TRIGGER FINGER RELEASE
A finger or thumb that catches, clicks or locks, put right by a consultant hand surgeon. Injection or a small release, under local anaesthetic. £1,995.
Trigger finger and trigger thumb are fingers that catch, click, or lock as they bend, because the tendon can no longer glide smoothly through the sheath that holds it to the bone. Trigger finger release is the small operation that frees it for good, performed here by Mr Samuel George, a consultant plastic, hand and peripheral nerve surgeon for whom this is everyday work.
Also known as: trigger thumb, trigger finger surgery, trigger finger release, stenosing tenosynovitis.
Many trigger fingers settle with a splint or a steroid injection, and we will always offer those first where they are likely to work. When they do not, or the finger keeps locking, a release is quick, reliable and done under local anaesthetic as a day case. All treatment on this page is for adults aged 18 and over.
What is trigger finger AND TRIGGER THUMB?
Trigger finger happens when the tendon that bends your finger can no longer slide freely through a tight point in its sheath, called the A1 pulley, at the base of the finger in the palm. The tendon catches there, so the finger clicks, catches, or locks in a bent position and then snaps straight, sometimes with a painful pop. The thumb is the single most commonly affected digit, which is why it is often called trigger thumb.
Typical signs are:
- Catching, clicking, or locking as the finger bends or straightens, often worst first thing in the morning.
- A finger that gets stuck bent and has to be eased straight with the other hand.
- Soreness and a small, tender lump (a nodule) at the base of the finger in the palm.
It is more common in women, in people over 40, in diabetes, and in hands that do a lot of gripping, though often there is no obvious cause. It is not dangerous, but a finger that locks is annoying and, left long enough, can stiffen, so it is worth dealing with.
Injection or surgery: WHAT YOU ACTUALLY NEED
We treat trigger finger in the order that spares you an operation where possible, and we are honest about what each step will do.
A splint that stops the finger curling, worn particularly at night, can settle a mild or early trigger finger. A steroid injection into the tendon sheath is the mainstay of non-surgical treatment and works well, resolving many trigger fingers completely, and it is usually where we start for a first presentation. It is quick and done in clinic.
Surgery, a trigger finger release, is the answer when injections have not worked, when the finger keeps locking or has locked solid, or when it has come back after previous injections. It is the definitive treatment: once the pulley is released, the tendon glides freely, and the triggering does not return. Your consultation with Mr George determines which option is right for you, rather than starting with surgery.
How trigger finger release
IS DONE
Trigger finger release frees the tendon by dividing the tight A1 pulley through a small incision at the base of the affected finger or thumb, in the palm. It is done under local anaesthetic, so the hand is numb, but you are awake and comfortable, and it takes around fifteen to twenty minutes. Often you can bend and straighten the finger fully on the table, with the catching gone immediately. You go home the same day with the hand dressed. Dividing that one pulley does not weaken the finger, and because the catching point has been opened, the triggering does not usually come back.
How much does TRIGGER FINGER SURGERY COST?
Trigger finger release is £1,995, confirmed in writing, with no referral needed. The consultation and assessment is £195, is with the surgeon himself, and is redeemable against the cost of your surgery if you go ahead. If a steroid injection is the right first step rather than surgery, we will discuss this lower-cost option at your consultation.
Recovery after trigger finger surgery,
STEP BY STEP
The catching and locking are usually gone. The hand is dressed and a little sore.
keep the dressing clean and dry, keep the hand elevated when you can, and gently move the finger to keep it supple.
use the hand for light activities, avoid heavy gripping, and keep the wound dry. If the sutures aren't dissolvable, they come out around 10 to 14 days.
usually once you can grip and control the wheel comfortably, often within a week or so, guided by comfort and your insurer.
desk workers are often back within a few days; heavier manual work usually waits two to three weeks.
any tenderness in the palm settles, and full, comfortable use returns. A little stiffness that eases with movement is normal.
Why choose Private Medical Clinic
FOR TRIGGER FINGER?
ONE OF THE REGION'S HAND SURGERY EXPERTS.
Assessed and treated by Mr George, who trains other hand surgeons.
INJECTION FIRST WHERE IT WILL WORK.
We treat in the order that spares you surgery where we can.
NO NHS WAIT.
Seen in weeks and treated promptly, rather than waiting many months with a locking finger.
LOCAL ANAESTHETIC, DAY CASE.
In and out in an afternoon, no general anaesthetic.
A PUBLISHED PRICE, SURGEON-LED CONSULTATION.
£1,995, and you meet the person who treats you.
CQC REGISTERED.
Khela Medical Limited, GMC-registered clinicians.
Trigger Finger before and after, PATIENTS REVIEWS
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Trigger Finger QUESTIONS, ANSWERED
Often, yes. A splint can settle a mild or early one, and a steroid injection resolves many trigger fingers completely, which is why we start there for most first presentations. Surgery is for the ones that injections do not fix, that keep coming back, or that have locked solid.
Very rarely. Once the A1 pulley is released, the catching point is gone, so a surgically released trigger finger does not usually return, unlike one treated only with injection, which can recur.
Light use returns within days. Desk workers are often back within a few days, manual workers within two to three weeks, and driving is usually possible within a week or so once you can grip comfortably.
Many stay the same, but some worsen, locking more often, and a finger that stays bent for a long time can become stiff and harder to straighten fully. That is the argument for dealing with a persistent one rather than living with it.
Gentle movement and stretching can help keep the finger supple and may ease a very mild trigger finger, but exercises do not open the tight pulley that causes the catching, so they are a support rather than a cure for an established trigger finger. We will tell you honestly whether yours is likely to settle with conservative measures.
It is done under local anaesthetic, so the hand is numb, and you are awake and comfortable, with no general anaesthetic and no overnight stay. It takes around fifteen to twenty minutes.
No. Dupuytren's is a thickening of the tissue in the palm that slowly bends the fingers towards the palm and cannot be straightened, whereas trigger finger is a tendon catching so the finger locks and then releases. They are different problems with different treatments, and the examination tells them apart.
Usually within weeks, not the many months a routine NHS referral can take, and often sooner.
Finger catching, CLICKING OR LOCKING?
Book a consultation with Mr George for an honest assessment of whether an injection or a release is right for you, and lasting relief either way. £1,995 for a release under local anaesthetic, currently performed at our Edgbaston clinic in Birmingham.