🍽Diet
- Begin with clear liquids and light foods (jello, soup, toast, etc…)
- Progress slowly back to your pre-op diet as tolerated
- Try to avoid taking narcotics on an empty stomach to avoid nausea
🩹Wound Care
- Keep your dressing and splint clean, dry, and intact. DO NOT remove your splint or get it wet unless instructed.
- It is normal for the hand and fingers to swell after surgery; keep the hand elevated.
- If blood soaks through the dressing, do not panic. Reinforce with additional dressings as needed.
- If steri-strips are present, they should remain in place until your first post-operative visit.
- Cover the hand and splint with a waterproof bag for showering. NO immersion in water.
💊Medications
- A local or regional anesthetic block is often used during surgery and will wear off in approximately 8-24 hours. Begin your prescribed pain medication before the block fully wears off so you stay ahead of the pain.
- Most patients will require a short period of narcotic pain medication. This should be taken as directed on the bottle.
- Norco (hydrocodone/Tylenol) or Percocet (oxycodone/Tylenol)
- Take 1-2 tablets every 4-6 hours as needed for pain.
- Maximum of 12 pills per 24 hour period.
- Do NOT take additional Tylenol (acetaminophen) while taking these medications. Many products contain this medication (cough meds, cold meds) and can lead to liver damage.
- Common side effects of narcotic pain medications are nausea, drowsiness, and constipation. Use a stool softener (Colace, senokot) or laxative (Miralax) as needed.
- If you are having problems with nausea and vomiting, call the office to see if the medication should be changed or additional medications prescribed.
- Journavx (suzetrigine): If you were prescribed Journavx, take 2 tablets (your one-time starting dose) with a small sip of water before leaving home the morning of surgery. Then take 1 tablet every 12 hours, starting 12 hours after your first dose, as directed. Take the starting dose on an empty stomach, and avoid grapefruit while taking this medication.
- Do not drive a car or operate heavy machinery while taking narcotics.
🏃Activity
- Keep the hand elevated above the level of your heart as much as possible to reduce swelling.
- Do NOT lift, push, pull, grip forcefully, or bear weight with the operative hand.
- Keep the splint on at all times. The splint holds the finger and/or wrist straight to protect the tendon repair.
- You may use your opposite hand and return to light, one-handed activity as tolerated.
🩹Splint
- Your splint will be worn full-time, typically for about 6 weeks, then weaned under the direction of your hand therapist (often discontinued around 8-10 weeks).
- Do not remove or adjust the splint on your own.
- Your first dressing and splint change is usually done by your hand therapist, who will fit a lighter custom splint.
❄Ice Therapy
- Begin immediately after surgery
- Use ice packs every 2 hours for 20 minutes (keep ice off the dressing/splint and protect the skin to avoid frostbite).
💪Hand Therapy
- Hand therapy is essential after an extensor tendon repair. Attend all appointments — your therapist guides your motion program and adjusts your splint.
- Your therapist will start a controlled motion program (early protected motion or scheduled exercises) based on your specific repair.
- No resistance or strengthening until after about 6 weeks, and only as directed. Full activity is typically resumed around 3 months.
⚠When to Call Us
Contact Dr. Wichman at 414-479-7000 if any of the following are present:
- Painful swelling or numbness
- Unrelenting pain
- Redness around incisions
- Fever (above 101.5°F) - It is not uncommon to have a low-grade fever for the first day or two following surgery.
- Color changes in fingers, hand, or arm
- Continuous drainage or bleeding from incisions (a small amount of drainage is expected.)
- Difficulty breathing
- Excessive nausea or vomiting
If you have an emergency after hours or over the weekend, call 414-479-7000 to be connected to the “on-call” physician or physician assistant. Do NOT call the hospital or surgery center.
If you have an emergency that requires immediate attention, call 911 or proceed to the nearest Emergency Room.