - I was feeling too nauseated to think straight and not sure I remember half of what she told me!!). She decided not to do a skin graft, so I hope that was the right decision. 
. Your hand looks terrific - congratulations on your hard work, your choice of surgeon and your good-healing-genes!