Carpal Tunnel Surgery

I recently had carpal tunnel surgery on my right hand a month ago to be exact and of course am anxious for full recovery and understand that recovery takes time and can vary from one person to the next. I am scheduled to have my left hand surgery this upcoming Wednesday and of course with my right hand still not in the best shape I am not too excited about having both paws some what out of commision. I would love to hear from anyone who has had this procedure done and what your heal time was, and how your outcome has been. I have had this for a very long time and have waited too long to have this done and it is a very severe case in both hands one being a bit worse than the other. Thanks.

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I had both done at the same time a year ago,i cant remember how long it took to recover but I do remember doing more than I should have a little to soon and paying the price for it.pain wise that is but glad I got it done, I to waited to long I was 61 then but hands are better now

Hope for a speedy recovery Paul.

Man, what a mind-reading post this is. I’m almost certainly heading for surgery myself.

In addition to Paul’s question, has anyone had the arthroscopic surgery instead of the full slice and dice?

This sucks.

Grouse

I had this done many years ago and they made a cut in one of the lines at the back of my hand about 1/2 long went in did what they do and was out. It was done as out pat. and the first day was out of it, the second day could move my fingers and pick up light things. The biggest problem I had was keeping the bandage clean while I built a loader for one of my tractors. I did 2 week rehab and then was released from Dr’s care. Insurance company would not let me go back to work for 2 months but I didn’t care as it was mushroom season. I had no swelling and no pain never took a pain pill.

If you do both , how does the wiping business go? gotta be tough. Get better !

Can’t help you brother. Just wish you well and fast!

I also was way too soon to hope I was good and pushed it last week and had severe swelling and pain that is just today beginning to subside I just cant sit still but after that I will now.

My friends wife just had that process done last week and as far as I know she is doing ok. This procedure is definalely much less invasive and I was going to go that route and looked into it and upon the ultrasound results there was a nerve that I had that was growing over the ligament and that procedure was not an option due to that nerve having to be seen during the cutting of the ligament.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

Man, what a mind-reading post this is. I’m almost certainly heading for surgery myself.

In addition to Paul’s question, has anyone had the arthroscopic surgery instead of the full slice and dice?

This sucks.

Grouse

yea I did 30 years ago just a small maybe at most 1 inch incision. heal time was quicker. only certan docs do it. go to an orthopedic doc and orthopedic rehab……….you wont regret it. and work comp covered mine.

just so you know ocassionally I still stretch my hands by putting them together and pulling my elbows up.

catmando wrote:

If you do both , how does the wiping business go? gotta be tough. Get better !

with surgical gloves and very carefully

I had both of my wrists done in 1983 as then the youngest bilateral carpal tunnel surgery at the Mayo Clinic (at least at that time).

I was 21 and I guess it was a little tough showering with bags over the dressings and brushing teeth for a few days. But I remember my mom (an RN at St Mary’s) pissed because I played volleyball after one week and popped a bunch of stitches loose. Got the rest of them out the next day and 2 weeks after that was playing in a competitive softball tournament.

Pretty easy recovery, no-brainer to have it done. Nowadays the stitches/scar is so much smaller than in the 80’s so should be a fairly quick recovery. They really don’t cut anything structurally (bones, ligaments, etc) so it’s basically like recovering from a cut that requires stitches.

All I can say is to make sure you stop whatever it was that caused the initial injury. If you don’t, and are stubborn like me, you end up with more surgeries to remove bones, ligaments, debride, denervate, etc. The recovery is MUCH more difficult and never quite the same.

Get well soon Paul. Ice is just around the corner.

Had right hand done December 16 and left done December 17. Both were the cut and not ortho. Also both hands had releases on all four fingers on each hand. It’s like mini carpal tunnel cuts at the base of each finger to relive trigger finger. It took about 3 months for each to heal and now my hands are great. I can do things and not get pain or numbness. Strength is back, and I can make a fist again. I am back to finishing concrete. Good luck with your surgeries. I bought a wand that looks like a grabber that you roll toilet paper onto at Walgreens. Worked great.