You can damage or sever your fingertip in various accidents. These injuries can damage the skin, bone, tendons, and soft tissue.
If you have been involved in an accident where all or part of your fingertip has been cut off, then you should seek medical attention straight away.
Your fingertips are made up of a range of nerves, making them extremely sensitive. If you don’t get medical attention after cutting off your fingertip, you risk developing permanent or long-term difficulties.
This article will explore everything you need to know about fingertip injury first aid, how to safely transport your severed finger to the hospital, and how to deal with the aftermath.
We will also take a lot of different treatment options when you should get surgery and the healing process.
Let’s get started.
Fingertip Amputation First Aid
If you have been involved in a fingertip accident, then you should take the following preparations when going to the emergency room or seeing a doctor:
- Clean the area using a saline solution or clean water. If possible, cover the injury with a slightly compressing sterile dressing to prevent bleeding and keep the area protected.
- Keep the finger elevated above heart level to minimize the amount of swelling.
- Using a short splint, immobilize the affected hand and wrist.
If you have completely severed your fingertip, then take the following precautions:
- Very carefully, clean the amputated area with a sterile saline solution or clean water.
- Use a moistened gauze wrap to cover the area.
- Place the severed fingertip in a sealed watertight bag – making sure there are no holes in the bag where the water could come out.
- Then place the bag in a container filled with ice or in another watertight bag.
- Make sure the amputated part isn’t in direct contact with the ice. Then could lead to further damage.
- Once done, you should go to the nearest emergency room, preferably a hospital that specializes in hands.
Keep your amputated finger with you at all times until the doctor is ready to see you and assess the damage.
Severed Fingertip Surgery
Operation or surgery to reattach a severed finger is known as replantation.
Using a microscope, your surgeon or doctor will take a look at your amputated finger(s) and decide whether or not it can be reattached.
Here, partially severed fingertips or fingers are considered more suitable for reattachment.
When it comes to full-length severed fingers, these can be more difficult since they are from the base.
According to the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, the steps to reattach a severed finger involve:
- Anesthesia – Through an injection, you’ll be provided with general anesthesia. This helps you to fall asleep and avoid feeling any pain.
- Debridement – Here, your doctor may need to remove any dead or damaged tissue surrounding the wound. This is referred to as debriding and it helps to prevent infection.
- Bone care – If they are damaged, your doctor may need to trim the ends of the bone. This allows bones to fit together better.
- Reconstructive surgery – If your doctor can save your amputated finger, then you may need to go under microsurgery. Here, the nerves, tendons, and blood vessels in your finger are sewn together. This allows your finger to remain alive and heal even after it has been reattached.
- Reattachment – At this stage, the bones are connected and kept in place with plates and screws or wires.
- Closure – The wound is then stitched closed and bandaged.
When it comes to repairing a severed finger, a plastic surgeon and an orthopedic surgeon will generally work together.
When A Finger Can’t be Reattached
If your fingertip has been exposed to too much damage or the accident took place too long ago, then you may not be able to rejoin the fingertip.
In such instances, you’ll need surgery to repair the wound. Here, the doctor may use a graft or a flap made from your skin to help cover the affected area and close the wound.
After Finger Surgery
What to expect after your surgery and recovery time depends on the type of injury and the procedure required to fit it. Therefore, recovery can be anything from a few weeks to a few years.
Pain medication can be used to keep you as comfortable as possible during your recovery.
In the days after your surgery, you’ll likely need to take antibiotics to prevent infection. If you see any of the following signs you should see your doctor immediately:
- Redness
- Pain or tenderness
- Swelling
- Warmth
- Fever
- Slow healing
- Red streaks in the wound
- Pus
- Skin or nail discoloration
- Bad smell
After surgery, your nurse or doctors should provide you with the information required to change your fingertip dressing.
Likewise, you may need to visit your doctor a week after your surgery to remove any stitches.
Plus, you may even have to attend follow-up appointments to make sure everything is OK.
Recovery
A severed finger injury may take several months to heal, after which point a person may still experience mild-to-severe pain and cold sensitivity for up to a year (or sometimes permanently).
The person may require pain medications as well as physical therapy.
Physical therapy
After you have undergone surgery, a healthcare professional, like a physiotherapist or hand specialist may recommend some finger movements to strengthen and improve the range of motion in your finger.
There are also some additional finger therapies which include:
- Wearing a splint
- Using a compression wrap to minimize swelling
- Performing massage
- Applying ice and heat
- Receiving electrical stimulation to the hand nerves
Nerve Damage
The American Society for Surgery of the Hand outlines that a person may experience symptoms associated with severed nerves after amputating a fingertip.
Here, you may experience abnormal or phantom sensations, cold sensitivity, or pain.
A neuroma – this refers to an enlarged nerve end – can also take place, too. They can cause severe pain in one area of your hand.
Moreover, if you’re experiencing debilitating symptoms, then additional surgery may be required.
After Surgery Complications
Even after your finger has recovered from reattachment surgery, you may still experience damage to your finger or hand.
For those suffering from chronic conditions, including diabetes, the recovery process may take longer.
Issues that may go away after time include:
- Blood clots
- Pain
- Joint stiffness or arthritis
- Cold sensitivity
- Scar tissue
- Muscle atrophy
- Fingertip drooping
- Swelling or change in shape
You may even experience anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, or depression after the process.
Here, it is best to see a therapist to determine how to cope with these feelings. For instance, a disability or amputee group can be beneficial.
Final Thoughts
If you have ever amputated your finger, this doesn’t necessarily mean you will lose your fingertip forever.
With some surgery, your finger should be back to normal in no time. That said, depending on the severity of the accident, the recovery process varies considerably.
Hopefully, this guide has informed you on everything you need to know about the fingertip amputation healing process.
