Carpel tunnel surgery ...

[Luanne]

Has anyone had this done?  The doctor did mention that it will be considered minor surgery.  Mostly I am just wondering how long it will take to recover from.  I don't see the surgeon until October 30.

[creekland]

I've had both done (different times) and feel it was worth it even though I didn't have most typical symptoms.

 

My non-dominant hand was first and took far longer to recover.  The surgery pain was only bad for a couple of days (and it might be less for you if you opt for painkillers - I don't).  Use-wise, it took approx one week to be able to do much with it at all.  Then it was mostly light things.  It took about 6 weeks to be able to open tops on bottles.  It probably took 3 months to feel absolutely nothing major unusual about it.

 

My dominant hand was next, so I used those time frames to plot a time in my schedule that "worked" for me.  The pain was less throughout the whole thing - even immediately after surgery.  The first night was moderately bad, but honestly, my other issues sometimes cause more pain.  I was using it right after stitches came out (one week) and had to remind myself not to lift too much rather than having the pain from it remind me.  It'd have been totally without issues IF I hadn't fallen on some cement steps landing directly on it about 4 weeks after surgery.  That took some time to recover from, but still, not as long as the first.

 

I've no idea if my experience between the two hands is common or not, but I liked the way I had it done as I'd rather have the bad one first and be pleasantly surprised by the second than the other way around.

 

NOTE though... I don't actually feel much in my dominant arm compared to my non-dominant.  I don't feel shots or blood draws (done correctly) or even most needles in the nerve test.  My non-dominant arm feels it all.  I'm not sure if that is common either.  It might be the difference rather than dominance.

[Bootsie]

I had the surgery on both wrists two months ago.  I was in extreme pain leading up to the surgery.  I had both done on a Thursday and was at orientation for a new job the next Wednesday.  I am so glad I had it done.  

[Lady Florida.]

My husband had both hands done, though at different times. It's hard to say how long because <grumble grumble> he didn't listen to his doctor and was doing stuff before he was supposed to. I think it was about a month before he was allowed to fully resume normal activities (though as I said he didn't listen), but he was released to go back to work in a week. His work involves being on a computer a lot so he had to work around that for a while (one handed typing, not using a mouse as much, etc.). 

 

Although they say the problem can return and you might need surgery again, he said he wished he had it done sooner. He experienced a good deal of relief from the procedure.

[creekland]

I had the surgery on both wrists two months ago.  I was in extreme pain leading up to the surgery.  I had both done on a Thursday and was at orientation for a new job the next Wednesday.  I am so glad I had it done.  

 

True.  I only took the first week off from work, and that was mainly due to not being able to shower easily since it can't get wet.  This is not a "knock you out totally for a while" deal.  

[Catwoman]

How bad are your symptoms? I was able to wear wrist braces for a while (a few months, maybe? I don't remember for sure any more) and it worked. I found that wearing the supports overnight was very helpful because without realizing it, I was curling my wrists downward while I slept and it was causing me a lot of pain.

 

If you haven't tried the braces, it might be worth trying them for a while before you commit to surgery.

[Bootsie]

I had no specific restrictions after the surgery (except for keeping the incision clean and dry--which was difficult when I had both hands done at the same time).  So, there were practical things, like washing disshes that I could not do.  But, things like typing were not restricted.  In fact, my doctor said that the more movement I did with my fingers and the sooner I did it, the better the recovery.  There were things I couldn't do, like open a water bottle, but that was because I did not have the dexterity, not because I was not allowed to do it.  My carpal tunnel was fairly advanced and I had lost some muscle strength and dexterity before the surgery--more than I had realied.

 

My son was just playing with a paddle ball and handed it to me--I realized I can't do a paddle ball anymore; so I guess I just found a new exercise!

[JFSinIL]

I almost had it done, but the EMG test (oh, those lovely needles and electric jabs!) proved that it was not needed (not carpel after all).   My neighbor has had it done - and is getting ready to do again as after a few years it came back. :-(    Several weeks or more recovery he said.

[RKWAcademy]

My husband had both hands done, at different times.  The recovery was very quick and pain was minimal.  He's in LE, and he was able to go back on duty in (I can't remember exactly but approximately) 4-6 weeks with full use of his hand (he was in office the very next Monday after surgery on Friday, though).  The interesting thing to me is that the surgery was so very fast and he was up and awake talking to the doctor the entire time.  I get the impression it was not bad at all.  I think the very last thing he was able to do during recovery was grip things and turn, as in turning a jar.  But after a few months he was so very glad he had it done since his hands were falling asleep when he was sleeping and that tingling would wake him up at night, repeatedly.  The showering part was difficult since it had to stay dry.  The doctor told him to take those umbrellas bags at the front of the hospital and wrap that around his hand and and secure at the top (we used a hair tie).  Made showering easy.

[Garga]

How bad is it yet? I wasn't dx'd with carpal tunnel, but I would wake every morning with terrible wrist pain. I had to sleep with my wrists completely straight or it was unbearable. My hands would go numb at night, and were starting to go numb when I was driving. This had been going on for 6 mos to a year.

 

Before heading to the doctors (because I think they use bombs to swat a fly, when a flyswatter gets the job done better--basically they overkill), I headed online and found some videos on youtube. I learned from the videos that if you put your palms together in a prayer position throughout the day, it stretches the tunnel (or something like that).

 

I did that for a couple of weeks. It didn't necessarily hurt, but it felt pretty uncomfortable--as if things were stretching in there. But after a couple of weeks all my symptoms left and never came back.

 

So...since you have time before seeing the surgeon, look up carpal tunnel exercises online and have a go at it.

 

I am pretty jaded about doctors. They may or may not have told you about those exercises. I have found to my great dismay that simple treatments like what I wrote above, are poo-poo'd by them and they head straight to invasive proceedures like surgery. They won't even tell you about other options. I'm a bit bitter about it. But unless you think that putting your palms in a prayer position is harmful, you don't have anything to lose by trying it and maybe it will work for you.

[Cottonwood]

mine was outpatient and took around 2 weeks before I could return to work, but longer before I could use a keyboard.  The most important thing I did to help my healing was follow through with physical therapy.  With 2 wks of a bandaged up hand, I had already lost some muscle tone and use so it took about 6 wks of PT with various exercises and scar attention to finish things up.  VERY glad I did that.

[Luanne]

I've been having trouble with my right hand (and arm) since 2008.  I have used a brace and even went through physical therapy.  It helped for a while, but no longer does.  My hand is either in pain or totally numb almost all the time.  I cashiered at Wal-Mart for three and a half years.  I was the fastest cashier there, but I paid for it in the end.  

[creekland]

I am pretty jaded about doctors. They may or may not have told you about those exercises. I have found to my great dismay that simple treatments like what I wrote above, are poo-poo'd by them and they head straight to invasive proceedures like surgery. They won't even tell you about other options. I'm a bit bitter about it. But unless you think that putting your palms in a prayer position is harmful, you don't have anything to lose by trying it and maybe it will work for you.

 

I prefer non-medical options whenever possible, but I have to add here that the orthopedic doctor I saw definitely gave the option of trying PT, braces, and cortisone shots first.  Surgery was only recommended (for me) due to the results of the nerve testing showing I probably should already have had permanent damage AND the other things didn't work at all.  ETA - cortisone did work some, but it's temporary...

 

I've been having trouble with my right hand (and arm) since 2008.  I have used a brace and even went through physical therapy.  It helped for a while, but no longer does.  My hand is either in pain or totally numb almost all the time.  I cashiered at Wal-Mart for three and a half years.  I was the fastest cashier there, but I paid for it in the end.  

 

I suspect you'd be pleased with results after surgery.  Just give yourself a week or two without much planned afterward.  I didn't realize just how much carpal affected me until after my left hand was done.  Then I knew it was totally worth it to go ahead with the right.  I definitely haven't been disappointed.  Truthfully I hated every minute of being in the surgery center (even though all the people were nice - it just isn't "me" to be there), but that time came and went.  I survived (wasn't actually worried about that - just figurative wording).  Life is definitely better with my hands now.

 

I'll even admit that the whole deal has given me more respect for the medical field and what it can (sometimes) do to help our aging bodies.

 

And if you're not as anti-meds as I can be, painkillers would probably even make the first night better.   ;)

[Bootsie]

I've been having trouble with my right hand (and arm) since 2008.  I have used a brace and even went through physical therapy.  It helped for a while, but no longer does.  My hand is either in pain or totally numb almost all the time.  I cashiered at Wal-Mart for three and a half years.  I was the fastest cashier there, but I paid for it in the end.  

Have you had a nerve test to make sure that it is carpal tunnel syndrome?  My surgeon said that as the surgery became common place, many people who had the surgery did not really have carpal tunnel syndrome but had some other issue causing pain and numbness.  The rate of success of the surgery is much higher when only the population that has had carpal tunnel syndrome confirmed by a nerve test.  If you haven't had the nerve test, I would highly recommend it.  I had a friend who was about to have CTS surgery but the nerve test showed he did not have CTS; then they started looking for other things and realized he had neck problems causing the pain that looked like CTS.  CTS surgery would have done nothing for the symptoms.

 

A nerve study should also give you a basic idea of the severity of the CTS.  

 

I, too, found that I did not realize how much trouble I was having with my hands until after the surgery.  I could type better 24 hours after the surgery than I could before the surgery.  Mine had gotten so bad before the surgery I could not use a fork and knife to cut food.

[Luanne]

Have you had a nerve test to make sure that it is carpal tunnel syndrome?  My surgeon said that as the surgery became common place, many people who had the surgery did not really have carpal tunnel syndrome but had some other issue causing pain and numbness.  The rate of success of the surgery is much higher when only the population that has had carpal tunnel syndrome confirmed by a nerve test.  If you haven't had the nerve test, I would highly recommend it.  I had a friend who was about to have CTS surgery but the nerve test showed he did not have CTS; then they started looking for other things and realized he had neck problems causing the pain that looked like CTS.  CTS surgery would have done nothing for the symptoms.

 

A nerve study should also give you a basic idea of the severity of the CTS.  

 

I, too, found that I did not realize how much trouble I was having with my hands until after the surgery.  I could type better 24 hours after the surgery than I could before the surgery.  Mine had gotten so bad before the surgery I could not use a fork and knife to cut food.

 

Yes, I had the nerve test done last week and they did find it was carpal tunnel syndrome.  I had it done in 2008 as well, but even though it was already diagnosed as CTS, they didn't feel it was bad enough at that time to do surgery.  That is when I wore a brace and had physical therapy.  

 

I also have difficulty cutting food with a knife or a fork.  Right now, I can't even feel my right hand... except for tingling.

[Bootsie]

Not only did I have had surgery on both hands, my mom had surgery on both hands in 1980; at the time, carpal tunnel syndrome was not a commonly known issue and it took along time for her to find a doctor who could give her a diagnosis. At the time the surgery was much more involved than it is today.  She had a difficult time with the first surgery--not because of the surgery itself but it was being done under local anesthesia and she had a negative reaction to the valium they were giving her.  By the time they realized that they were in the middle of the surgery and couldn't give her anything else.  They were supposed to do the other hand in a few months, but after a week she went back to the doctor begging for him to do the other hand immediately.  She immediately had so much relief in the first hand that despite the difficulties with the first surgery she was ready to have the other hand done.  In thirty-five years she said she has had no more problems.  

[creekland]

Yes, I had the nerve test done last week and they did find it was carpal tunnel syndrome.  I had it done in 2008 as well, but even though it was already diagnosed as CTS, they didn't feel it was bad enough at that time to do surgery.  That is when I wore a brace and had physical therapy.  

 

I also have difficulty cutting food with a knife or a fork.  Right now, I can't even feel my right hand... except for tingling.

 

I can't say for certain, of course, but I highly suspect you'd be pleased with the results after surgery.  I was extremely skeptical heading in, esp with it not being 100% certain (except for the nerve test that was 100%), and I detest the majority of medical things, but I'd easily do it over again without any fuss.  It's nice being able to hold the phone, read, and drive without my hands annoying me.  It wasn't until after the left hand was done that I realized they affected me eating too.

 

"Normal" is not always normal.