Partially Amputation of Index Finger Posted: 02-21-05 23:28pm
I cut off a portion of my left index
finger 2 months ago - 1/4-1/2 inch. It
is finally healing after a trip to the er,
sutures, and daily care and dressing. It
is still very, very swollen and stiff.
It is also still very sore and tender,
with nerve endings very prominent. When
will the swelling go away? I'm an
executive secretary, therefore I type for
a living. I cannot type with it yet, but
am actually more concerned with the
swelling than the nerve ending pain.
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rIcHrD
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 16 Jan 2005 Posts: 19
Posted: 03-01-05 09:22am
Maximum of 1 month if the bone wasn't
damaged.
The swelling isn't problematic provided
it's red and doesn't become more painful
with time. The swelling is necessary for
rapid healing as increased blood (and thus
nutrient) supply is essential for the
synthesis of fibrous tissue in the process
of repair. The only complication you
should look out for is concurrent
infection in the area which would
characterise itself as discolouration
(usually yellowness) and increased pain.
Other than that it should be fine.
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Justin_Toronto
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 28 Jan 2005 Posts: 418 Location: Toronto, ON
Posted: 03-01-05 13:17pm
As richrd said, 3-5 weeks if no bone was
exposed, you will likely need to have your
fingertip desensitized so you will be able
to type properly too.
However, since this happened over 2 months
ago without healing I assume it was more
serious and required a splint. In which
case it can take up to 4 months for proper
healing and swelling to go down and before
you can begin living life normally again.
