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Metal Wire Went Through Hand, Numbness In Fingers, Unable To Make A Fist. Will Surgery Fix Nerve Damage?
A metal wire went all the way through my hand a few weeks ago, breaking it in 3 places. The hospital wrapped it with a soft bandage and provided a sling and antibiotics . My regular doctor has looked at the hand and is trying to get me in with a specialist. I have numbness in many of my fingers and cannot close my hand. Do you think that surgery will be an option to fix the possible major nerve damage? Unfortunately, I do not have insurance.
Mon, 10 Dec 2012
Hello,
It depends on the extent of nerve damage incurred. If there is a laceration of the nerve but the lacerated segment is short and the ends can be brought together without tension and attached, then there is a good prospect of recovery of sensations and motor functions provided the nerve coaptation is done in a proper fashion. If a longer segment of nerve has been involved or if the nerve has been damaged at many places then nerve grafts taken from other parts of your body like the leg have to be used and the return of sensations and muscle function would be less than optimal. Similar thing applies to more than one nerve damage.
It depends on the extent of nerve damage incurred. If there is a laceration of the nerve but the lacerated segment is short and the ends can be brought together without tension and attached, then there is a good prospect of recovery of sensations and motor functions provided the nerve coaptation is done in a proper fashion. If a longer segment of nerve has been involved or if the nerve has been damaged at many places then nerve grafts taken from other parts of your body like the leg have to be used and the return of sensations and muscle function would be less than optimal. Similar thing applies to more than one nerve damage.
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