Trigger Finger Surgery: Risks, Recovery & What to Expect

Generally safe and effective, trigger-finger surgery---as with any medical procedure---carries some risks, including the possibility of nerve damage.

Trigger Finger

• Trigger finger or trigger thumb, known medically as stenosing tenosynovitis, occurs when a finger or thumb "catches" when bent. Sometimes, the finger locks in a bent position and fails to straighten. The cause of trigger finger often remains a mystery, according to the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.

Surgery

• When non-surgical therapies such as corticosteroid injections, splints and pain medications fail, doctors suggest surgery. According to the Mayo Clinic, trigger-finger surgery---an outpatient procedure performed under local anesthesia---poses little risk.

Aftermath

• After the surgery, expect tenderness, discomfort and swelling for a few days, reports the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.

Complications

• Serious but rare complications from trigger-finger surgery include infection, nerve injury and further damage to the finger or hand, according to Medscape eMedicine.

Risk Factors

• Diabetics or immunosuppressed patients---such as organ transplant recipients or those undergoing chemotherapy---have a higher risk of infection, reports Medscape eMedicine.