After Your Operation
Wound care, swelling, hand therapy, warning signs and returning safely to normal activity after hand surgery.
Your discharge instructions are specific to your operation and should take priority over general advice. Some procedures require immediate movement; others require strict protection in a splint or cast.
The first few days
- Keep the hand elevated when advised to help limit swelling.
- Move joints that you have been told are safe to move; do not remove protective splints or exercise a repaired structure unless instructed.
- Use prescribed or recommended pain relief as directed.
- Keep dressings clean and dry and follow your team’s wound-care instructions.
Swelling and stiffness
Swelling is common after hand surgery and can contribute to pain and stiffness. Elevation, safe movement and hand therapy are used differently depending on the procedure. Persistent swelling may take weeks or longer to settle.
Hand therapy
Therapy is central to recovery after many tendon, nerve, fracture and reconstructive procedures. The programme balances protection with movement. Follow the prescribed exercises and splint instructions rather than increasing activity independently.
Scar care
Once the wound is fully closed and your clinical team confirms it is safe, scar massage or desensitisation may be recommended. Scar sensitivity and firmness often improve gradually.
Driving, work and sport
There is no single timetable that applies to every hand operation. Return depends on pain control, strength, movement, the type of work or sport, and whether you can safely perform an emergency manoeuvre while driving. Ask your treating team for procedure-specific advice.
- Fingers become cold, pale or blue.
- Numbness or swelling is rapidly worsening.
- A cast or dressing feels increasingly tight.
- Bleeding soaks through the dressing and does not settle.
- You develop spreading redness, pus, fever or escalating pain.