I had surgery for my trigger thumb and I'm glad of it. I considered all other options first. My problem flared up quickly (6 months) after switching from fiddle to guitar. At first the upper thumb joint clicked then it became rigid and the whole thumb was swollen and painful. Initially the Orthopedic surgeon tried a steroid shot which 'cured' it but then it flared back up. It took about 20 minutes under local anaesthesia, the thumb was free to move immediately after surgery, stitches were taken out after 2 weeks.    It's now been 7 weeks since the surgery and I've been easing into playing guitar and fiddle since about Week 3. Roger, what did you end up doing about yours?