Anyone have hand surgery on their bar hand?

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 28 Feb 2012 7:37 am

Last wednesday while we were unloading the car on vacation my 14 yr-old son accidentally shut the car's back hatch on left hand pinky dislocating it and breaking it in two places. Gotta have surgery this week to pin it all back in place. They say it's unlikely to come back 100%. I'm thinking it's probably gonna be okay for my steel playing once the tendons stretch out in a few weeks but maybe those multi-fret stretch voicings I dig on standard guitar will be unobtainable? Anyone go through a similar recovery? Can't change anything so tryin' to keep a positive attitude.

Al Terhune · Post by **Al Terhune** » 28 Feb 2012 7:43 am

Oh, so sorry, Andy. I love your attitude. With that, you'll be just fine.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 28 Feb 2012 7:52 am

Oh man, that's terrible. I wish you luck with your surgery and recovery.

Andy, I think you'll be able to make the adjustments over time. Fortunately, when our will is strong enough, there's always a way to overcome these roadblocks. I'm sure there are plenty of strength building exercises you'll be able to use when the time is right. Cross that bridge when you get to it. I'll look into, though, and see if I can find anything.

Raymond Jones · Post by **Raymond Jones** » 28 Feb 2012 8:28 am

I totally understand. The silence of not being able to play standard guitar is what got me into steel. My accident was both the ring finger and the little finger which never came back. The bones mend quickly it is the ligaments that that take a long time. After the cast was removed I went for therapy for a number of months. May it be a quick and complete recovery. All the best !

Cheers - Ray

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 28 Feb 2012 9:15 am

Ouch! I wish you a fast and complete recovery, Andy. And my sympathies to your son - he must feel terrible about this as well.

Steve Cunningham · Post by **Steve Cunningham** » 28 Feb 2012 9:25 am

Dang Andy, sorry to hear about that.
Be patient with the recovery time. I broke a couple of fretting fingers back in my martial arts days, and ended up with tendonitis from coming back too soon.
Good luck, and please keep us posted.

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 28 Feb 2012 9:54 am

TOUGH Andy...I cannot speak for a great recovery in playing regular guitar, however I have a steel student who lost his little left pinky through an industrial accident. He plays very well ... the strange part, he still "feels" that missing finger ! Also, let us never forget the awesome BILLY HEW LEN who lost his entire left hand at the wrist ! Went on to become Hawaii's greatest legendary steel guitarist.

Jerome Hawkes · Post by **Jerome Hawkes** » 28 Feb 2012 10:01 am

you can always use Bobbe Seymour for inspiration - he's down to thumb and 1.5 other fingers and still playing away - how he does it is beyond me.

that is awful though, i still refuse to get around any kind of power equipment that has blades, chains, etc.

when i was around 10, my right hand went thru a glass door window pane and messed me up pretty bad - the bright side of that was for therapy, getting my right hand working again after surgery, i was given a guitar - and thus began a wonderful journey. if it hadnt been for that accident, i'd have probably played a few years of piano and dropped out of music.

John Rosett · Post by **John Rosett** » 28 Feb 2012 10:04 am

I'm really sorry to hear that, Andy
I've had a lot of trouble with osteo arthritis in my left hand fingers-one of the reasons that I got into steel guitar. The last joint in my little finger has partially collapsed, making it lean towards the ring finger, and hindering stretches on the standard guitar (No more chop chords on mandolin, either.). I've found that a shorter scale length really helps. I sold my 1944 Epiphone with it's 25 1/2" scale, and got a 60's Epi with a 24 3/4" scale, and the difference was dramatic!
Good luck with the surgery and recovery!

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 28 Feb 2012 10:10 am

Also, just remembered DJANGO REINHARDT the great guitarist of the HOT CLUB of FRANCE. His left hand was burned so severely, he was left with basically one finger and his thumb ! It changed his style, but man what a fantastic change !

Dennis Saydak · Post by **Dennis Saydak** » 28 Feb 2012 11:14 am

Hi Andy, I believe you will recover fully. I had my bar hand ring finger broken in two places as a result of a dog attack. Also the tendon controlling the tip portion of the finger was damaged, resulting in a drooping finger tip. Initially, I couldn't lift the end of my finger after the bones healed. My finger stayed that way for five or six years until I decided that I wanted to learn to play steel guitar. So, I had corrective surgery to fix the damaged tendon. The doc warned me not to be too optimistic at the result, but fortunately my tendon healed properly and I have normal control of my finger with no pain/discomfort whatsoever. I've recently purchased a Telecaster and I hope to learn to play it as well as my steel guitars.

Good luck.

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 28 Feb 2012 11:34 am

Thanks for the stories and words of encouragement, guys!

Maybe I'll just buy this again (I had one circa 1962) ....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX_z5eUCeCs

Hans Penner · Post by **Hans Penner** » 28 Feb 2012 12:18 pm

Andy, there are people who have six fingers.
I don't think it would give you any advantage when playing.
LOL

NOT photoshopped.

Recently discussed this phenomena because someone in my family knows such a person.

Stephan Miller · Post by **Stephan Miller** » 28 Feb 2012 2:52 pm

Something very similar happened to me, though probably with less damage. Sliding door squashed/broke my left pinky above the first joint. To my great relief, it mended just fine, without surgery.

Hope yours is a fast & full recovery...

Former Member · Post by **Former Member** » 28 Feb 2012 8:21 pm

To answer your question, yes.
I've had carpal tunnel release to both wrists and thumb reconstruction(both hands)..It's called the "anchovie", where they cut a tendon out of your arm, roll it up and squish it between bones at the base of your thumb.--they don't do it anymore..they use plastic or something. I've got used to the small lack of feel and dexterity.--and use a fairly short and small bar by tribotone called the "JB"..
I don't think you're going to have any problems at all.

Danny James · Post by **Danny James** » 28 Feb 2012 9:18 pm

I had carpal tunnel in both wrists that had gotten progressively worse over the years, finally making my hands so numb that I could not even get thru one song holding my bar. I couldn't hang onto a pick, or play a rhythm guitar for the same reason.

Within the last 8 months I have had carpal tunnel surgery in both wrists. Within just a few weeks of the surgeries ( 3 months apart ) I was back able to play my steel guitar, rhythm guitar, and bass guitar, with no more numbness. Thanks to a sweet little oriental hand surgeon, Dr. Gloria Chin, who did a wonderful job of fixing both of my hands.

Best wishes for a quick recovery.

Alan Michael · Post by **Alan Michael** » 28 Feb 2012 11:53 pm

Andy....so sorry to hear about your accident. I had a similar experience 12 years ago when I lost the ring finger of my left hand to a work related accident. Being a 6 string guitar player I went through a period of depression that eventually led to
my taking up steel guitar and clawhammer banjo. While I'm just a hobby player, the last 12 years have been the most productive years in my musical journey. I have continued to explore multiple genres by adapting to my handicap and embracing the healing potential of the human body and mind. Hang in there.....you'll be fine.

Roy McKinney · Post by **Roy McKinney** » 29 Feb 2012 5:27 am

Sorry to hear about that. I am considering surgery on my right index finger for nerve and tendon damage. Guess I might have to get use to the middle and ring finger for a while.

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 29 Feb 2012 6:35 am

Thanks again guys. Appreciate the support.

There's always the Dave Hole approach .........

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 29 Feb 2012 9:42 am

Ouch! Sorry to hear about this, Andy. I hope your surgery and recovery go well, and you get back to pickin' soon.

Hugh Holstein · Post by **Hugh Holstein** » 29 Feb 2012 4:05 pm

[quote=" They say it's unlikely to come back 100%. [/quote]

Who's they? a surgeon, or an intern, I wouldn't listen to any of that regardless.

Your bone is the youngest part of your body, (it's roughly 9 years old, period.)
Keep your nutrition intake good, and above all your spirits good as well, and I would think that you will make a 99.999% recovery.

As others have mentioned, if this affects your playing style, it will be a good affect not bad.
In other words it will only make you stronger.

Hope all goes well, keep us posted Andy.

Bill Moore (RIP) · Post by **Bill Moore (RIP)** » 29 Feb 2012 4:37 pm

A couple of years ago, I had an accident, and ended up with a severed tendon on my left thumb. Surgery repaired the tendon, it took about a year, but I have 100% of the prior flexibility back. Nerves were also damaged, and could not be repaired, but that only resulted in an area of numbness on the back side of my hand. I wore a cast for the first 8 weeks, but I put together a couple of pvc rings and attached it to the bar with velcro. I was able to play, even with the cast on. Don't get discouraged, it will take some time, but you should be able to recover. It is pretty important to follow all the instructions concerning physical therapy, that really helped me. Good luck.

Rob Anderlik · Post by **Rob Anderlik** » 29 Feb 2012 7:08 pm

So sorry to hear this Andy. Wishing you a speedy recovery!

Roy Thomson · Post by **Roy Thomson** » 1 Mar 2012 7:46 am

Knowing you Andy...you will overcome!!

Keep the Spirit.

Roy

Peter Jacobs · Post by **Peter Jacobs** » 1 Mar 2012 8:01 am

Ouch - sorry to hear that, Andy. Keoki beat me to the Django reference. There's also Barry Abernathy, the banjoist for Mountain Heart -- he plays "overhand", do to a left hand that basically is a thumb and a stub in place of his fingers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSHALha5IlI
(Barry's first break is at :22)

Every time I think something is just too hard to play, I have to remind myself that this guy didn't quit. With your talent and attitude, you'll be back to where you want to be, sooner than you think.

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Anyone have hand surgery on their bar hand?

Anyone have hand surgery on their bar hand?

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