Why a treatment name is not enough for a hand review
A referral note that says 'tendon repair' or 'microsurgery' gives a hand surgeon almost nothing to work with. Two people can have the same label and completely different problems. One may have a repaired flexor tendon that glides well but a stiff proximal joint. Another may have a repaired extensor tendon with a scar tethering the skin. The name of the operation does not say which tendon, which zone, whether the repair held, or what movement returned.
Hand tendon repair treats damaged tendons, and follow-up therapy may form part of the individual care plan. That is the general principle. It does not tell a new clinician whether your repair is healing as expected, whether adhesions are limiting glide, or whether a joint contracture is the main barrier. Those distinctions change what a surgeon would consider next.
So the useful description is functional and structural, not nominal. Instead of 'I had tendon surgery', write 'I cannot fully bend the index finger into the palm, and the fingertip feels tight when I try'. Instead of 'I had microsurgery', write 'the artery was repaired and the finger is warm, but the scar across the palm pulls when I straighten the finger'. That kind of statement gives the reviewer a question to answer.
Describe function first: what the hand can and cannot do
Start with current function. A hand surgeon wants to know which movements are limited, which are painful, and which are normal. Describe active movement, meaning what you can do yourself, and passive movement, meaning what someone else can move for you. The gap between those two is often the key finding.
Be specific about tasks. Can you make a full fist? Can you flatten the hand on a table? Can you pinch a coin, hold a cup, turn a key, button clothing, or grip a rail? Can you feel light touch and temperature normally, or is part of the hand numb? Does cold weather change the colour or comfort of the finger? These details point to tendon glide, joint stiffness, nerve function or circulation.
Describe pain and swelling in plain terms: where it is, when it appears, and what makes it worse. Note any clicking, catching, snapping or a sense that the tendon is stuck. Note whether the finger curls when you relax it, or whether it cannot straighten. These are observations a clinician can interpret; you do not need to diagnose them yourself.
Also state your goal. Do you want to return to a manual job, play an instrument, lift a child, or simply dress without help? A hand surgeon weighs the repair scope against the function you are trying to recover. Without your goal, the review has no target.
Build a short injury and treatment history that travels well
Write a dated sequence, not a narrative. When did the injury happen? Was it a cut, a crush, a bite, a burn, or a closed rupture? Which hand and which finger or fingers? Was there a fracture, a nerve injury, a vessel injury, or skin loss? Was the wound clean or contaminated? Was there any delay before the first operation?
Then list each treatment in order, with the date and the facility. Include the operation name as written in your records, the anaesthetic type if known, and whether implants, wires, pins or a graft were used. Note when sutures or splints were removed, and when hand therapy started. If therapy was interrupted, say when and why.
Include complications honestly: infection, wound breakdown, a second operation, a failed repair, a stiff joint, or a tendon that ruptured again. A reviewer needs to know what has already been tried. A complication is not a reason to be refused; it is information that changes the plan.
Finally, list current medications, allergies, and relevant conditions such as diabetes or inflammatory arthritis. These affect wound healing and therapy tolerance. Keep this section factual and short.
The records that make your description verifiable
Your written description guides the review, but the original records let a clinician check it. Ask the treating facility for the operation note, the discharge summary, and any imaging or photographs taken at the time. If a tendon was repaired, the operation note may state the tendon, the zone, the suture technique and the repair strength. That detail matters.
Request copies of hand therapy notes, including range-of-motion measurements and any splint schedule. If you have X-rays, ultrasound or MRI images, ask for the images themselves, not only the report. If a nerve study was done, include it. If photographs of the hand at different stages exist, they can show scar contracture or finger posture.
Pathology or microbiology reports matter if there was infection. Implant records matter if hardware was placed. If records are in another language, ask whether a certified translation is needed before the review; confirm this with the receiving provider rather than assuming a rule.
You do not need a complete archive to begin. A short summary with the key dates and the main functional problem is enough for an initial enquiry. The full set can follow once a clinician asks for it.
What the China review can and cannot settle
A records-based review can help clarify whether the remaining problem is tendon adhesion, joint contracture, nerve deficit, scar tethering, or a combination. It can suggest which assessments would be useful and whether a further operation is worth considering. It can also indicate whether hand therapy alone might be the more sensible first step.
It cannot confirm surgical suitability, final repair scope, or a guaranteed functional result from documents alone. Tendon glide, joint stiffness and scar behaviour are often judged in person, and sometimes only during examination under anaesthesia. A remote opinion is a planning tool, not a final decision.
If your injury is recent, worsening, infected, or involves a cold, pale or numb finger, seek local urgent care rather than waiting for an overseas enquiry. Do not delay necessary treatment for a review.
If you have already had several operations, ask whether a multidisciplinary review involving hand surgery and hand therapy would be useful. Complex cases may benefit from more than one specialty's input, but the treating team decides whether that is appropriate.
Questions to ask before you commit to travel
Once a clinician has your summary, ask how surgery, hand therapy and follow-up would be sequenced for your case. Which comes first? How long between stages? What would you need to do at home between visits? Ask what the written plan includes and what it does not, and ask the named provider how its estimate is calculated for your situation.
Ask what records or images are still missing and whether they can be obtained locally. Ask whether a video call or a records-based opinion is enough to decide the next step, or whether an in-person examination is required. Ask what would make the plan change.
Ask about therapy availability and language support, since hand recovery depends heavily on guided exercise. Ask who would supervise therapy and how progress would be measured. Ask what happens if the repair fails or stiffness persists.
You can begin with a brief summary through the enquiry form, email or WhatsApp. An initial enquiry is free and does not require buying a proxy consultation. The hospital decides suitability after reviewing your case.
Sources & scope of this guide
References and official service information relevant to this guide.
This is general planning information and has not been individually reviewed by a doctor. Medical decisions and personal treatment advice come from your treating clinicians.