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Thumb arthritis need advice on having surgery

Posted , 3 users are following.

victoria13635
victoria13635

My right thumb is very painful. I had a steroid injection in it. It helped for about a month or month and half but back to painful. My left thumb hurts some, sometimes. It is not as bad as my right and I am right handed. I do have a ganglion cyst on the volar side which needs to be removed, left wrist. When I mentioned the pain in my left thumb and my EMG showed no carpal tunnel issues, the Dr ordered xrays. He says I have arthritis in both thumbs along with bone spurs on each. He says I am a good candidate for surgery. He wants to start with the left and do it along with the cyst removal. But, I'm not sure as the thumb isn't real painful YET. But, my husband says to have it done all at once and be done with it. I am 63 yrs old. The Dr said 3 month recovery time. I'm not sure exactly what surgery. Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

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3 Replies

  • Anhaga
    Anhaga victoria13635

    Edited

    Please please please do a lot of research before agreeing to any elective surgery on hands or feet. Many problems can be fixed by proper physio treatment. I had trigger finger and my doctor said if it got very troublesome I should have a tendon (or something) snipped. I went to a physiotherapist. She had to do a little research but at second visit she showed me how to find the thing which was catching and how to massage it. In short order the trigger finger went away and, decades later, has never returned! Another doctor looks at my poor misshapen feet and asks me why I haven't had surgery on them. Then when he sees I still have decent range of motion (because of exercise) he decides I don't need surgery after all.

    There are undoubtedly people on here who have had thumb and finger surgery and as I remember from reading comments, the results are very mixed.

    I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis when I was 40, I am now 73, probably had it in hands and especially feet even before that, and still kicking (walking, playing the piano, doing needlepoint, tai chi, etc.). And it is because I have been very proactive looking after myself. Also I take glucosamine (2 1000 mg doses a day, in capsule not tablet form, with food).

  • jillennium2
    jillennium2 victoria13635

    Posted

    I have no advice for you but I am wondering if you did get the surgery? I am 63 now and it started in my thirties. I thought my thumb was broke somehow. It is deformed and swollen all the time. with age all the rest of my fingers on my right hand are deformed now. I didn't realize there was a surgery for this. I will have to ask my doctor about it. I hope you were able to get the surgery and you are doing better.

  • jillennium2
    jillennium2 victoria13635

    Posted

    I have no advice for you but I am wondering if you did get the surgery? I am 63 now and it started in my thirties. I thought my thumb was broke somehow. It is deformed and swollen all the time. with age all the rest of my fingers on my right hand are deformed now. I didn't realize there was a surgery for this. I will have to ask my doctor about it. I hope you were able to get the surgery and you are doing better.

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