Your Recovery
Fasciectomy (say "fash-ee-EK-tuh-mee") is surgery to cut out a layer of tissue called the fascia (say "FASH-ee-uh") that lies deep under the skin. In Dupuytren's (say "duh-pwee-TRAHNZ") contracture, the fascia of the palm of the hand becomes thick and tight. This causes the fingers to become stiff and to curl toward the palm. Removing the fascia can help relax the fingers.
Your hand and fingers may be swollen for the first few days. Most people need pain medicine for about a week after surgery. You may feel numbness or tingling near the cut, called an incision, that the doctor made. This feeling will probably start to get better in a few days, but it may take several months to go away. Your doctor will take out your stitches about 2 weeks after your surgery.
How soon you can return to work depends on your job. If you can do your job without using the hand, you may be able to go back in 1 to 2 weeks. But if your job requires you to do repeated finger movements, put pressure on your hand, or lift things, you may need to take 6 to 12 weeks off work. Your doctor can help you decide how much time you will need to take off work.
An important part of recovery is hand therapy. Work with your physiotherapist or occupational therapist and practice hand exercises at home to help your fingers become more flexible. Hand therapy may also help prevent future problems. Most people need to do hand therapy for several months. You also may need to wear a hand splint for 6 to 12 weeks after surgery.
After surgery and hand therapy, your hand and fingers should be more flexible. Many people get better without any problems. But it's possible that the fascia may become thick and tight again. Even if this problem comes back, it's usually not severe enough that another surgery is needed.
This care sheet gives you a general idea about how long it will take for you to recover. But each person recovers at a different pace. Follow the steps below to get better as quickly as possible.
Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor or nurse advice line (811 in most provinces and territories) if you are having problems. It's also a good idea to know your test results and keep a list of the medicines you take.
Where can you learn more?
Go to https://www.healthwise.net/patientEd
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