I'm weighing up surgery on my thumb joints

Hi Diane, I haven’t had the proceedure but thanks for mentioning it. I googled it and it looks promising. 

Im playing a “waiting” game...waiting for better surgical techniques to emerge before I decide to go under the knife. 

Currently I’m experimenting with large doses of vitamin B3 (Niacinamide). I’m only on my second week and it is a three month process to see if it works. There is a slight improvement but that may be a placebo effect. 

I’ll watch out for your posts to see what others have to say about stablyx. 

Cheers 

Hi mate, we have communicated in the past and I tried the things you suggested with no improvement at all, and have since had both thumbs done with excellent results. The latest left thumb was done around 4 months ago and it is really really good already, great movement zero pain and strength returning all the time. Best move I ever made imho.

I’m pleased for you Peter...really am. Given the number of bad experiences that people have had, im not prepared to take the risk while my pain is still manageable. 

I know people will jump in and say it’s only the people who have had bad experiences who report their issues and so are over represented on these forums. I really can’t afford to take that risk. 

If the pain gets unmageable my first port of call will be stem cells. 

Cheers 

I see where you are coming from, but realistically how long is it before stem cell treatment  becomes a reality?  Some of the procedures here say that if the trapezium and surrounding areas are too badly arthritic, it is not an option to operate.  I suppose you are damned if you do and damned if you don't.

I'm just about to the plunge, yes very worried as I'm a guitarist. But mostly positive comments from this group has given me the incentive I need to do it. Meeting surgeon again on August 1st with op planned for October. Seems like a prehistoric procedure akin to drilling holes in heads to relieve migraines years ago but they tell me it works.

Yes Peter, it’s a choice we have to make on our own. We do our own research, make a decision or not and live with the consequences. 

BTW...stem cell treatment for the CMC joint has been available for some time. 

Cheers 

Ok did not know that.  I gather using the stem cells the damaged bones are re-generated or something similar.

I too have tried supplements - B1, B3, Tumeric Extract Curcumin C3 with Bioperine, Tart Cherry, RFraction, Alpha Lipioic Acid, Acetyl L-Cartine. These worked for about 1 month - making my thumbs almost pain free - but now they have come back with a vengeance. Read a lot of information on research done by University of Michigan on these supplements.

I am thinking the supplements helped with the inflammation - but now the thumbs say "seriously - is that all you've got?"  So I am back looking at surgery - I have not found anything negative about the implants... haven't found much information at all by my doctor is very confident in this procedure.

 

I see the orthopaedic consultant tomorrow. I am not getting pain all the time but definitely bad when I do. The go showed me the x-ray and there is no connective tissue left so I have been advised no point in steroid injections or owt else. But says I am ideal for surgery as still young and active and caught in time if I leave it for many years until pain unbearable the success of operation is less

Hey

I'm a flutist in an orchestra so i know what you mean by feeling freaked about that.  I wrote musical notes all over my hand pre op with "I'm a musician! Just Saying!" on it on surgery day.

I'm a week out.  I have less pain but I am having some forearm muscle spasms.  But i literally couldn't hold my flute anymore so I had to go for it.  I'm right handed and so typing left hand is slow go.  I will keep u posted.

Thanks Diane, the implants look very promising. Are there any patient testimonials online?

Sounds like you’ve given the supplements your best shot. I’m taking about 4 gms of B3 daily at the moment. There is slight improvement so far but only 10 days in. 

Hi Rodann I am considering having mini trapeze done. Surgery is already scheduled for Aug 28. My problem is I am also a guitarist and still have not decided on which thumb. Worried left thumb is worse but Need the strength for the guitar neck. Right is bad too but not quite as bad. Any info or guitarist success stores you can share would help a lot. I

Understand how you feel. Thanx🎸

I am a flutist.

I need both done and like you, my left is worse but I decided to have the right done first.  A) I wanted to get my dominant hand out of the way and also B) the Right hand holds more of my instrument weight.  I am two weeks post surgery.  Thumb is immobile but they left my right fingers free which has helped TREMENDOUSLY in day to day living - you'd be surprised what you can do with your fingers on right hand!

Today I go in to get this surgery wrap/bandages off and they are going to fit me with a cast?  A brace?  it's custom made, whatever it is.  I am bringing my flute in the off chance hope that I will be able to hold flute and even, maybe, PRACTICE~ I wasn't able to hold my instrument since last fall and even the piccolo was uncomfortable.  Heck even a pencil was!  

Here's to many more years of music!!! 

 

Hi Diane,

Good to hear from another musician going through this.

I was very concerned about this operation but my surgeon put me in touch with a string Bass player whom he had performed the op on, he was very pleased with the outcome, so helped with my decision to proceed. Despite a lot of online searching I haven't been able to hear from any other musicians who have had this done.

Hi Rodann you have made me feel a lot better having talked to the bass player. I would like to keep in touch. I am seeing my hand specialist July 26 and I think I will be moving my surgery up to aug 21. I’m pretty confident that the surgery will be successful. I would still like to do the lift thumb. Will just have to probably be patient for 3 months. I will let you know more about my decision when I see the ortho. Just need alittle more hand holding lol🎸

Hi Yerkes thank you so much for responding to my post. I umderstand about wanting to get your dominant hand done first. I have been going back and forth but the one that really affects my guitar playing and I need the most strength in us the left. My doc says I will

Have the same strength with no pain which sounds absolutely fine to me. But I still can’t help but be alittle nervous. I’m excited for you please let me know how you progress and I will keep you posted. Any Info helps us all especially positive😊

Yes, it is a scary operation on hands that play music and are a big part of our day to day enjoyment and for some a means of making a living.

You will be ahead of me so please keep us posted 

To add to the musicians discussion, similar situation which convinced me of the surgery and surgeon. The Dr. I was considering had a short video attached to a recommendation done by a magician who had his hand crushed in an accident which of course prevented him from performing. After surgery and surely a lot of reohab, he put on a magic show for the Dr. and others to show how he was able to once again do his card tricks. His surgery was much more than a thumb reconstruction like I had, but it confirmed to me that these surgeons are so skilled at these procedures. Had my surgery 10 mos. ago and at 99% in strength, maneuverability and pain free, couldn’t ask for more! Good luck Diane!

I am not a musician, but I use my hands for electronics construction.  I have had the op on both thumbs, the primary hand was done 18 months ago, and as far as I am concerned it is so close to 100% that I cannot discern the difference.  I can pretty well do anything with it and no pain,  The left was done 4 months ago and it is proceeding extremely well.  I have a full range of motion, only the occasional smidge of pain, and I can say it is following the progress of the right hand. Best move I ever made getting these done, before it was a nightmare, now I really dont think about using my hands. I tried all the other options, creams, cortisone injections and various potions and pills, none of which had any effect. I had the same surgeon for both procedures, and he told me the left was really a mess and he had to do a lot of work during the procedure, so I expected the time for improvement to take longer, but not the case. It looks funny when I put both hands together, I have "bookend" scars at the base of the  thumbs and wrist.

As has been said numerous times here, ensure you get a surgeon who is experienced at this procedure and has a good track record, you have to be very unlucky for it to go bad.

So when I got the splint made on Tuesday I brought my flute and yes I can hold it.  BUT I'm still sore so I have to go easy.

Still, I notice that the Surgery Thumb, as I'm sitting here tonight, at Day15, doesn't have that constant ache like my Non Surgery Thumb does.  It's sore to be sure, but not the same way.

Here's hoping we all play like mad by Christmas!

xo yerkes

I'm a music teacher (woodwind and piano). I have problems with both hands and had my left one done last July as it was the worst - got so I couldn't even turn a page of music. I had a few issues post surgery but doing well and pleased I had it done. My right hand is also a candidate for surgery but it's manageable at the moment so holding off, I'm in the UK and had a standard trapeziectomy with soft tissue interposition. I made a lot of posts last year, pre and post op, so they may be in the history. Good luck! 

Last year and year before when I was considering surgery I researched a lot to see if any woodwind/pianists had this surgery. Like you I found it hard to find stuff but did come across some posts on a guitar forum from guitarists who had the surgery. I think each country offers different things and here in the UK the most common surgery is a trapeziectomy, with/without soft tissue interposition. This is what I had last Summer on left hand. Both hands had the issues but right is still manageable so holding off on surgery for a while. I posted a lot last year and previously as I couldn't; find much about musicians and thumb surgery! Interesting to see a few others on here now! :-)

Thanks for your input. I had surgery about a week ago and while I believe that I have a greater range of motion than I had pre-op (within the confines of my splint); I still have throbbing pain. How long before the pain subsides?

Hello! The pain after surgery went away after a few days. It was pretty much gone within the first week. I only took the painkillers the first 24 hours after surgery. February 26th is the one year anniversary of my second surgery (left hand). The right hand surgery was 17 months ago. Both hands are doing great! My thumb joints sometimes get a little sore after a lot of repetitive motion, like weeding. Mostly, I have forgotten about the surgery. My hand therapist used a mini-massager that I loved, so I bought it on Amazon. It is a Norco mini-massager. It is described as a hand-held Portable Therapeutic Vibration Therapy Tool. I use it occasionally when I feel some soreness. I recommend it highly. I used it twice a day when I was doing my PT exercises at home. My therapist said that one reason why my hands are doing so well is because I did all of my exercises as directed, every day. Good luck on your recovery!

Hi Nancy! I was just wondering which procedure you had done. I had a CMC Arthroplasty with Internal Brace. My doctor did not use a tendon--or the anchovy procedure. He used a piece of "material/implant" to act as a sling to keep the bones of my thumb from collapsing into the space where the bone was removed. It has been nine months and even though things are better with my hand, I still have a lot of stiffness in the morning and discomfort when doing certain functions--like turning the steering wheel of my car if I need to do a hard turn--or when twisting the cap to my gas tank. I seem to drop things a lot too and do not seem to have the same strength as my non-operative hand. I was off from work for 12 weeks after my surgery. I was an OR nurse at the time and really needed to be off that long because of the type of work I did. I have since retired. I like to compare my recovery with others who have had a similar procedure to see if I'm where I should be, but I know not everyone recoveries at the same pace. I still do exercises occasionally--probably not as much as I should--but I'm just wondering how much more improvement will I get. I was thinking of maybe getting some more occupational therapy to see if the therapist could give me some new exercises to do that might help with increasing the strength in that hand. I wonder if I will ever be able to do a push-up again??? 😃

Hi, Janet! I had CMC Arthroplasty with the tendon joint replacement. I have regained most of the strength in my hands and thumbs, but I still need assistance at times, such as to open tight jars and zip lock packaging. I also try not to carry a lot at one time so as not to put too much weight on my thumbs. I have a trigger finger on my left hand, so that is part of the problem. I rarely experience any stiffness or pain. Because of the reconstruction of the joint, I cannot do a push up. My hands no longer bend back to 90 degrees. I, too, am retired. When I told my doctor that I cannot do a push up he said "You don't need to do push ups." That's fine with me! Keep doing the exercises. Additional PT or OT may help you. My hand therapist said that many people return to her after about a year because of stiffness. Good luck!

Hello again! Thank-you for your response. That's funny about the push-ups. I wasn't very good at them anyway, but there are some movements that require that joint to be at a 90 degree angle and to have some pressure put on the joint. You sound like you have recovered very well. Sometimes I wonder if I would have had the traditional anchovy procedure would I have had better results. Who knows? I'm happy that I don't have the pain that I had before the surgery, I just have a different pain. Its not a constant thing and it really doesn't keep me from doing most things. I just didn't expect things to be as they are. I will continue with the exercises...which I am sick of doing by now...and I may contact my surgeon in May to see if I can get another round of OT. Thanks again for your input! 😃

Hi Robert I had my right trapeziectomy 10th Feb, I am still getting a fair bit of throbbing pain still which tends to come and go.It feels a bit more uncomfortable at the moment as I had my cast changed on Wednesday so hand is settling down again.I must say that for the few minutes I was out of the cast the joint felt very good and quite stable. I had my left trapeziectomy a year ago and the recovery was quite long but I think it is pretty much there now.If the hand gets a bit tired after such stuff as gardening I just use a thumb splint for a while .Hope your pain is easing

I just had my surgery on March 13. Made it in before they halted elective surgery. have had some pain but pain pills have taken care of most of that. My doctor does not want me to take my arthritis medication (Celebrex). Has any of your doctors done the same thing? It's the only medication he took off my list. I see him Monday to get my stitches out and start PT. I plan on asking him.

Hi, Martha! My doctor had me stop taking ibuprofen before my surgery, but not after. He specifically prescribed ibuprofen for post-surgery pain. Perhaps it is Celebrex that he doesn't want you to take. Ask your doctor if you can take a different Nsaid. Good luck with your recovery. Be well!