Replied By Broo (Geelong, Victoria, Australia) on 12/05/2015
I had a cortisone injection and it worked for about 2 weeks. Then it returned, probably worse than before the injections. I went to see my doctor and asked for a referral to a plastic surgeon but the surgeon who operated on my carpel tunnel moved to another city so I went to see a a plastic surgeon who mainly worked on wrinkled women. I got out of there and got another referral to a very good surgeon in Colac (Vic). 4 weeks later and I was on the operating table in Colac hospital and my hand had 2 small stitches at the base of the finger. I saw a big improvement by the next morning but with my hand bandaged up, I had to wait another week for the stitches to come out. Its been around 2 and half weeks and although my finger is still a bit tender there is no more locking up and I am expecting the finger to keep improving. Apart from the initial cost for the first visit, around $70 and the anaesthetists which was paid by the hospital there have been no other out of pocket expenses.Replied By Kathryn S. (Stockbridge, Ga) on 09/21/2017
I realize this post is 4 years old but for others in the same position I wanted to add this: I have had 3 trigger finger surgeries and 2 for Dequervain's tenosynovitis. All successfully cured the stenosising tenosynovitis. I had complications on one surgery with a cyst that debeloped at the base of one finger after surgery that has caused considerable pain and as it is over the tendon interferes with the finger straightening fully. I have it drained at the doctor's office and this helps considerably. I would recommend surgery for anyone with this condition if it is what your doctor recommends. It does work and the majority of time without any sort of complications. This individual's experience and my one with the cyst are the exceptions and not the rule, and will not prevent me from getting further surgery if required. Surgery does work and the relief from triggering and its resultant pain is almost immediate.Replied By Anon (Anon) on 09/21/2017
Yes, surgery does work each time for the current problem . My spouse has had multiple fingers operated on and had the ulnar nerve from the elbow moved over. Now many years later those same fingers are starting to trigger again. He won't try any natural cures to get to the root of the problem, so now he will need more surgery. As his wife, I hate to see him keep getting cut instead of looking for the cause of the problem. I call this the tip of the iceberg and it is stressful that the medical community is scratching the surface and not finding any permanent solutions. I guess it makes a lot of jobs for the medical community.