It 2 Year Old and Her Trigger Thumb

Did you take her to the doctor when this first happened?
Having her thumb locked in one position for a year would have me worrying about her growth and development of her hand.
Muscles locked in one position may atrophy over time.

Read up about what this condition is.

http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00024

http://www.healthline.com/health/trigger-finger#RiskFactors3

http://parents.berkeley.edu/advice/health/triggerfinger.html

If it were my child, I'd have the surgery performed and I wouldn't have waited a year to have it done.
Any physical therapy that's needed to help her recover - do it.
She needs the use of her hand/thumb her whole life.

Additional:
Thanks for the additional info!
It sounds like you've been on top of the situation but your doctor didn't inform you of a splinting treatment option.
That would tend to make me think I need to get a new doctor.
If he didn't inform you of your treatment options I've got to wonder what else he's not covering.

This sort of surgery is easy peasey.
I had a few benign cysts removed from my left hand on two different occasions when I was a kid.
Back in the day (this was the 70's) they kept you over night in the hospital for everything.

Now they turn things around and try not to keep anyone over night unless it's something major and heck - even open heart surgery patients are home in less than a week.
Surgery is sometimes necessary and you do what you have to do for the sake of your kids - even swallow your fears so they don't freak out.
I know a guy whose 2 yr old had open hearty surgery to repair a hole in her heart - everyone's fine and living happily ever after.
Take her to a pediatric orthopedist and see what he has to say.

Oh that's too bad :(

They should have started her on stretching exercises and using a splint unless her thumb is so painful she can't stretch it out at all. Then they would consider surgery.

My first thought when I read this was that she might have dislocated her thumb. I dislocated my finger as a child and it appeared bent. You mentioned the boy yanked her hand rather aggressively from the toy so that's why I wondered.

Have you seen someone in orthopedics? They would be able to give you a definite diagnosis if you're still not sure.

Wish her the best. Good luck :)

Hey sweetie, not sure where you are doing your "research" but here's a link to the leading causes of death in the US:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm
Please return to the doctor with your questions. I can tell simply based on your writing and spelling skills that you have very little education, and your child needs, no DESERVES, to be looked after by trained professionals, not someone who thinks medical malpractice causes more deaths than diseases and accidents!!!

Tell -- don't ask, tell -- your pediatrician you want to be referred to a pediatric orthopedist. As soon as possible. Your pediatrician should have done so already but since he or she hasn't (as far as we know), then say that you need a pediatric orthopedist to see your child now, and don't let the pediatrician say "Oh, it can wait" or anything like that.

It's past time for your child to be seen by a specialist to determine exactly what's going on and whether or not this is "trigger thumb" or something else, and it's past time to start treatment IF that's needed. Don't wait for this to "resolve itself in time" based on what you've read online or in a book. Maybe that does happen, but you need to hear it from a specialist who has actually examined your child in person. I'm kind of appalled that your pediatrician didn't take this on more assertively and send you to a specialist already, if only to rule out anything serious. For the pediatrician to toss out things like "She might need surgery eventually" without saying or doing a lot more first is not helpful at all.

I've been treated for trigger finger 5 times in the last few years. Within 24 hours of getting a cortisone injection I was completely healed each time. (I get trigger finger because I am a glass artist and trigger finger is typically an overuse injury. I have never heard of an injury causing it. Also, when I have had it, it is extremely painful to the point that when my finger does move from a locked position I sometimes see stars. Really awful pain).

I am at a loss why the pediatrician and you would allow this to go on for a year. Your daughter needs to see a hand surgeon (orthopedic).

Re: cost...the first few times I had it it cost me $50 out of pocket. The last 2 times I had it I paid $200 out of pocket for the office visit and injection. Thank you Obama!!!

EDIT - when I first had trigger finger I didn't really know what was wrong with my finger so I went to my family doctor. He told me I had tendinitis and sent me to physical therapy. The physical therapist said any exercises he gave me could seriously injure the tendon. He told me I needed a referral to a hand surgeon. The hand surgeon diagnosed me, gave me an injection and like I said within 24 hours I was totally and completely healed.

Family docs are great for common infections etc. but for many things it is best to see a specialist.

i am shocked that you let it sit for a year. i would of been going to the pedi after a few weeks of a thumb not straightening.
do what the pedi says, follow thru with the therapies.
my grandpa (m) injured his and had troubles holding eating utensils, he always needed help to cut a steak to eat.... i hope you don't doom you daughter to a life of needing help to cut her meats to eat.....

What did her pediatrician say, in response to all these questions?

Take her to an orthopedist (other name for them is orthopedic surgeon). My son was having foot pain off and on the last 4 months. The pediatrician doctor did an xray (nothing broken) and all he said was to rest and get new athletic shoes. Well this did nothing. We kept having him rest but it never got better. I finally went to an orthopedist and he asked a few questions, looked at it and pressed down in three locations asking if it hurt there (it did). Then he said it's definitely a classic case of achilles tendonitis. He gave my son a "boot" to wear for 2 weeks (to completely immobilize his foot) and now it is is completely 100% better. I wish I had just gone straight to the orthopedist. You daughter my not need surgery...and if she does it will help her (not lead to death). So, my advice is go to the specialist bc the pediatrician often gets things like this wrong. They just don't have the experience in this kind of injury.

"Prolly"?

No way on gods green earth would I expose it to-year-old to surgery for trigger thumb. I myself have been told I had that and I let it go and it resolved itself. My mother was also told she needed surgery on both phones for trigger thumb those also resolve themselves.

Personally, I would take her to the nearest Shriner's Hospital. They have the best Orthopedists they can get from around the world. My son is seeing one of them and he is amazing! Anyway, it can be self referral, just give them a call. They will give you an informed 2nd opinion, and they will give you your options. They will use insurance if you have it, but if not, then they don't charge anything. There are never any copays, and all follow up is the same way. When my son had scoliosis at 10 months, the pediatric ortho, supposed one of the best around, said she didn't know what to do but wait and see. I took him to Shriners and they put him in a body jacket, made special just for him, and kept checking on him over and over. 2 years later, his scoliosis is gone, and he is doing great. If you need information, please let me know!