Thumbs enable us to perform fine motor skills activities like gripping things, writing, buttoning a shirt, combing our hair, and painting. These activities are severely hindered in the absence of thumbs, making life difficult to operate and live. Thumb reconstruction surgery is the saving grace for people with amputated or deformed thumbs. The aim is to restore the functionality and stability of the thumbs by reconstructing the ligaments and tendons to help patients perform their activities, easily.
Thumb reconstruction restores function, stability, and appearance of the deformed or amputated thumbs. Further, this procedure is also used to free the tight web area between the thumb and index finger by using a skin graft.
To reconstruct the thumb, the surgeon carefully removes the damaged tissue, the fractured thumb bone is reconnected with screws and plates, and finally the tendons, muscles, veins, and nerves are repaired with tissues harvested from other parts of the patient’s body. With post-operative exercises and care, stability and functionality of the thumb is slowly restored.
Thumb reconstruction surgery is performed under general anesthesia and takes up to six hours to complete. The hand is placed in a cast or splint to protect the new thumb as it heals.
Common thumb reconstruction techniques include:
Pollicization: It involves transferring a finger to the thumb site. Usually, the index finger is used for this technique.
Tubed pedicle and bone graft: This reconstruction technique involves creating a thumb from bone graft extracted from another body part. The pedicle constitutes tissue and blood vessels used for connecting the new thumb to the hand.
Toe to thumb: It involves transferring the big toe to the thumb site for creating a new thumb.
Thumb reconstruction surgery possesses certain risks like bleeding, nerve damage, infection, abnormal sensitivity, scarring, complex regional pain syndrome, and nail deformity. However, these are low risks and can be successfully managed if they occur.
The initial recovery involves staying in the hospital for a few days. Patients can return home with a cast or splinter on their hand to support and immobilize the thumb and wrist for 2 weeks. Next, a cast is used for 4 weeks, and finally a brace. A complete recovery after the surgery takes 12 weeks to a year.
During the post-operative care, medicinal leeches or transfusions are needed to maintain the blood flow to the reattached part. Patients must regularly make their doctor’s appointments, if they want to heal completely, and get their thumbs back in shape.
To speed the healing process, patients must avoid smoking and using ice because these activities restrict the blood flow to the surgical site. The replanted thumb must be kept above the heart level to boost circulation.
Our board-certified and fellowship-trained hand specialists with our advanced medical technology and tools are skilled at performing thumb reconstruction surgery. Further, our post-operative medical staff nurture patients to complete recovery. Our surgeons deeply examine the patient’s medical history and condition of the thumb before suggesting the ideal surgery. They would explain the risks and complications involved before taking consent from the patient to perform the surgery.
Wonderful experience with Cutis Hospital. Dr. Chintan Patel was a wonderful surgeon, and the staff was always helpful and kind. They ensured I had a smooth prep, surgery, and follow-up. I am so glad I chose Cutis Hospital for my injured left thumb surgery and would highly recommend to anyone.
People who have lost their thumbs due to an injury, or whose thumbs are missing since birth, are ideal for reconstruction surgery. They should have realistic expectations from this surgery by discussing with their doctor.
During the consultation for thumb reconstruction, doctor examines the severity of the damage and your medical history. The doctor will discuss different options available for thumb reconstruction surgery and explain the benefits and risks of each procedure. Patients must ask questions to gain clarity on the treatment plans to make an informed decision.
Thumb reconstruction surgery significantly improves the patient’s quality of life. It restores the functionality of the thumb for performing daily chores without other people’s assistance.
We provide effective surgical and non-surgical treatments for all parts of the body. At Cutis Hospital, our cosmetic and plastic surgery team is committed to giving patients safe and high-quality care.
