I'm weighing up surgery on my thumb joints

unable to help with the 2 procedures you mention. Operation as mentioned earlier seems to have been a success. More range of motion and less pain every day.

Hi Peter, gawd this is a popular name.  I was under the impression that it is done with a General.  I am having a broken finger pinned as well on the same hand that has been that way for 10 months.  It would just not set and the end of the finger is offset around 45deg.  It was in a splint for the first 8 weeks after having the end crushed.  Must be something about being older that stops things from healing.

I have been eating subscription anti inflammatory meds with no effect at all.

I was wondering why the surgery 2 week sago was so different from 10 years ago - no plaster cast, splint off in 2 weeks and asked the doctor. 10 years ago I had the trapezium/CMC arthroplasty using the tendon to replace where the trapezium was. Taking the tendon from the upper part of my arm was a lot more intrusive and took a lot longer to heal. My recent surgery was done with the anchor method - where they use surgical wire be the stabilizing force. It is truly night and day. Being able to use my hand and fingers within 2 weeks is amazing. Plus there's virtually no pain now. There is a little stiffness and I've got some exercises to do but the function is already over 50% of my other thumb. The little splint I wear not just rests the area, it doesn't really provide much support. I remember being in pain and cast for a month or more, then lots of exercises and months to regain regular/painfree movement. This is MUCH better. Please investigate the 'anchor' method. I wish the orthopods were doing this 10 years ago. Evidently, in our area it started being done about 4 years ago and is now the method of choice because of the short downtime and very positive outcomes. Definitely query your surgeon, though. If they aren't comfortable doing it, don't let them - go with whatever method they're expert at. 

Ok had the op yesterday, only issue was i am alergic to opiates and there was initially quite a bit of pain they did give me some morphine or similar which set me off with uncontrolled itching in my feet, a whole bottle of calamine lotion later this subsided.  Now i am justy taking panadiene forte which is keeping the pain at about 2/10 which is bearable. As i said before this was a 2 part op as a finger had to be repaired, the joint cleared out and then fused, so this is damn painfull as well. I see my surgeon Monday so will have more info then.  Just for info I have a course of anti-biotcs as well which I gather is to stop possible post op infection.

Boo. I just had both hands operated on with the old method.

Peter i will have to have general anaesthetic not local because of a back problem ...if my back is not in a good position I get really bad cramp in my feet at which point I would have to jump off the operating table to get my feet flat on the floor ...and it happens quite easily and often ...so I wouldn't chance a local and nor would my surgeon 😄😄 had major surgery on my shoulder with the pain block too ...yes it is quite funny at times and feels strange, but at least puts off the bad pain for a day or so when I then had to rely on heavy painkillers for a week ...but my shoulder was completely back to normal within two weeks instead of the expected 3-6 months, which amazed the surgeon (I am 71 !) ..same man will be doing my thumbs if I get no relief with more injections but can't guarantee I will have same excellent recovery ...and I just cannot do with not having use of my thumb 😕

It is nearly 5 months now since the op, all in all it has gone well, I still get the occasional twinge and I do not have the same strength that I used to have, but my Specialist says this will come. As far as comparing what it was like, it is as different as night and day painwise.  My left thumb is now well and truly knackered, and he wants to do it relatively soon, I told him to settle down  and give me a few more months to build up strength. He laughed and agreed. I can understand wanting a general in lieu of a local, I too have issues with feet,(peripheral neuropathy)

This getting old caper well and truly sucks, hey!!

Peter, getting old is better than not getting old. The one big advantage of getting old is that you're not dead yet. 😉

Cheers 

Totally agree! Having lost one of my FB friends today to cancer, after a relapse having been well for so well, then at least we should celebrate being here even if we are creaking along the way!!

Yeah, I have had it all, had oral cancer as well 7 years ago as a result have no taste buds and no saliva, so eating is a non event. My lower back is in the shape of an S and have 3 bulging discs as well. In pain there pretty well 24/7 so what is a bit more with the dud thumbs. A bit like an old VW running on 2 cylinders blowing smoke etc.

Thanks for posting this! My surgery is on the 21st! I'm trying to get a bearing on how much time I will need off work. But from things I have read, sounds like everyone is different!

stem cell therapy has universally good results.  It has the best results however if undertaken in the early stages of the disease - if I'd been offered it when my OA first started as tenosynivitis, I would have been 'cured'. However cost cutting and the NHS always taking the cheapest or most avoided cost route means unless we can go privately in the UK we arent offered the BEST treatment, we're either not offered treatment at all or we're only offered the cut price route. What price quality of life - cut it off, cut it out, who cares, it only cost half as much as a care plan that would have provided an earlier solution and a better quality of life!

Moan all you like  about the NHS but remember it's being asked to do loads more than it was ever designed to do and it's FREE. Be grateful you don't live in the US, where no insurance, no treatment. You might have to wait but you will get treated. In the US no money, no treatment, please dont keep knocking the NHS,it's still FREE ..... yes it's not perfect but there is a huge amount of waste especially on non medical salaries which should be stopped and their very generous pension scheme needs radical reform to give more money to services

Perhaps I can point out that NHS is not actually free ...those of us who worked all our lives had to pay a portion of our wages every month ...even if we opted for private medical treatment we could not opt out of paying for the NHS ...only those who are either unable or choose not to work get it absolutely free ....we also have to pay for any prescriptions ....

Loxie, I have had shoulder surgery and now getting treatment for thumb arthritis from the same surgeon at the private Spire hospital in our area paid for by the NHS (which of course bring a worker I have had to pay for all my life) so makes a change for them to pay for me ....

i am back at the aspire next week to get x ray led anaesthetic/cortisone injections in both thumbs for one last time to see what relief I get this time before deciding on the op ....must point out that these injections are really painful until the anaesthetic kicks in though 😳....after reading so much about the after op problems on here I might not go for the op ...there are reasons why I just cannot be able to not use my thumbs particularly my right one ...

Hi Hecate, like I've posted before had my thumb surgery a year now had to put up with a bit of pain for a couple of months but now pain free well worth the op and not has painfuas guided steroids or cortisone injections. Now got arthritis in knuckle and wrist. Had 6 replaced joints now both knees and shoulders big toe and the thumb.

Can honestly say without the ops I would had a very painful life.

What's the saying no pain no gain, great getting old

Hope whatever you decide on gives you a pain fee option

Good Luck. Kevin

Woody, how did your knee replacements work out?

Great getting old? It's better than the alternative mate.

Cheers

Hi Kevin ...problem is I do need my hands ...I use a stick to get about , and use hands to get up off a chair, get out of bed etc etc ...I had big op on my shoulder but could still just about use my hand ...but reading about this op it looks like too long to be able to use hand ...I have arthritis in hip and knee all on right side (everything on right side is worse !) but spinal stenosis and I cannot risk getting a really bad spell with my back which will be much much worse than the pain I have in my hands ...someone mentioned Push Metagrip thumb splints.....which look much better than the ones I use now which are a bit restrictive and get in the way ...so after the injections I might buy those ....my surgeon is excellent ...private hospital treatment but done courtesy of the NHS which I had paid all my life ...he shows me x rays and is very helpful ...but reading soooo much on here that it seems to take longer than the major surgery on my shoulder ....definitely putting me off the operation which is not as complicated as the shoulder was as I have seen it on YouTube (love to watch operations ha ha, but not have them ) 

Val ......

Hi Hecate, my thumb was done by pain block in arm pit never felt a thing also injected my knuckle and wrist whilst arm was dead. As I said thumbs good now but arthritis in knuckle and wrist getting worse. First shoulder replacement was done almost 30 years ago, and now having problems with joint . See surgeon again on 9th of June so hopefully will give me an idea what treatment is needed.

Good luck on whatever you choose that suits you the best

Kevin

 I live in the United States. I had my left thumb operated on for basil from osteoarthritis in Rockford Illinois. The cost for the surgery and the anesthesiologist was $15,000. I have private insurance that has a $3000 a year deductible. After all the discounts were put through I ended up paying $3000 for the surgery.  I had the traditional surgery. Using a tendon from your middle of the fore arm.  I am 10 weeks out. Not much pain anymore have to go through PT for gripping and strength. Best choice I ever made. My right thumb is acting up I will have it operated on next year with the same surgeon.