Surgery of the hand can be one of the most delicate procedures to recover from because, let’s face it, we all use our hands everyday. That means if you fracture your wrist and require an operation to repair the damage, you are going to need to give it time to recover fully so you can regain your range of motion and rebuild the strength you had prior to the injury.
In order to do that you’ll need to be patient and follow your doctor’s orders as to the steps necessary for allowing the wrist to heal fully. Anyone undergoing hand surgery Richmond VA will be well-advised to know what to expect prior to having surgical treatment for repairing a wrist injury, so they may be fully prepared to live life without the use of one hand on a temporary basis.
Any surgery will usually involve some post-op preparation and wrist surgery is no different.
Recovery Period
Just because you’ve sustained a fracture to the wrist does not always mean that surgery is the only option for healing the injury. Many such problems can be solved without invasive methods and surgery is typically the last resort.
However, if you are looking at surgery to repair your fracture, you are looking at a healing and recovery period that usually lasts about six weeks. This is an approximate time frame that refers to most cases, this may not reflect your specific situation.
Steps to Recovery
You will need to take certain precautions and actions in order to complete your recovery properly. These are some of the things you must keep in mind as you begin your road to fully healing after your surgery.
Proper Rest
Most surgeries, regardless of what you’ve had done, will require you to rest. That’s because the body has taken on significant stress and the area that has been operated on must be allowed to heal without interference and duress. So expect to not have use of your hand or at least not to do everything you normally do with it, for a substantial period of time.
Swelling Management
There are two things your doctor will recommend that you do after surgery to help reduce the swelling that will come after an operation. The first is ice. Using ice packs on the affected area will help to reduce swelling and it can also manage your pain. The second is compression. Using devices like wristbands or compression gloves are ideal for preventing swelling.
But with both of these, use them sparingly. Icing the wrist should be done for about 5 to 10 minutes each time, multiple times a day. Compression dressings should also be used temporarily so as to avoid the circulation of blood from being cut off to your fingers.
Pain Management
As with the swelling, any pain and discomfort you may feel after surgery must be managed properly. Ice is helpful but your doctor might also prescribe you a painkiller of some kind that you can take to minimize any discomfort you may experience.
