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I'm weighing up surgery on my thumb joints

Posted , 148 users are following.

caringbah
caringbah

I have osteo arthritis of both thumb joints. I'm 70, still very active ( currently on a skiing holiday) and work full time in my business. My condition is getting increasingly painful. I get by with painkillers. I have seen a surgeon but I'm really concerned about the long recovery time. 

Has anyone here had basal thumb surgery and if so would you mind describing...briefly...what the surgery and recovery like and any complication. I would be most grateful.

Cheers. 

10 likes, 917 replies

917 Replies

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  • susie0117
    susie0117 caringbah

    Posted

    Hi all,

    I have to add a couple of comments that i hope will help. Before my surgery, i suffered for about 2years. I had multiple cortisone shots and i had a stem cell injection.... stem cell with PRP. ( which by the way worked great for my knee...i had just a little bone on bone in my knee... but enough to cause severe pain). I'm happy to say. . Its almost completely 100%. But...i had multiple prp prior to the stem cell and the knee is a much bigger joint.

    It can take up to a year for it to take effect and you also have to avoid anti inflammatory meds for the first 90 days while healing. So it gets worse before it gets better. I had the stem cell in December in both thumb joints and by March i couldn't stand it any longer on my left hand. Right hand is fine... so could be the stem cell or possibly the cortisone i had 3 months after stem cell in the right thumb as i still had pain. The 7 weeks after surgery... including the first couple of days...in a cast was fine. It was the couple of weeks of rehab that was bad after the cast came off. It was bad but i could have chosen to not go to PT. Instead...i toughed it out. But...i had spoken to at least 6 people that had the same surgery before i did mine and all of them were happy they did it. I just got back from the gym and was lifting weights. Im only 5 months out and have been working out with weights for 6 weeks now. It's only about 3 weeks or so during rehab that i hated.

    Would i do the other hand...yes! Just take something for pain during rehab and ice.

    I agree with Peter...i would do it! I did a ton of research before and you just have to find a good doctor. A couple weeks of suffering and now i'm done.

    • Donna7349
      Donna7349 susie0117

      Posted

      I am very interested I. The PRP Treatment.  What type of dr does it.  Is it covered by insurance or Medicare.  I have had the basil joint with tendon repositioning and don’t seem to be recovering as most people do.  I’m wondering if this PRP will work after the failed surgery.  Thanks to anyone who knows more about this and will reply.  
    • cathy74494
      cathy74494 susie0117

      Posted

      Susie, clarify for me, are you speaking of having joint fusion on your thumb or something else?  
  • diane88458
    diane88458 caringbah

    Posted

    Hi carigbah I just had the newer cmc Arthroplasty suspension using the apl tendon today. Still waiting for nerve block to wear off. Doc said it went very well. I am a guitarist and I just wanted to update  you and all who are on this site. Have a cast that goes mid forearm and my folloup next week. I will keep you all updated. Everyone here is very helpful!!🎸🎸

    • YerkesDodson
      YerkesDodson diane88458

      Posted

      OMG YOU DID IT!!!

      I remember you were going to do this and I'm so glad you did it! I played my flute in orchestra for the first time in months last week. I took my flute in when I got out of the initial cast so they would make my brace such that I could hold my flute and play it. IT WORKED and I was able to remove it for the first 90 mins of rehearsal! My PT says I can get out of it completely now and only wear it if I'm doing something risky (ditch digging!)

      I can't wait to know more about your progress with your hand!

    • caringbah
      caringbah diane88458

      Posted

      Hi Diane ,

      Good on you....hoping that everything goes well for you. 

      Cheers 

    • Donna7349
      Donna7349 diane88458

      Posted

      Wishing all goes well and you have a speedy and complete recovery.  Isn’t the nerve block the weirdest feeling.  I could not control my arm. It just was flopping around. But it sure kept the initial pain away.   Again, good luck in the days and months ahead. 
  • diana05210
    diana05210 caringbah

    Posted

    I am scheduled to have the (new band surgery) at Duke with Dr. Marc Richards. There is a two week recovery as they do not touch the tendons. They use some sort of a band. I will need therapy but shouldn't have nearly as much pain. I am also 70 and very active and this thumb is driving me crazy!!! I have talked to my therapist who has worked with this surgery and has said the main difference in the length of recovery!! I will keep you posted but would love to hear from others that have had this surgery!!!! 

    • DWest
      DWest diana05210

      Posted

      Hi I’d love to know more about this surgery Diana. 
    • diana05210
      diana05210 DWest

      Posted

      I just talked to my doctor. The name of the surgery that I am having is trapezia mini tight rope suspension. I will be looking for more info while I wait, but I have a lot of confidence in my doctor!

       

    • perl53886
      perl53886 diana05210

      Posted

      Hi. New to this forum and am considering having the mini tight rope procedure, first on my right (dominate) hand and hopefully, if all goes well, on my left. I'm assuming you've had your surgery and am quite anxious to learn how it went. How has post-op been for you?

    • diana05210
      diana05210 perl53886

      Posted

      My surgery is next Monday , but I will keep you posted. I have studied both types of surgery and still think I made the right decision!!! I am also in the study being held by Duke University. Looking forward to my result and the study!!!

       

    • perl53886
      perl53886 diana05210

      Posted

      Thank you! Looking forward to hearing from you. Sending you boat loads of positive thoughts and energy for your surgery!
    • YerkesDodson
      YerkesDodson diana05210

      Posted

      Thinking of you Diana,

      I'm here typing with both hands happy as a clam. So glad I had my procedure and I can't WAIT to have the one on my Left hand done in early November (i want to play our Fall Concert and I'll forgo the Christmas concert so I can kick butt in the harder February Concert).

      I had them make my right split while i was holding my flute so that when my hand got tired the first few weeks, I could slip on my Hand Splint and keep on playing. I plan to do that with my left hand surgery too.

      It's a good surgery. I dropped something this AM with my left hand, but my right is better now that I've had the surgery but best of all? NO PAIN! 

      xo Yerkes.

    • YerkesDodson
      YerkesDodson perl53886

      Posted

      I'm in the US so I dk what you guys call your surgery I had the one where your tendon is harvested and your joint is re-created/with the tendon attached to thumb and placed in the space where wrist bone used to be.

      LOVED IT

      SO GLAD I DID IT!

      Surgery june 19, playing in the orchestra in late august. SO FUN SO GLAD I DID IT.

      But you HAVE to do your PT exercise. Don't skimp.

    • Donna7349
      Donna7349 diana05210

      Posted

      I’m so anxious to hear about your surgery.  Please do keep us updated. Good luck. 
    • deberdoodle
      deberdoodle diana05210

      Posted

      Good luck Diana, I just scheduled my surgery for Nov. but so anxious to hear how it goes for you! Is it CMC arthritis?

       

    • deberdoodle
      deberdoodle YerkesDodson

      Posted

      Glad it went well, I have mine scheduled for Nov. and I am a dental hygienist so very nervous about being able to do what I need to do!

       

    • diana05210
      diana05210 YerkesDodson

      Posted

      Thank you sooooo much! Anxious and excited at the same time!! Four more days and I will be on the heal!!!!
    • diana05210
      diana05210 YerkesDodson

      Posted

      So happy for you!! My surgery is a little different, but so glad yours went well!!!
    • diana05210
      diana05210 Donna7349

      Posted

      I sent a reply to Yerkes by accident, Anyway four more days and I will keep you posted!!
    • diana05210
      diana05210 DWest

      Posted

      four more days and I will keep you posted!
    • peter34761
      peter34761 deberdoodle

      Posted

      All should be good, I have not looked back since I had both thumbs done, best move I ever made.  I really believe you  have to be very unlucky for anything to go wrong.  The pain I had before the surgeries was very debilitating, but now, I can pretty well do anything with my hands, age permitting of course. Yes it is a slow process but well worth the outcome in my opinion. As others have said, you need to do the post op exercises religiously, but they are  no big deal when you consider the end result.
    • perl53886
      perl53886 YerkesDodson

      Posted

      I'm also in the US. I am considering is the Mini TightRope CMC technique which I believe Diana is having Monday. I have a second opinion scheduled in late November for this technique as I have already received a consult on the type of procedure you had. My understanding is the results of both procedures are very similar, however, the recovery time for the TightRope technique is much shorter. My circumstances pretty much warrant minimal recovery as possible. Thank you for your advice on PT! I will do it!!

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