Please be sure to review thoroughly with your surgeon the post surgical recovery & therapy prior to entertaining the idea of this surgical procedure.
I had this procedure 3 months ago & sincerely feel that the time frame anticipated for recovery was not worth the efforts. It is still unknown as to the likelihood of a full recovery & full utilization of my hand is still in doubt. I would not recommend this surgical procedure.
My left hand -little finger - was at 30 degrees; it is now at 15 degrees & I now cannot make a fist whereas I could before the procedure. My hand is still swollen & my all the knuckles are sore.

Sean,

Unfortunately correct and diligent post surgical therapy and home exercises are a *necessary* but not *sufficient* condition for a successful surgical outcome. I was commended for the hard work I put in, and in fact was later told that perhaps I over did it. The main explanation though, as to why 19 months post op most of the joints in my hand are still swollen, painful and stiff, is genetics. They say my system is "off the chart" in terms of having a bad reaction to this invasive procedure. I am suffering from a side effect of the surgery, not the surgery itself. And I'm told there is no way to predict or prevent this. My case is rare. I've met a gal who had your exact experience. It's as if she never had the surgery. No reoccurrence. She had to show me the scar. Dups is not a part of her life. But If *I* have another surgery, the same thing will happen reguardless of what I do.

Frank,

First, most surgeons will not operate until a contraction is approaching 45 degrees. This is because they are *well aware* of the recovery process that will be required. 30 degrees is not too restrictive, and being unpredictable, it may not get worse. Most surgeons will leave 30 degrees alone. On the other hand, once the knife finally does come out, surgeons suddenly become eternal optimists and act as if all their patients will react like Sean and this woman I met. I was told an 8 week recovery until I could use the hand well. That's the equivalent of a Gillian's Island "Three Hour Tour".

Second, now that the deed is done, a scant three months is not nearly long enough time to start worrying about the speed of your recovery. I'm sure your hand therapist is assuring you that your recovery is "normal" in spite of the rosy prediction of your doc. It probably is. We are all different. Please, continue to do the work. Wear the splint. Get near 100 percent flexation every day. If you need to, warm your hand in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes and it will loosen up so you can bend it all the way into a fist. Squeeze a soft rubber ball to keep from loosing strength. Settle in for the long haul.

By the way, I'm going to guess you found this site and learned about NA *after* your surgery. Either that or you asked you doc about NA and he went into the standard professionally induced trance and repeated the mantra:

"That needle thing has been tried............it doesn't work."

In any case, I recommend you consider trying NA should you ever need additional correction.

Hold off on the surgery if you can for awhile. You are only 3 months out and scar will continue to stretch and improve for another 6 monts. Keep working it!
Your bone deformity may need correction, X-rays will determine that, but you are down 35 degrees. If you can keep working on it you will get that better. If not you should consider needle release of your collateral ligaments as this can improve you contracture without surgery! Which joint is it? Last? middle? or first?
Keith