Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Dec 1;150(6):1275e-1282e.
doi: 10.1097/PRS.0000000000009676. Epub 2022 Sep 20.

Patient Perspectives after Trapeziectomy and Ligament Reconstruction Tendon Interposition: A Qualitative Analysis

Jeffrey G Stepan  1 , Liz Rolf  1 , Eric Zhu  1 , Madison Brody  1 , Andrew J Landau  1 , Ryan P Calfee  1 , Christopher J Dy  1
Affiliations

Patient Perspectives after Trapeziectomy and Ligament Reconstruction Tendon Interposition: A Qualitative Analysis

Jeffrey G Stepan et al. Plast Reconstr Surg. .

Abstract

Background: The authors aimed to explore patients' perioperative experience after trapeziectomy and ligament reconstruction tendon interposition through semistructured patient interviews to identify deficiencies in preoperative patient counseling.

Methods: The authors conducted semistructured interviews with 14 patients who had undergone ligament reconstruction tendon interposition either 10 to 14 weeks or 9 to 12 months postoperatively at the time of their interview. The semistructured interview guide was developed by a fellowship-trained hand surgeon and a qualitative research specialist to discuss each patient's perioperative experience. Inductive and deductive qualitative coding strategies were used to develop a codebook. All transcripts were then double-coded and discussed to develop recurrent major themes from the patient interviews.

Results: The authors' interviews identified three major themes discussed consistently on the patient perioperative experience. First, despite specific counseling about a 3- to 6-month postoperative rehabilitation period, patients were still surprised at the length of the recovery process in regaining function, range of motion, and strength. Second, patients repeatedly outlined that surgery on the dominant hand imparted specific limitations that made the postoperative course difficult. Third, patients discussed the importance of hand therapy both in rehabilitation and in guiding patient postoperative expectations.

Conclusions: Preoperative counseling is of vital importance to set patient expectations in terms of overall expected outcomes, but also regarding early limitations, expectations, and overall recovery length. These themes have influenced how we counsel our patients about recovery after thumb carpometacarpal surgery and may help other surgeons identify areas for improvement in their discussions with patients.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Kortlever JTP, Ring D, Schuurman AH, Coert JH, Vagner GA, Reichel LM. Patient perspectives on decision making for carpal tunnel syndrome. J Hand Surg Am. 2019;44:940–946.e4.
    1. Shapiro LM, Eppler SL, Kamal RN. The feasibility and usability of a ranking tool to elicit patient preferences for the treatment of trigger finger. J Hand Surg Am. 2019;44:480–486.e1.
    1. Wilkens SC, Ring D, Teunis T, Lee SP, Chen NC. Decision aid for trapeziometacarpal arthritis: A randomized controlled trial. J Hand Surg Am. 2019;44:247.e1–247.e9.
    1. Shapiro LM, Eppler SL, Baker LC, Harris AS, Gardner MJ, Kamal RN. The usability and feasibility of conjoint analysis to elicit preferences for distal radius fractures in patients 55 years and older. J Hand Surg Am. 2019;44:846–852.
    1. Cobb TK, Walden AL, Cao Y. Long-term outcome of arthroscopic resection arthroplasty with or without interposition for thumb basal joint arthritis. J Hand Surg Am. 2015;40:1844–1851.