Recovery and regaining movement after hand reconstruction
The timeline for your recovery will depend on the complexity and extent of your reconstruction surgery. A full recovery may take several months or even up to a year, depending on your overall health, the type of procedure, and your adherence to rehabilitation exercises. Your doctor will provide you with a recovery plan that includes milestones for pain management and rehabilitation therapy.
It’s common for you to experience pain around the site of your surgery, especially in the first few weeks after the procedure. Your doctor will prescribe pain medications to keep you comfortable while you heal, along with over-the-counter drugs. You’ll take fewer pain medications over time as your discomfort lessens. You’ll continue to have follow-up appointments with your orthopaedic team who will monitor your progress and answer any questions you have about your pain level and medications.
Your doctor will decide when you are ready for rehabilitation therapy, which is an essential part of your recovery. This may include:
- Physical therapy: This type of rehabilitation helps you regain flexibility, strength, and overall function.
- Occupational therapy: This therapy provides adaptive behavior modifications that help you return to regular daily activities.
- Hand therapy: This may be a combination of physical and occupational therapy, focusing solely on the rehabilitation of hands and fingers. It’s performed by a specialized therapist who has advanced education in treating people who’ve had hand surgery.
You may have therapy sessions multiple times a week at first. Therapy sessions will likely last for several months as you regain your full strength and flexibility. It’s important that you follow any home exercises to help you recover fully. Be sure to ask your therapists about any instructions that are confusing or difficult, so they can provide modifications that can help you heal faster.