hand surgery

tattybags

I am 61 yr old lady and I have RA. So far have 2 knees 1 hip and 4 toes replaced/screwed,plated and fused. I have sailed through all that and even had the knees and hip done under spinal needle and chatted to the surgeon all the way through the op. - no probs!
I have very badly deformed hands and now the only digits on my right (dominant) hand which move are the thumb and index finger.
I have seen a hand surgeon who thinks we should "press on" and operate to replace 4 knuckles with sylastic joints.
This feels like monsterous surgery and I'm not sure why. It feels worse than all the others put together. Why?
Has anyone out there had this surgery performed and if so what are your feelings about it. I'm not at all bothered about the cosmetics, and pain isn't even an issue. Its the dexterity that I'm losing and missing very much. I may lose my drawing and painting abilities which mean a lot to me. Will surgery save me? Does it greatly improve dexterity?
Any opinions and advice very welcome
Thanks

tjt6768

Hi Tatty, sorry I can't answer any of your questions but I just wanted to wish you the best of luck with the surgery, they obviously think it will improve things otherwise they wouldn't do it?

Hope it all goes well for you, keep us up to date with what happens, we are a pretty caring bunch on here

Be well

woodbon

Hi, I'm sorry that you are so disturbed by the surgery for your hands. Could it be that its your hands and they are such a big part of our life. Not just the working angle of them but, the emotional use we put them to, stroking pets and people we love, holding hands, all that sort of emotional use as well as the practical use. Also the practical use is important and even if you only have very limited use of them at the moment, at least you do manage to live with them.

I don't know if this makes any sense to you, but it may be that if you could speak to either the Helpline here or maybe your GP, if you have a good relationship, I'm sure would help you sort your feeling out. Operations arn't fun, as you know better than me, but sometimes they can improve your life such a lot.
I hope you can sort out the reasons you feel so bad and get a really good result, but if you are unsure, don't be rushed into something you don't feel happy with. Good luck, love Sue xxx

tattybags

Thanks guys for your replies. Its amazing how just sharing your fears even with people you don't know helps so much. Thanks for your kind wishes and yes I think it probably is because its hands and they are so big in your life.
Also my doctors have told me that its a very long recovery period compared with a hip for example and its also apparently very painful. There's lots to think about but you have both really helped my delicate state.

tjt6768

No need to thank us, it's what we do best, offer our support/advice etc to each other, I have found it very helpful...

Look after yourself hun..

dreamdaisy

Oh dear, tattybags, I really cannot help in any way but I can emapthise with your dilemma. Wouldn't it be great if we could see into the future, say by one year, so the outcome of such surgery could be witnessed? It's the opposable thumb that makes human kind what it is and you say your dexterity is at stake: though currently compromised you can still pick things up, can still write and paint (as you have said) and that would be a great deal to lose. How much information has the surgeon given you about the procedure and its outcome? Can he refer you to any other patient that has had a similar thing done? How bad is your left hand - do you have any degree of ampidexterity? I am sorry I cannot be more helpful. I wish you well. DD

julie47

Hi tattybags
I don't know anything about hand surgery either....
Like you my hands are badly deformed but as I can use them to a certain extent I don't want surgery. One hand is closed up in a fist ,constently and wont open , the other is open and bent and wont close at all.

I can understand your fears of losing your drawing and painting.
I think you would have to talk to your surgeon and then decide what would be best.
Take care
Thinking of you
Juliepf x

jules123

Hi, new member but have been lurking for a few months now. I cant advise you on the actual opration etc but I can let you know that it isn't as bad as it seems when your hand is operated on, especially if you do the physio as often as possibel, and you do actually manage surprisingly well with the other hand when you need to :P .

I recently had my middle finger amputated and hand cut open from tip to wrist (unrelated to RA) and have definetly compensated by using my left hand more, especially for texting etc, and I also like writing and drawing etc and manage to do that with either hand now. In fact the worst time was when it was heavily bandaged and in a sling, totally unable to use right hand, cant stir you cuppa then can you??

If the operation is worth having in the long run then I would certainly consider it, my worst thing afterwards was being unable to drive for some time, hope this helps with your decision. Take care, I think of all those brace young lads in the world who have worse things to contend with like bullets that usually helps me. :roll:

barbara12

Hi Tatty
And a very warm welcome to the forum, we all support one another, and like you say it really helps to talk to people that are going through the same to some degree or another.
You have gone through so much, and done so well what an inspiration you will be to the forum.
Sorry I cant help , but I understand your worry s, especially has you love to paint.
All you can do is get together all the info, and like someone said phone the helpline at the top of the forum.
I really do wish you well, and you stay with us and get all the support you need.
Love
Barbara x

tiggernut

Hi Tatty,

I had hand surgery 10 years ago on my left hand. I had all the knuckles replaced and the only consolation is I don't keep knocking them and getting sores as I do with my other hand.
I can understand your worries as we need our hands for just about everything. However, I cannot tell you what you should do but lets just say when they suggested I had the right one done I said no thanks.(I am right handed)All the things I was told I would be able to do I couldn't. All my fingers are bent and I don't have much movement and this was not improved by surgery.
Sorry I couldn't be more positive but that's not to say your operation won't be a great success. Good luck with it.

Anita.

tattybags

Hi tiggernut
Thanks for your very honest message. I am so sorry that your surgery turned out not to be a success for you. I need to hear everyones stories both good and not so good. Its the only way I will ever make a decision.
I had a nice surprise yesterday. I had a phone call from a lovely lady who had the knuckles replaced on both hands by my surgeon. He had very kindly contacted her and explained my position, he asked her to ring me to answer some of my questions and try to ease my mind. How thoughtful was that!
This poor lady -now in her late 60's has had RA since the age of 15 and is actually now an "Expert Patient"
She has already answered lots of my questions and she is even going to meet me at my next appointment in hand clinic to show me her 'before'and 'after' xrays and discuss things with me and the surgeon further.
I can't tell you how grateful I am for everyones help and good wishes I hope I will be able to do the same for someone else.

tiggernut

Hi Tatty,

That's brilliant. I hope she can be more positive than me, which I'm sure she will because the surgeon wouldn't have got her to contact you unless her op was a sucess.So, good luck. Are you in the UK or US?
I only ask as I am in the UK I was in New York a couple of years ago and we were walking back to our hotel one night when we passed a Hand Hospital and I though brilliant if only I lived here!

tattybags

Hi Tigger

I'm in the UK. Midlands to be a little more precise.
Yeah this lady's surgery was a huge success for her, but yours is not the only story I have heard that is not quite so good.
I will have to make the decision on my own with all the info I can muster.
It kind of shows how things can be different for different people. I said that I had heard that hand surgery was the most painful of all joint surgeries and yet she said that was not the case for her at all. Her worst and excrutiating pain apparently was having her toes screwed, fused and plated. Yet the exact same surgery for me was absolutely totally painless. So painless that my entire family still don't believe me to this day, they reckon I'm telling porkies which I am really not. So just goes to show you eh?
I could have this hand surgery and end up feeling like you - its a bit of a lottery I reckon.
Be well
Tatty

tiggernut

You too Tatty, let me know how it goes and I wish you well.Feel free to PM me when you have had it done if I miss your post.
I have to say mine was very painful but only 24 hours post op. Like you I had foot surgery with pins etc and I found that okay. My Knee and ankke reploacements also no mpost op pain my left elbow was awful for 24 hours post op but bu right one didn't hurt at all it's amazing and different for everyone.Trouble is I think we are kept waiting for so long by the time we get these ops we are in so much pain that afterwards it's just relief.
I'm on the Isle of Wight but travel to the Mainland for my ops. I had my knees and hand done in The Royal United in Bath, My left elbow and ankle in The Nuffield in Oxford and my right elbow in Southampton.
The only op's I've had here is the metatarsal heads removed from both feet about 24 years ago and a synovectomy in 1997 when I was told I was to young for knee replacements. That's really why I went to Bath totally different attitude and no question about giving me new knees I had them done 98 and they are still great.
Anyway good luck again and I look forward to a good report from you.
All the best Anita.