Delayed Healing or Complications After Surgery
Expert solutions for complex issues.
When your recovery hasn't gone to plan, there is still hope.
Dealing with complications, delayed healing, or persistent pain after a hand or wrist surgery can be incredibly frustrating and disheartening. As a specialist in complex hand and wrist reconstruction, Dr. French is an expert in managing these challenging situations, diagnosing the underlying problem, and creating a new, personalized plan to get you on the path to a proper recovery.
You're right to be frustrated.
You deserve a solution.
You underwent surgery with the expectation of a full recovery, but you're still in pain, your hand is stiff, or your function hasn't returned.
This experience can make you feel stranded and disillusioned. Seeking a second opinion from a hand and wrist surgery specialist can be an empowering step. It's an opportunity to find clarity and discover that there are often advanced solutions available for even the most challenging post-surgical problems.
Identifying the source of the problem.
Delayed or non-healing.
In some cases, a surgically repaired fracture may fail to heal together (a "nonunion"), or a complex wound may struggle to close. These situations require specialized intervention to create a biological environment that can support and complete the healing process.
Persistent pain & stiffness.
The most common complication after surgery is stiffness from internal scar tissue (adhesions). However, persistent pain can also be caused by hardware that is irritating the tendons, or an undiagnosed nerve issue from the original trauma that is now trapped in scar tissue.
Structural failure or arthritis.
Over time, a previous repair may fail, or a joint that was injured may go on to develop severe, painful post-traumatic arthritis. This can require a more significant reconstructive solution to restore a functional hand or wrist.
The expertise required for revision surgery.
Revision surgery—operating on a hand that has already had surgery—is exponentially more complex and technically demanding than a primary operation.
The surgeon must navigate through scar tissue, work with compromised tissues, and solve intricate bio-mechanical problems. This requires an elite level of skill. Dr. French’s extensive experience and his Harvard fellowship in reconstructive plastic surgery and microsurgery provide the essential experience needed to manage these highly challenging cases and offer you a new opportunity for a successful outcome.
Sophisticated surgery for complex problems.
Wrist salvage surgery.
For a wrist that has developed severe, debilitating arthritis after a previous injury or surgery, Wrist Salvage Surgery is a great option. This is a category of advanced reconstructive procedures designed to remove the painful, arthritic joint surfaces while preserving as much wrist motion as possible, serving as an alternative to a complete wrist fusion.
Nerve repairs & microsurgery
If your complication involves chronic pain, numbness, or weakness, the cause may be a nerve that was damaged or has become entrapped in scar tissue. Using a high-powered microscope, Dr. French can perform microsurgery to carefully perform nerve repairs or to free the entrapped nerve (neurolysis), potentially providing relief from debilitating nerve pain.
Don't let hand or wrist dysfunction dictate your life any longer.
If you're ready to move towards a future of restored function and relief, take the empowering first step today.
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