How long does swelling last after hand surgery?
Surgeries take time to heal. You need to be patient with your recovery and make sure to visit your doctor regularly for check-ups. If you had hand surgery recently, this blog would answer many of your questions. Don’t panic if you observe your hand is a little swollen. Swelling is normal for about one week after the surgery. If you feel your hand swollen after more than a week, you must see your doctor. After a private clinic ultrasound, your doctor will correctly guide you about the recovery after surgery.
Tips to reduce swelling
Reduced swelling can ease a lot of pain in your hand. Some small tips are highly beneficial to reduce the swelling in your hand. You can follow them with your doctor’s advice and speed up your recovery.
● Elevation
Keeping your hand elevated helps in reducing the swelling. After the surgery, keeping your hand above your heart will help a lot in your recovery. You can lie on your back and gently rest your hand on the pillows piled up. At first, it may seem a little uncomfortable, but with time you will get used to it.
● Ice Pack
The application of ice packs is very helpful in reducing swelling and inflammation. It gives instant pain relief by numbing down the nerve causing pain. Wrap the ice in a towel or cloth and then gently place it on the injured hand. If you have a bandage or a wrap, it is essential to keep it dry. You should ensure to apply an ice pack without making your bandage wet.
● Movement in fingers
It depends on the type of surgery you had. If you had surgery on your wrist, your fingers would be free from the bandage. It is advisable to keep your fingers in a little movement. It will help a lot to reduce swelling. The movements should be gentle, not too aggressive and not too repetitive. A little movement is enough to reduce inflammation and ease the pain.
Some common hand surgeries
Many surgeries are done on the hands. Some of the common surgeries in which swelling is likely to happen are;
● Carpal tunnel surgery is palm surgery, where the surgeon puts an incision on your palm and cuts through the ligament to release the pressure on the median nerve.
● Trigger finger release surgery is the surgery which the surgeon performs to ease the movement of your finger. The surgeon makes a cut on the tissue, which restricts the bending and straightening of the finger.
● Treatment of fractures or dislocations might need surgery as well. Sometimes after a fracture, bones are dislocated and require surgery to place them properly.
● A ganglion cyst is a type of cyst formed on your hand. The surgeon performs surgery for the removal of this cyst by marking the incision and then cutting through the scalpel to remove the cyst.
● Sometimes damaged tendons need surgery for their repair. The surgeon performs the surgery to repair the damaged tendons.
Final Thoughts
Hand surgeries or not critical and take less time to heal. The key to fast healing is regular follow-ups with your surgeon to check the recovery. A little pain and swelling are expected after the surgery. If you notice the swelling increasing, you must see your surgeon immediately. For hand surgeries, you can visit Acorn Private Clinic. We have expert surgeons who can do your surgery very efficiently. We care for our patients and provide care after surgery to make the recovery process easier, pain-free and faster.