Nail gun to the thumb

I accidently put a carpenter's nail through my thumb between the distal joint and the wrist joint. I had it removed in the ER, cleaned and splinted. Now a week later, the hand surgeon says it should be operated on to clean it out. It feels fine and only has a band aide on it. I can't afford the surgery or the four weeks off workif I have surgery. Is this really necessary, and what would the odds of infection be at this point?

[S. Kaul, MD]

Hi there!

Well, without a clinical evaluation it would be difficult to comment on the situation. If your orthopedician feels that a surgery is required, he/ she is likely to be correct. It is best advised to discuss the situation in detail with your orthopedician and the consequences of delaying or avoiding a surgery.
Hope this is helpful.

Take care!