4.5year old with Trigger thumb-Anyone else had any experience of this?

[Flier]

DS has been diagnosed with this recently and I can't find out very much information on the net about it apart from exactly what it is.

I want to know about any longlasting effects he may have if this is not operated on etc.

Please let someone else know what I'm talking about

bump

Hi Flier
Might be able to give some advice as I'm a paeds physio - help if a bit more info...
Has he always had a problem with his thumb or has it just developed? Is it painful for him, is is stiff at all? Has he been referred on to anyone?

thanks for posting. I saw it around 9 months ago now, and got a referral from our GP, and saw the surgeon at our local hospital. He will see us again in a years time with the possibility of operating at that time. He has never complained of it being painful or stiff and he it doesn't seem to prevent him doing anything due to lack of strength or dexterity.

All the info I look at, and from what the surgeon said, this is normally operated on before the age of 4. So, I guess there must be a reason for doing this before this age.
Also, I want to know, if we don't get it operated on, how, long term, will this affect him? I was feeling it again today and the base of his thumb seems even more knobbly than it was when we saw the surgeon at beg January.

sorry for this being so long and rambly

as you're a physio, do you think there are any exercises whaich may help, or anything else?

There is the potential for spontaneous recovery without surgery in some children - which is probably why the surgeon is 'watching and waiting'. As it is not troubling him and it hasn't stiffened up that seems pretty sensible at the moment. Even if he ended up needing the op in a years time - the success rate is very good and shouldn't be any long term effects, and recurrence rate is sometimes higher in younger children - so again may be why Dr suggests waiting a year. Exercise wise - worth just keping check on it yourself and if you felt the joints in the thumb were getting stiff, get an earlier appointment. But otherwise if he is using it perfectly normally, that is the best exercise! Playing with playdough always good fun though Hope that helps a bit.

thanks pushki, you've helped put my mind at rest. I'm the sort of person who like to research everything myself, and there's really not alot online about this.