It appears I have to have surgery to,correct a condition known as trigger finger. I have it on 2 fingers on my right hand.

Has anyone had this operation before? How long before you were comfortable shooting big bore caliber used in Africa?

Sucks to get old!

shouldn't be more than a month

My trigger finger gets itchy & jumpy, but a trip to the range usually cures it temporarily.
All kidding aside, hope it doesn't keep you out of commission for long.

Larry my mom had it years ago. A relatively simple procedure.

mike

I had trigger finger, but all I needed was an injection to cure it!!?

I was shooting the same day.

I would try an injection first and I am in the therapy business.

Larry-

Get a second opinion, if you haven't yet. Best of luck in any case.

Larry, what is trigger finger exactly? Is Mary Ann fixing you up on this? BTW, I just had the plate and 5 screws taken out of my finger yesterday from that fall on the Tahr hunt. Just in time to shake hands with old and new friends at DSC with a sore right hand! I'm ready to have normal function in my hands again!! Hope your's doesn't create more than a minor issue and is resolved quickly.

Had surgical re-attachment of tendon to first joint in right middle finger last year. Complete with pin up thru joint for 30 days. Was back to normal in 3 months, and shooting archery with fingers in 6 months.

Anticipation is worse than the procedure. Had it several years ago and was back at work very quickly. I am looking forward to another surgery myself shortly and am conjuring any number of scenarios.
I wish you well quickly.
Frank

Larry,
If I’m correct, the procedure allows for creating more room for the tendons to function. My wife had the procedure on both hands; index and middle finger on the right hand and 6 to 8 months later had the middle and index finger along with the thumb on the left. She says that there are two things that are important for a short recovery.
One is to be sure that the surgeon’s procedure cuts only where your “lifelines” are on your hand. These are the natural fold lines that appear when you flex your hand. I mention this because she says she has met people that had cuts across those lines which resulted in doubling the healing times and creating more pain when moving your hand.
The other is the therapy that you provide for yourself after the procedure. She was given a cup of polymer clay where she could move and flex her hand to stretch the tendons by kneading that clay. Her hand was tender enough at first that she initially wore a glove.
The answer to the question you asked – about a month. But then, to her a big bore is a 23.
ps - Even though it didn't work for her she suggests that you try the injections first.
GOOD LUCK

The trigger finger is the one that is missing on my grandfather`s hand.He still managed his side by side shotgun well taking loads of game.Good luck with your recovery!

Thanks all. I am lucky in the sense that my girl friend is a hand surgeon. However,like many doctors, she doesn't really comprehend the differences in recoil between rifles. She shoots my 22 magnum, 17 HMR and 223. She thinks they all recoil like those. Obviously, a 500 NE is much more serious.

Saeed:

I have had 4 injections in the last year. It continues to get worse. On New Years Day, I woke up to find 2 fingers totally locked closed.

Todd:

My condition started as a minor catch in the morning when I opened my hand up. It has gotten worse where, as noted above, the fingers are totally locked.

Mary Lynn has retired from performing surgery due to a medical condition. One of her partners will do the surgery.

I have a lot of travel this month. A trip to Argentina next month. Spring gobbler in March. Argentina again in July. Zim in October. I am trying to figure the best time.

Hope everything goes well for you. If it doesn't, you can always have your guns restocked and learn to shoot with the other hand.
Seriously, I hope it works great for you.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
Thanks all. I am lucky in the sense that my girl friend is a hand surgeon. However,like many doctors, she doesn't really comprehend the differences in recoil between rifles. She shoots my 22 magnum, 17 HMR and 223. She thinks they all recoil like those. Obviously, a 500 NE is much more serious.

Saeed:

I have had 4 injections in the last year. It continues to get worse. On New Years Day, I woke up to find 2 fingers totally locked closed.

Todd:

My condition started as a minor catch in the morning when I opened my hand up. It has gotten worse where, as noted above, the fingers are totally locked.

Mary Lynn has retired from performing surgery due to a medical condition. One of her partners will do the surgery.

I have a lot of travel this month. A trip to Argentina next month. Spring gobbler in March. Argentina again in July. Zim in October. I am trying to figure the best time.

I can cover your quota in Zim. Just tryin to help a brother out...

Jeff

You are a true friend Jeff!

The decision has been made. I am having the operation on the 11th. Oh well. I guess the deer are safe for the balance of the season.

quote:

You are a true friend Jeff!

Heck I was going to offer to buy all your rifles from you for at least half of what they are worth!

Seriously, hope you have a quick recovery!

My orthopedist treated me for trigger finger (thumb, to be precise) with an injection. He said surgery was an option if the cortisone didn't work, but he also said surgery was not always successful and in some cases made the condition worse.

My condition dissipated after a couple of weeks. Perhaps you've explored all options, gotten a second opinion, considered the alternatives and decided that surgery is the best treatment. If so, great; if not, you may want to reconsider.

Whatever you decide, good luck and good hunting!

Larry is receiving the best opinopns available in this area FWIW.

Jeff

Yup . Jeff is correct.

After a series of injections, it continues to get worse and worse.

It will likely cause me to miss golf with my son in Vegas the week afterward but should be good for all my trips.

Thanks all.