CMC Arthroplasty with STABLYX Implant

Hi Wally, Saw Dr. Vo this morning, He took an xray and said everything is perfectly aligned and looks great. He said that he was impressed with my range of motion. I have this knot that has been hurting me on the inside of my palm. Turns out it is scar tissue, so He has me massaging it as often as possible to try and break it up. As far as the swelling goes he gave me a prescription for a stronger NSAID gel that I rub on twice a day. Don't need to go back for 2 mos. He promises me that the swelling will go away, as well as the pain. I just need to be a little more patient. Once again, good luck with your surgery and keep us posted. Lori

@lkd Hi Lori - I have a little experience with scar tissue - and my hand therapist is a specialist in scar management. She recommends massaging with cream or oil (I use lavender & tea tree in oil) and a circuler device of some kind. I massage the area a bit to warm it up, then roll a ball bearing over it for 3-5 minutes, varying the pressure & pattern. It works so well it has nearly healed the keloid that formed from my latest surgery, and is beginning to soften the lump that formed around the insertion point of the tightrope.
Patience is key when healing...I found the thumb surgery took just as long as a hip replacement!
Sue

I have never heard of this procedure but I wonder if you can have that done after a failed traditional basal thumb surgery. I had a left one 10yrs ago which is fine although I was warned I would never get full strength but that's ok as I have no pain.The right one was done 2 yrs later and I still have lots of pain so I wonder if they could redo it and put in the Stablyx ? anyone know ? On the same hand I now have a hard unmovable lump come up on the back of the same wrist,it's very painful when I move my wrist in any direction.I think after doing some research it may be a carpel boss.So my second question would be could I have surgery on this at the same time as the implant if they can do either ? Not sure if all that makes sense.

@anniebrook Reading your posts sounds like living my personal history. I would suggest you seek a specialized hand surgeon (either a plastic surgeon or ortho with specific training and emphasis in hands and wrists) for a thorough evaluation. The osteoarthritis and lump you describe could indicate a need for a completely different procedure separate from the CMC repair. As to the Stablyx, the surgeon should be able to answer that question as well.
If you do some reading on this site, you will find that we often recommend becoming your own best advocate. Sometimes that means, if your doctor is dismissing your concerns, you need to find a new one who will listen to you.
If you share your approximate geographic location, you may get recommendations from people who have found docs they really trust.
Sue

Thanks Sue for the tips. I like the ideas with the lavender and tea tree oil as well as the ball bearing idea.

Hello anniebrook, the area I live in only has 3 Hand Specialist that are not well versed with Stablyx. May I suggest you do what I did, I went to the Stablyx website and hit the contact icon and reached out to Stablyx to suggest which surgeons they recommend within driving distance of where I live. They replied and gave me many suggestions on which surgeons are experts with this implant. Do your research and best of luck.

Good morning Lori, Surgery this past Tuesday went very well, ride home was fine as I got pain relief and ice pack just before we hit the road. I was very impressed with the caregivers at Surgicare. Even though I've kept ice on my hand, it is still swollen - very little pain from the swelling but I'm still taking the pain med's. Thinking I'll start backing off the med's today - maybe. Dr. Vo was adamant about not moving my thumb/using my hand for the next two weeks. On Sept. 23rd, I'll get the bandage off and start therapy shortly there after. Has your swelling subsided? Has the gel worked? Wally

Hi Wally, It is good to hear from you as I was wondering how you did. The swelling is still there but not as bad as it was. I didn’t feel like the gel helped much at all. I bought a home ultrasound machine from Amazon for about $60 and I think that was the best investment. The purpose is to warm up the muscle and relax them as well as breakdown scar tissue and increase blood flow. It is working great on the scar tissue because the lump on my palm is nearly gone and swelling is down. I haven’t gotten full mobility yet. I would say about 70% but I am still working hard on the therapy and I admit it isn’t easy. Sometimes I think I’ve overdone it and then I’m extra sore for a few days. I sure hope yours goes a lot smoother than mine. You can alternate between your pain meds and ibuprofen. My pain management Dr. would have me take the pain meds and the 2 hours later add the ibuprofen and that seemed to work well. Keep that in mind as you start to go off the pain med. I too was impressed with the Surgicare Center. They really cared about you and your comfort. Please keep me posted on your recovery. Especially after you come out of your cast. Wishing you a speedy recovery!

Hi Wally - Glad to hear your surgery went well. I don't have a Stablyx, but a tightrope - was off pain meds and solely on ibuprofen after a few days - but learned to keep the IB "on board" for the first month. Helped with the swelling too.
At 3 months, I am getting close to full use, but know from the first thumb that full strength takes quite a lot longer. It only swells now if I really overuse.
I wasn't as diligent as I should have been in week 3 about limiting use and NO lifting, and as a result I have quite a lump at the site - got scolded by therapist & will have to return to doc in 6 weeks to have it evaluated and possibly excised. Makes me unhappy, but it's my own fault for overdoing.
Sue

Hello y'all. I came out of the cast a week ago today and have had two therapy sessions. The swelling isn't real bad and getting better everyday and yes, after therapy, it swells but managing it with ice and the compression glove I got from the therapist. Dr. Vo provided the x-ray of the implant and I took it to the therapist so they could see what they are to manage as they haven't seen the STABLYX Implant here in Waco. I'm 3 weeks out from surgery and I'm very happy with the results so far and already managing simple daily activities with my right hand. Not much pain now and mainly occurs with therapy but that's to be expected. I'll give another update in a few weeks.