After getting stabbed in the hand by a broken coke bottle last year, my thumb developed some occasional and light 'popping' and soreness when I'm working on stuff. Pressure on the tendon reveals an occasional gritty feeling when the tendon is sliding. The glass went right between an important nerve and an important tendon but it must've got the tendon a wee bit. When it's irritated I can't close my thumb in on my hand completely so I can't grip thin things. When it's not irritated it's fine.

Doctor says they're going to cut the A1 pulley to relieve this popping and irritation, and he says it's an extraneous pulley that doesn't need to be there.

Anyone have any experience with this? It's a problem less than ten percent of the time but this is also a work-comp injury so my window to address it out of my own pocketbook is limited. My concern is that this would get worse over time if I don't address it, but if I do this, I have a fear that I'll rupture the other pulley doing work and be really screwed later. I lift and use my hands daily, and really enjoy having opposable thumbs.

I'm right handed and the injury is on my left thumb, but due to other hand injuries (including a popped pulley on my right middle finger that was never addressed), and a hand surgery that made things worse and not better, I don't want to limit my hands any more than they already are.

ETA I've already had carpal tunnel release that's reduced my grip strength, so don't want to lose any more.

Advice? Experience?

Thanks GD, I know you won't disappoint!!

Had the same one cut a few years ago on my right thumb. No issues after the procedure and it stopped the popping.