K-wire removal should not be painful although you might feel some slight discomfort and pain afterwards.
During K-wire removal you can be given general anesthesia to put you to sleep so that you won't feel any pain during the K-wire removal.
The removal of K-wires is usually very quick and each K-wire removal only takes one to two seconds.
You may feel tugging, along with some very brief discomfort.
Young patients who have had the procedure usually say 'it wasn't too painful' or 'it's OK, it's just a little sore'.
The disadvantages of K-wire are complications that can occur with the use of K-wires which include possible infection, pin loosening, pin migration and loss of reduction and also K-wire sites are also prone to infection because the skin barrier has been disrupted.
The success rate of K-wire fixation is 95 to 97 percent.
K-wire fixation is highly successful.
Most complications with K-wire fixation involve minor, superficial pin track infections.
Location of pins in the hand as compared with the wrist and poor patient compliance with pin site care may increase the risk of infection.
The reason a finger is stiff after K-wire surgery is because of the smooth gliding layers which can become stuck down after an injury and operation.
When this happens it makes the finger stiff and poorly mobile and early exercises to regain normal gliding between the tissue layers is important but cannot start with K wire fixation until the wires are removed which happens around 4 weeks after the K-wire surgery.
K-wires can cause nerve damage and cause infection, migration and damage to your tendons as well as your nerves.
K-wires do stick out of your skin to allow for the K-wires to be easily removed after your bone is healed.
The K-wire is a surgical wire which is used to hold your bones in a corrected position following your surgery.
K-wires are stiff straight wires (commonly called pins) that inserted during an operation to help hold a fractured bone in the correct position for healing.
You will have a dressing to cover the K-wires, and a backslab or splint in place for three to four weeks.
The dressings around the K-wires will be removed and skin cleaned before the K-wires are removed using special pliers.
The procedure is quick and may feel strange, but is not usually too uncomfortable.
The small wounds may bleed a little and dressings will be applied over these small wounds.
If the K-wires are left through the skin, bacteria can travel along the pin tract and get deeper into the body, and possibly to the bone.
So because of this people with K-wires that are left exposed are typically instructed on techniques for pin care to prevent infection.
In most people the general swelling reduces dramatically in the first week after the operation.
Local swelling around the surgical site can persist for several months.
Local swelling can be helped by massaging the tissues around the injured part.
A drawback when using K-wires is that the protruding end causes soft tissue irritation, pain and discomfort.
Choosing the right pin diameter is vital to ensure sufficient bone stability and prevent potential implant breakage.
The injured bone should be healing and the discomfort from the K-wire removal should settle within a few hours.
It's recommended that the person continues with simple pain relief as required.
Most complications with K-wires involve minor, superficial pin track infections.
Location of pins in the hand as compared with the wrist and poor patient compliance with pin site care may increase the risk of infection.
The K-wires are often left sticking out of the skin, but they will be covered by a dressing or by a plaster.
The K-wires will usually be removed between 3-6 weeks after the operation.
Complications related to K wires include infection, migration and damage to tendons and nerves.
K-wires wires are in use in orthopedic and trauma surgery since the past 80 years.
These wires can break due to metal fatigue and migrate which can cause lethal complications.