Your hospital team will tell you:
- how to look after your hand as you recover
- about exercises you need to do for rehab
- signs of problems to look out for
After the surgery
Your arm may be numb and floppy for several hours after the surgery. Your hand will be elevated in a sling (a large, supportive bandage). This helps to reduce swelling.
Most people can go home on the same day as the surgery, when you feel OK after the anaesthetic. But if you live on your own and had a general anaesthetic, you may need to stay overnight.
Your hand may be bruised and swollen. It will be painful when the anaesthetic wears off. Someone will need to pick you up and take you home from the hospital.
Hand therapy and healing
After tendon surgery, you will need hand therapy. You will wear a stiff splint for the first 5 to 6 weeks. After this, you will slowly start using your hand without the splint over the next 6 weeks.
It usually takes 12 weeks for a repaired tendon to be back to full strength. But it can take up to 6 months to get back the full range of movement.
In some cases, the range of movement may never return to what it was before. But the tendon repair will still give a better result than not having surgery.
Recovering at home
Your hospital team will give you specific advice depending on your injury and type of surgery.
There are things you can do in the days and weeks after surgery.
Do
-
keep your hand in a sling to protect it
-
take painkillers to reduce pain - you may need to take them for up to 2 weeks
-
wear your splint at all times - this is usually for 3 to 6 weeks
-
cover your splint with a plastic bag when you have a shower or bath
-
follow the hand exercise plan your hospital team gives you
-
check your wound 48 hours after the surgery and keep it clean and dry until it heals
Don't
-
do not use your hand for everyday activities for 6 to 8 weeks
-
do not drive for 8 to 10 weeks
-
do not smoke - smoking affects blood circulation and can delay your recovery time
Rehabilitation
After the surgery, you usually need to wear a splint at all times for 3 to 6 weeks. This is so the repaired tendons are protected as they heal.
Your hand therapist will show you:
- how to look after your splint
- what to do if you have any problems with your splint
- hand exercises to stop the tendons sticking to surrounding tissue
The exercises depend on the type of repair you had.
Returning to work and activities
Follow all the advice your hospital team gives you on using your hand. Returning to activities too soon could cause the repair to rupture. This is when the tendon breaks apart again.
How quickly you can return to daily activities depends on your type of injury. When you can return to work depends on how you need to use your hand at work.
In general, most people can:
- do light activities after 6 to 8 weeks, such as using a keyboard or writing with a pen
- do medium activities after 8 to 10 weeks, such as light lifting or shelf stacking
- do heavy activities after 10 to 12 weeks, such as heavy lifting or building work
- drive a car, motorcycle or heavy goods vehicle (HGV) after 8 to 10 weeks
- play sports after 10 to 12 weeks
After having hand surgery, be careful when you do everyday activities such as:
- squeezing toothpaste tubes or shampoo bottles
- getting out of the bath
- opening doors
- getting dressed and undressed, as your hand can catch on your clothing
Complications of hand tendon repair
Common complications of tendon repair include:
- infection
- ruptured tendons
- the repaired tendon sticking to nearby tissue
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is not common after tendon repair. But it's important to spot it early and start treatment quickly.
Infection after hand tendon repair
The risk of an infection is highest if there was dirt in your wound or you had a crushing injury.
Treatment for an infection is usually antibiotics.
Non-urgent advice: Contact your GP if
you have symptoms of an infection, such as:
- redness and swelling in your hand
- increasing tenderness or pain
- a high temperature of 38C or above
Hand tendon repair failure
Ruptures can happen if you do not rest the affected tendon and follow your hands therapist's advice. Accidental trips, falls or catching your splint can also rupture the tendon.
These problems usually happen soon after surgery.
Non-urgent advice: Contact your surgical team or hand therapist if
you have signs of a ruptured tendon:
- snapping or pinging sensation in your hand
- trouble moving your finger or fingers in the same way as before
You may need another surgery to repair the tendon.
Tendon adhesion
Tendon adhesion is when the tendons get stuck to surrounding tissue.
This can cause loss of movement. But it is minor in most cases. More serious cases of tendon adhesion need surgery to free the stuck tendon.
Tell your surgical team or hand therapist if you notice a reduction in your ability to move your hand.
Content supplied by the NHS and adapted for Ireland by the HSE
