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Carpal Tunnel surgery is it wise choice?

Posted , 7 users are following.

natalia69556
natalia69556

Hi. I'm 25 years old female. Since over a year have some problems with my right hand. Since September 2014 got much worse. Tingling, pinning, swallow feeling... In October has some electric nervous test (or something like it). My GP has diagnosed me with CTS and referred to specialist which I have seen last month. He has done some more test at the app & said I should have done surgery within up to 3 months. He mention injections and said they won't work in my case. He explain all the risk etc as very rare. But after reading most of posts in here (and some other forums it's feels like it's actually rare not to have any post problem). I'm due my surgery in 2 weeks. My symptoms getting worse with each week. Pain in my hand since 2 days is constant (even typing this at my phone getting it much worse!). Moving my thumb feels like lifting something quite heavy! But I'm very worried about post surgery risks! U see I have to special need little boys 2 and 4 years old. Both on autism spectrum. Older one with right sided cerebral palsy. I'm not working due to which. My husband is working full time plus over times. He's ynable at the moment even to take a week off. My mum leave in another country. She's coming for 3 weeks to help me full time with boys, shopping etc... But now I'm so worried if I will be able to look after them once she's gone back? How I will manage if will have all this pains or be unable to moving my hand properly as so many people in here! Is the surgery worth the risk? But then if my surgeon didn't even tried other things and said it wouldn't work any way do I have any choice?? I feel at lost now.. sad(

0 likes, 14 replies

14 Replies

  • jeremydpbland
    jeremydpbland natalia69556

    Posted

    Remember that people who have a problem after surgery are much more likely to post messages on the internet seeking help than are the majority who get good results from surgery. That is why it seems to be all doom and gloom in forums like this. Having said that, if you ask a surgeon about the need for surgery you will tend to get a rather uniform answer. Ideally we would want to know what your electrical tests actually showed and be able to examine your hands for weakness and wasting of the muscles at the base of the thumb in order to really be able to answer your question.

    Dr J Bland

  • glenn06752
    glenn06752 natalia69556

    Posted

    Hi Natalia,

    I have posted previously and mentioned my regrets about the surgery. My regrets were only about the pain. The surgery did in fact correct the numbness, tingling, and lost of strength and dexterity. After my first surgery, I took two days off from work and went right back. After my second surgery I took a bit longer because I had additional surgery on my pinkie finger for Herbedens Nodules in the first joint. Just remember you will have a big wrapped mitt for a day or two. In my case, I had my surgery on a Thursday and had that mitt on until Monday. I wrapped it in a big latex wrap sold at Walgreens. The stitches will be in the hand for approximately two weeks. There are some surgeries that can be done less invasively, orthoscopically (sp) but mine wasn't. 

    In view of all your circumstances, I would advise you to have the surgery done. You really have no other alternative. If you wait too long, most surgeouns won't want to touch you. You will be too far gone.

    Keep us posted and I wish you the very best. Again, under your particular circumstances, you need to take care of yourself first. Everything else is 2nd place.

    Glenn

  • natalia69556
    natalia69556

    Posted

    Hi thank u for your reply they reassured me a little.

    2jeremydpbland in my opinion letter from surgon it says:

    "On clinical examination, Phalen's test is immediately positive on right. Tinel's sign is negative. There is no muscle wasting. I reviewed her nerve conduction studies as well..."

    Hope that's of any help as I have no clue what any of those means in practice.but then I do believe that my surgeon wouldn't advise me surgery if there would be no need for it.

    2gleen06752 thank u so much for your post so much. It's good to read that there are people for whom surgery actually did help and have been able to do their daily tasks soon after.

    My pain is massive now. I still don't feel my fingers at all (it takes about hour up to two to get the feeling back). But today not only my hand is hurting but my arm a little too, is that normal? I guess so. I'm really scared of that surgery. But putting much of "relief" hopes on it.

    • jeremydpbland
      jeremydpbland natalia69556

      Posted

      Phalen's test is flexing the wrist for up to a minute to see if it brings on the symptoms. Tinel's is tapping over the wrist to see if that does so. Phalen's is more reliable than Tinel's. Reviewing the nerve conduction studies is not as helpful as telling us what they showed. Glenn is, I think, wrong to advise surgery on the basis of his experience and the idea that surgeons will write you off if you delay too long. It is true that very severe CTS - when there is permanent loss of sensation and severe wasting of the muscle, responds less well to treatment but that doesn't usually stop surgeons trying. Your surgeon does usefully comment that there is no wasting which suggests that your CTS is not that advanced. You can indeed get pain from CTS up the forearm and sometimes to the shoulder. You can read a lot more background to CTS and its treatment on my website. Dr Jeremy D P Bland
    • glenn06752
      glenn06752 jeremydpbland

      Posted

      Dr.. Bland - thank you for your clarification on my post. Maybe I misunderstood my hand surgeon and neurologist, but I was basically told if I waited too long, it would be difficult to find a surgeon that would want to operate. Sometimes we patients forget doctors are in business like any other provider and make their living from operating. In my case, I was a five out of five in the right hand and they wanted the surgery done immediately. I felt as though my hand was forced - no pun intended..........

      Glenn

    • jeremydpbland
      jeremydpbland glenn06752

      Posted

      There are occasions when it is better to get on and operate but the quite widespread surgical view that "everyone will need surgery eventually so you might as well get on and do it" is, at least in my opinion, mistaken. A few cases even recover with no active treatment at all. The issues around choosing treatment are covered in much more detail on the website. 

      Dr Jeremy D P Bland

  • avril3004
    avril3004 natalia69556

    Posted

    Hey Natalia,

    I had my first CT surgery at age of 25 and second done 6ish months following. and even thought the left side isnt perfect yet if i knew how good the results were going to be i'd of jumped at the chance. i have an active lifestyle and also a rowdy 2 year old to contend with  throughout both recoverey periods and apart from  the first few days where i felt sorry for my self i was pretty much okay from a week on. i dont get any random numbness at all and no pain from either hand these days. (well the most recent surgery hand is sltighty tender around the scar on occasion)  but before i couldnt even pick my son up so im extreamly happy.

  • Guest
    Guest natalia69556

    Posted

    Hello Natalia! Imagine what the alternative is. Your symptoms getting worse and worse each week now. With a surgery you have at least a chance of stopping the symptoms, and probably (in most cases) getting better. From statistics here in Sweden I've seen 9 out of 10 have a good/very good outcome. In my case I even had a malformation of blood vessels growing inside of my hand and in the center of the carpal tunnel, discovered during the surgery. Some of the symptoms were diminished the first week after surgery, and for the rest of them I'm still 1 year after surgery making good progress.

    Be glad you mother is able to help you the 3 first vital weeks. I had noone so I had to do all the shopping, cooking, making the dishes manually and so on straight after the surgery. The first 3 weeks are most important to take it easier. After that maybe you have a neighbour, a friend or other relative to help you if you have the need for it. Good luck! Things can be better. /Ken

  • elaine02726
    elaine02726 natalia69556

    Posted

    Hi

    try to remember there are hundreds of these ops. being done every week across the UK and internationally. The people who come on these blogs are the few that have problems. I had my R hand done just 12 months ago and had a perfect outcome. No pain, no tingling, no loss of any kind ( did drop things a lot at first but only small things like a fork. Something to do with relearning how much to grip, never dropped a small child.) I came on here to find about exercises to speed up the recovery time. I was on a plane to the middle East at 10 days with no difficulties.

    you will come home with a big bandage. Some people are told to keep them on until stitches come out but my surgeon was of the opinion that it only causes more problems if you restrict movement for any length of time so my bandage came off after 48 hours.

    move your fingers as much as possible but also listen to your body and if you feel pain you are doing too much.

    when the stitches are out massage as much as you can any cream or oil will do. I was told by a physiotherapist that the cut nerves lose their memory and they need Re educating by touching with different textures. I used cotton wool, a rough towel and a toothbrush. The feelings'go through you' at first but it gets easier.

    incidentally I have to look hard to see my scar now, it is lost in the lines of my hand.

    hope your recovery goes smoothly

    Regards Elaine

  • natalia69556
    natalia69556

    Posted

    Thank u all so much for your replys. They really make me feel better, and less worried (any way as much as replys & comments can).

    Going back to those electric test surgeon was only comment at the app about them that results clearly showing CTS. He kind of explained me what's the issue on this plastic hand thinny. Though I'm not very good with understanding medical talk.

    I wasn't think its that bad then but since about week after my symptoms starts increasing in speed up way compare to how they developed before.

    Apart from pain, tingling lost of feeling in the morning, having "heavy" thumb I'm also dropping things a lot (it feels like I'm loosing complete feeling/control over my fingers for spilt second trough the day but it's long enough to drop what ever Im holding).

    I guess my biggest fear is not surgery it self (oh and till I remember u all mention here about taking stitches out after around 10 days or so, but my surgeon said that those stitches don't need to be taken out? And that he will see me 6 weeks post op, is that right?? I'm confused a little). Back to fear isn't even post op possibility of pain or infraction etc but I won't be able to look after my boys. I have a really big trauma from over a year ago when my older one hasn't been diagnosed with ASD and just been diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Long story short mellicius call and social services has took them away for some time. As they have thinked that his behaviour is due to mistreating & cerebral palsy caused by violence (as someone has said on the phone). Boys had come back after older one MRI which clearly had shows as cerebral palsy is caused by traumatic birth (pre-eclampsia fit at 35+4). And behaviour is due ASD. Even though I haven't heard even once from them since boys are back I'm terrified that if I will be unable to look after them properly they will took them away again. That's way I got so scared when I have read all those stories about post surgery problems...

    God bless my Mom that she will come & help me out. I will took all your advice and start moving my fingers and exercise & rest at same time. So hopefully will use this 3 weeks best way I can to do as much as I can to heal properly. smile

    Thank u all once more.

    • elaine02726
      elaine02726 natalia69556

      Posted

      I have just had an operation on my foot and they used dissolvable stitches.

      i am 6 weeks and there is no sign of them!

      Regards Elaine 

       

  • Guest
    Guest natalia69556

    Posted

    Natalia said: "--- my surgeon said that those stitches don't need to be taken out? And that he will see me 6 weeks post op, is that right??" Yes, if they use such a material for the stitches. Some threads will vanish into the air in time by themselves actually. And then 6 weeks will be ok for a follow up. But if you need counseling before, have problems or questions, don't hesitate to call them! /Ken
  • nicola34310
    nicola34310 natalia69556

    Posted

    Hi Natalia

    I understand your worries in refards to looking after your 2 boys after surgery, I know I had and still have issues in regards to post surgery but I have had had many messages where their stories are comforting that things can get better. I understand how difficult this is going to be for you but if your consultant says this is your only option then unless you can cope with the pain and numbness then this is what needs to be fine. Does your consultant know about your child are situation? Do you gave any other family members who can help? Your babies are still very small and needy at the moment too. Please keep in touch and let me know how you are. Thinking if you take care Nicola x

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