A severed finger is aserious injurythat can significantly change how you use your hands.
Always seek emergency medical care for a severed finger.
If you have a finger or thumb that’s been cut off, surgeons may attempt to reattach it.
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However, not all amputated digits can be reattached.
You’ll need an immediate evaluation to determine the right treatment for your injury.
This article explains what to do if you have a severed finger.
You’ll also learn how providers decide if a finger can be reattached or not.
A saltwater solution (saline) is best, but a damp, clean paper towel will also work.
Next, place the wrapped finger in a clean zip-sealing plastic bag or sterile container.
Put the bag or container in ice.
Do not let the amputated finger directly hit up the ice.
Do not use dry iceit is too cold and can permanently damage the tissue of the severed finger.
The time when reattachment is possible is even shorter for injuries farther up the hand or arm.
In these cases, surgeons must reattach muscle tissue within 6 hours from the time of injury.
This is especially true if the one severed finger is the index or small finger.
Nerve function does not usually come back, which will affect sensation in injuries at the finger’s base.
These include injuries in children and with thumb or multi-digit amputations.
Children
Children are more likely to heal from an amputated digit than adults.
This outcome is most likely to happen if the hand has a thumb and at least two other fingers.
Results of Reattaching a Severed Finger
Modern surgical techniques have given finger reattachments high success rates.
About 70% of reattached fingers are successful, meaning the finger is usable (viable).
However, even if the finger is usable, it may not function like it used to.
There are downsides to having a finger reattached.
These changes may even be permanent.
However, the reattachment of a severed finger is not always a good idea.
Have someone collect the severed part of your finger, wrap it, and pack it in ice.
Get immediate medical care.
Taking these steps sets you up for the best possible outcome and chance of recovery.
Krauss EM, Lalonde DH.Secondary healing of fingertip amputations: a review.Hand (N Y).
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Government of Alberta.Fingertip amputation after an injury: care instructions.
American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.Fingertip injuries and amputations.
2022;103(12):e157.
2016;7(1):89-91. doi:10.4103/0975-5950.196141
