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Trigger finger
In trigger finger, the tendon that bends the finger thickens and slides poorly through the ring at the base of the finger: the finger catches in a bent position and straightens with a click, and sometimes you have to straighten it with the other hand. It is worst in the morning.
What concerns does it address?
How is it done?
Through a one-centimetre incision on the palm above the base of the finger, the ring that squeezes the tendon is cut. The finger moves straight away.
When is the procedure not suitable?
A milder form is first treated with rest and a corticosteroid injection into the sheath — for most people that is enough. Surgery is done when the clicking comes back after the injection, when the finger is locked or when it cannot be straightened. With diabetes, injections help less often, so surgery is planned earlier. It is not operated on during inflammation of the skin on the finger.
General reasons for postponing a procedure (pregnancy, breastfeeding, inflammation, a clotting disorder, smoking): When is a procedure postponed?
Anaesthesia
Before a procedure under general or regional anaesthesia, you are seen by the anaesthetist, who works full time at the clinic; the same doctor is also present during the procedure. The anaesthetic assessment and the anaesthesia for larger operations are included in the price of the procedure. What happens before, during and after anaesthesia is described on the Anaesthesia page.
Risks
Occasional — tenderness of the scar on the palm, stiffness of the finger that loosens up.
Expected, and rare but serious → Risks and complications: what is the course of healing, and what is a complication?
Specialist and team
Specialty: general surgery.
When the procedure is done under sedation or general anaesthesia, the anaesthesia is led by a specialist in anaesthesiology, resuscitation and intensive care who works full time at the clinic.
In the operating theatre, the surgeon is assisted by head nurse Martina Šereg, with the help of nurses Kristina Jurešić and Mateja Tomorad, and in recovery the care assistant Mirjana Kovačić is with you. Martina also looks after preparation, scheduling and contact after the procedure.
Who will operate is decided at the examination, based on the findings and the type of procedure. You know the name of the surgeon before the procedure and meet them at the examination.
What happens at the examination?
The first examination lasts 30 to 45 minutes on average. The surgeon examines the area you are concerned about, asks about illnesses, medicines, allergies and previous operations, and talks with you about what you expect. If the procedure is appropriate and likely to help, you receive a plan: which procedure is proposed, under which anaesthesia, what recovery looks like and what is included in the price. If the procedure is not needed or would not give you what you expect, you will hear that at the examination too.
What if the result is not as agreed?
The result of a procedure is assessed at a follow-up visit, once the swelling has gone down and the scar has matured, not in the first weeks. If it differs from what was agreed at the examination, the same surgeon carries out the correction.
→ Poliklinika Barbel's correction policy
Frequently asked questions
Does the clicking stop straight away? Yes, the ring that was squeezing the tendon no longer exists.
Why does the finger click? The tendon that bends the finger slides through a narrow tunnel (sheath) on the palm. When the tendon or sheath thickens, the tendon catches as it passes — the finger locks in a bent position and straightens with a click, often painfully, worst in the morning.
Does an injection help? For most people yes, at least temporarily; for some permanently. When the symptoms return or the finger is locked, the injection is not repeated endlessly — surgery is then simple and final.
Can it come back? On the same finger rarely. With a tendency — especially with diabetes — it can appear on another finger.
How much does the result depend on care after the procedure? The larger the procedure, the more it depends on it, but it always does. Healing takes weeks and months and happens almost entirely at home, so the instructions you receive when you go home, about the wound, physical activity and the scar, are part of the procedure, not a recommendation.
Medical review: doctors of Poliklinika Barbel · October 2026.