History: 39 year-old female who amputated the tip of her left middle finger while doing her hobby of leather crafting. An emergency department cauterized the end of her finger to stop the bleeding and Dr. Franko saw her in the office for treatment. She had loss of the soft tissue with exposed distal phalanx.
Diagnosis: Left long finger tip amputation with exposed bone
Treatment: Operative debridement with V-to-Y advancement flap
Outcome: At 3 weeks after surgery the fingertip flap was healing and she was working on motion. Pain was minimal.
By 3 months the fingertip looked natural and the nail was growing back normally. She has full range of motion and minimal tenderness.
