Hi,

Had surgery to remove Dupuptrens from my thumb three weeks ago.

I still have numbness in my thumb and am wondering is this normal and how long will it take to disappear. Obviously this prevents me from driving (manual gearstick) and playing the flute. Both of which are pretty important to me - public transport is ridiculous!

In addition, the skin around the middle of the scar is rock solid....is this still swelling?

Any info would be appreciated - thanks!

At 3 weeks your recovery is just beginning. I don't know how extensive your surgery was, but the swelling can take months to go away. Some temporary numbness is normal, too, but there is also the possibility that a nerve was damaged. That happened to me in one of my 2 surgeries, and I didn't have to wonder about the reason for the numbness - the surgeon knew he had severed a nerve and told me immediately.

The area will be stiff and inflexible as it heals - I assume you're seeing the hand therapist, as the exercises are critical in regaining flexibility.

Full recovery takes months.

Hey Gary/Sean,

Are you up to your old tricks again attacking each and every knowledgeable person that doesn't agree with your AMA agenda? Why don't you grow up and allow our fellow sufferers to decide what is the best avenue of approach for themselves.

I don't trash surgery when it is an only option. Like the poor lady that has succumbed to 7 surgeries and requires another. I am aghast at the surgeons that convey the image that their procedure is a "piece of cake" and then say WHOOPS: "You are the only one that has had a problem."

My famous surgeon informed me that amputation was my only option without mentioning an alternate procedure done in Europe. Did he have me or money on his mind?

Give it up: Everyone is wise to your shenanigans.

As I said I've had 2 surguries, reasonably successful. It is a fact that full recovery is tedious and takes months - that's just the nature of surgery. However, I've had no recurrence in the 'cleared' areas for 5 years now (in the case of the first surgery) - and I have a serious case, with early onset.

My GP referred me to a local hand surgeon, who had obviously done many of these procedures. So one might guess that hundreds, if not thousands, of fasciectomies are performed in the U.S. every year - although I don't have any supporting statistics. Obviously many - perhaps most - of them are at least somewhat successful, or the technique would be abandoned as insurance companies would decline to cover it.

Each of us forms an opinion based mainly on our own experience. Perhaps one thing we could all agree on is that it would be nice to see statistics on how many of these procedures are performed, the outcomes and percentages of recurrence.

Hiya Fiona, had surgery on my hand 7 weeks ago my thumb was done and the crook of my hand palm and small finger.T he thumb has healed nicely on my thumb and in the crook and as thats what you ask about i'll only go there. have regained a lot of the movement in this area but it is a constant job keeping the scar tissue from making it feel like damn why did i have this done as it contracts and has to be steached out about every hour. Feeling yes i lost a lot to in the middle part of my thumb but it is gradually returning.
Hardness got it tobut with lots off work it is getting smaller.
I will tell you i spend about 8hrs a day massaging streaching even sitting on my hand to keep it open and will prolly have to do this for a long time since i have had this done before kindda know it takes a while. Don't give up you'll get depressed about it second think yourself and about anything else you can think off the dc was the easy part the surgery was easy to but the recovery is all you and your HT . The change will be slow but you'll see it just takes tons of work.
It's amazing how you can do with out a finger but mess with your thumb and your up the creek but the thumb is what makes us us lol.
Terry