Posted: 2/1/2011 8:55:53 PM EDT
Well about 2 weeks ago I cut about halfway through my pinky and ring finger on my left hand in what I am going to call a freak accident...
Anyways after 6 stitches and some time I still have no feeling or movement in my pinky and am being referred to a orthapedic surgeon. Apparently I cut through both nerves and the tendon in my pinky which I am being told could lead to further problems down the road if it goes untreated...Not really sure what to think here as the only major injury I have had in my life is a broken bone in my right had which was never repaired but instead allowed to heal on its own... Not really sure where I am going with this but I guess what I want to know is if anyone has ever had something like this before...Basically I am being told I will need to have my tendon repaired in my pinky finger... Any time frame on recovery to full use of hand...I really don't want to be a one handed man for that long plus living by myself kind of dictates I need at least partial use of both hands...And of course I can't go too long without being able to shoot...It's a major stress reliever for me... 
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BTDT and even assisted with the repair surgery
Recovery time wasn't that bad, I've got full use of my hand. Sliced through some tendons and whatnot on my left hand, the top of my pointer and middle finger. I'll see if I can get a webcam pic or something for ya. It's not that big of a deal. The tendon repair isn't a major deal, depending on how your finger was cut, they may have to open it up a bit to get the two ends of the tendon, since they're a little snappy, then they'll tie and stitch them together. Nerve repair, meh, not an expert on that part. ETA: My job during the repair surgery was to pass tools and hold back the flaps of skin while the surgeon did the actual tying off and whatnot. Kinda fun, actually. 
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Quoted: You are lucky... http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q262/Texan6326/IMG_0679.jpg I'm lucky that I'm left handed.  Eeeewwwww.  |
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When I was 15 (32 now) I cut halfway through my index and middle finger on my right hand. Messed the other fingers up too but not as bad.
Cut clean through everything and exposed the bone. Though the cut was a fine line and razor thin the overall trauma opened up a good 1/2 inch across and exposed the bone. You'd be amazed out how stark white bone is.
Anyway, spent something like 6 hours in surgery while the doc reconstructed the two fingers. Had to reconnect the tendon and nerves the best he could. Spent something like six weeks in a cast with sutures running though the two fingers keeping them in the 'closed' position. I was fully healed by then but having them heal in the closed position along with not using them caused a lot of scar tissue to build up and I couldn't open them. Spent another 4-6 months in rehab just for those two fingers. The therapist had to essentially tear and break the scar tissue so the fingers would go flat again. Did all sorts of strength exercises but mainly she just laid it out on the table, placed both her hands on top, and put all her weight on it. I swear you could hear the tissue ripping. Could certainly feel it. But they got pretty straight. You can't even tell by just glancing at it though they seem a little bent and swollen looking when you get close up. Then there is the scar, of course. Over the next few years feeling even returned which pleasantly surprised the doctor. I still have some dead spots though and I think he wired the nerves wrong. I feel the itch on one side but have to scratch the other side, things like that. All together, I would say I got something like 90+% use back. Short time? 6 weeks or so. Time until it was as back to normal as it was going to get? About a year with a little improvement over the next couple of years. I could use it as normal in around three months so it isn't too bad. |
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Not exactly the same injury as yours but a year and a half ago I broke the metacarpal behind my pinky finger. Three pins were in for four weeks before they were removed. My hand was in a splint for that time and the tendon for that finger shrank. Had about 12hrs. of PT and gained most of the range of motion, and about 80% grip strength back.
The doctor made my splint so that only my ring finger and pinky finger were immobilized. 
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Second toes are often used as thumb replacements, too I think I'd rather be short one toe than one finger. Nerve repair is far more possible now than it was a few years ago. The skills of neurosurgeons are truly a thing to be admired. Medication helps, too. Believe it or not, one of the best things you can do while recovering from a nerve injury is to just take regular aspirin every day. It's a very good anti-inflammatory, and inflammation around damaged nerves is the last thing you want, as it can make the damage worse. CJ |
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Quoted:
You are lucky... http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q262/Texan6326/IMG_0679.jpg I'm lucky that I'm left handed. If you were right handed you could just say you altered your trigger finger for a more consistent pull....
Quoted:
BTDT and even assisted with the repair surgery
Recovery time wasn't that bad, I've got full use of my hand. Sliced through some tendons and whatnot on my left hand, the top of my pointer and middle finger. I'll see if I can get a webcam pic or something for ya. It's not that big of a deal. The tendon repair isn't a major deal, depending on how your finger was cut, they may have to open it up a bit to get the two ends of the tendon, since they're a little snappy, then they'll tie and stitch them together. Nerve repair, meh, not an expert on that part. ETA: My job during the repair surgery was to pass tools and hold back the flaps of skin while the surgeon did the actual tying off and whatnot. Kinda fun, actually. Not really the hold this while I operate on you type of guy....
I sliced my finger basically exactly through the top joint (closest to the tip) yet cant bend it at the top and middle joint...only the bottom where it actually touches the hand...or caulous... The worst thing about this so far is the fact that if I hold my drink with my left hand my pinky is sticking straight up in the air....
And to be completely honest even though I will probably take some shit for it...I was slicing a bagel while half asleep at 4 in the morning.... 
I do have much better stories to tell everyone else though... |
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Quoted:
Well about 2 weeks ago I cut about halfway through my pinky and ring finger on my left hand in what I am going to call a freak accident...
Anyways after 6 stitches and some time I still have no feeling or movement in my pinky and am being referred to a orthapedic surgeon. Apparently I cut through both nerves and the tendon in my pinky which I am being told could lead to further problems down the road if it goes untreated...Not really sure what to think here as the only major injury I have had in my life is a broken bone in my right had which was never repaired but instead allowed to heal on its own... Not really sure where I am going with this but I guess what I want to know is if anyone has ever had something like this before...Basically I am being told I will need to have my tendon repaired in my pinky finger... Any time frame on recovery to full use of hand...I really don't want to be a one handed man for that long plus living by myself kind of dictates I need at least partial use of both hands...And of course I can't go too long without being able to shoot...It's a major stress reliever for me... Sorry to hear about your accident. ~1998 while using a table saw (with the guard removed) I was pushing a very small piece of wood (using a push stick) through the blade. Some how the I got the push stick to close to the blade and it grabbed the push stick, and shot it back towards me, of course, my hand kept pushing (it happened pretty fast). I felt the saw blade cut through my right index finger (rattled my whole arm), and it shot my hand back away from the blade. SON OF A BITCH!!! WHAT DID I JUST DO?? 
I knew what I just did, but I was afraid to look. I slowly brought my hand up to inspect the damage, and sure enough, I'd cut the finger off right in the middle, just a hair above the center joint (actually took off part of the joint), and it was only hanging on by a small section of skin. Several hours later, they had re-attached it. It is now about 1/2" shorter than it used to be, and crooked. I don't recall how long it took for the tendons to shrink enough to actually use my finger again, but they did. I wouldn't call it perfect, but it's better than not having it all. Good luck.
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| They operate in a bloodless field that they achieve by wrapping your fingers and hand with an elastic bandage, starting at the tip and winding up the arm. Then they prevent blood flow into the hand/arm by a tourniquet. When the surgery is over they remove the elastic bandage and then they release the tourniquet. Its like someone dropped a safe on your arm. I kid you not. |
| Many moons back got my hande smucked in a press crushing most of the last two fingers on my right hand,every time a nerve returned I took a shot of Jack,was drunk for two weeks along with the painkillers and finally they began to smell like a dead cat so had them amputated,once done the pain went away........not nice and can no longer bow hunt easy so that is why I got into guns |
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Cut both retractor tendons in my right index finger, along with 1 flexor tendon, as well as a flexor tendon in my right thumb - the glass was in my hand, having passed through my hand and poking through the palm -
I'm a 10 finger typist, now, and have 99% of mobility and feeling - still have some dead spots on my index finger and the back of my hand - and this surgery was 23 years ago (I was 17) - things have come a long way since then. Do your PT, doesn't matter how bad it sucks, you want to suffer a little now to have the rest of your life be easier. I promise. |
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I've had three surgeries on my left hand. Mainly for my index finger. I punctured a tendon and severed nerves back in 2001. It was my understanding that repairing of a tendon can only be done if it's only slightly injured <20%. At a certain point, it has to be replaced, as it was in my case. My tendon was 60% punctured, so they had to do a tendon graft from my left ankle, and then repair the Ulnar nerve.
My first surgery, they removed the damaged tendon, then inserted a synthetic rod where the tendon was removed. The idea was to let scar tissue form around the rod over a four week period. During the four weeks, I remained in a hard cast. The second surgery was to remove the rod and slip the tendon graft into the tunnel formed by the scar tissue. I was in a cast another four weeks. Once removed, I went right into therapy, which was complete torture .
After the second surgery, it was apparent right away that my pinky finger lost 70% range of motion. One of the risks of surgery. The third surgery was to try and get more range of motion into the pinky. That surgery was useless. In the end, my index finger has about 20% range of motion and my pinky has about 60% range of motion. All in all, my surgery was a failure . And, I had a well regarded hand surgeon from NY, who was the hand surgeon for the NY Yankees, Islanders and Nicks. Nothing is guaranteed in surgery.
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Thanks guys for the stories and detailed descriptions and pictures....
My injury definately isn't that bad and I wish I would have taken an earlier picture since now its basically just a scab across the top joint in my pinky finger. I do have an appointment for a consultation with an orthapedic surgeon next Tuesday when I get back into town...Hopefully everything goes ok and regain full use of the finger. |
Round 1  Tore the long tendon that controls the finger. Doc fixed it. 6 or 8 weeks of physical therapy. 2 weeks back in the field, *POP*! Round 2  Another 8 weeks and a much more intensive repair. Still holding strong 3 years later. About 90% mobility and strength. I was told to not fuck it up again as there isnt much left to put it back together. Added bonus, the scar is a great temp gauge. the colder it is the more purple it gets. Mobility also goes to shit in a hurry. |