Trigger finger can be treated with non-invasive procedure

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Keeping tabs on the weather with the help of a phone application or simply making a fist was almost impossible for 69-year-old Tom Gates until recently.

The retired Air Force lieutenant colonel was suffering from tenosynovitis, which is the inflammation of the tissue lining that surrounds the tendons in fingers. The condition is more commonly known as "trigger finger."

"Initially it was kind of funny. It was kind of like look at this little trick finger, but then it got worse and worse, and then it wasn't funny," Gates said.

Gates is a patient at the San Antonio Orthopedic Group in Texas and he is treated by Dr. Christian Woodbury, a hand and upper limb surgeon.

Some of the common symptoms people with trigger finger deal with are finger stiffness, a popping or clicking sensation when a finger is moved around, or a finger staying locked in a bent position.

"What they'll notice is catching and locking of the fingers, particularly waking up in the morning with a finger stuck down and it's painful to pop them out," Woodbury said.

Although Gates is not a diabetic, Woodbury said people with diabetes are more prone to develop trigger finger. It is also common among people who repeatedly grip an item, such as a pencil or musical instrument.

As a quick and easy way to treat this condition, Gates opted for a non-invasive procedure that can be done in the doctor's office. The procedure is called percutaneous trigger release and does not require any sedation, just a little numbing medication and a tiny blade. The blade is inserted at the base of the affected finger and is used to slice through the ligament.

"We can actually release some of the tissue that the tendon is getting caught on in the office, with no stitches and done in about three minutes," Woodbury said.

The quick procedure offers immediate results and now Gates can check the weather on his phone without any problems.

"I'm on cloud nine," Gates said with a laugh. "It's great. It is absolutely great."