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Surgery

Authoring team

Suppurative flexor tendon tenosynovitis surgery has the aim of releasing pus to prevent adhesions. One effective way of doing this is:

  • the distal palmar crease is incised into in the affected digit
  • the proximal end of the flexor tendon sheath is identified
  • the sheath is divided longitudinally for a short distance, any fluid emanating should be cultured
  • a small bore nylon tube is passed down the sheath and secured proximally
  • at the distal flexor crease of the affected digit, a small lateral incision is made
  • the tendon sheath is carefully identified and incised to create an second, distal opening
  • normal saline is passed down the nylon tube and emerges out of the distal hole; this continues until the irrigation fluid is clear
  • at intervals, irrigation is continued for at least 2 days

Intravenous, the oral antibiotics are recommended for a week. Physiotherapy should commence as soon as possible after removal of the catheter.

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The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

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