1. Community
  2. Brain and nerves
  3. Carpal Tunnel

carpal tunnel surgery post op

Posted , 116 users are following.

976pamela
976pamela

I had my surgery  carpal tunnel syndrome 7 weeks ago on my dominant right hand.  My job requires alot of manual handling with adults with learning difficulties and pushing of heavy wheelchairs therefore I am still off work.  I am in constant pain and scar area is solid and tender feels lumpy.  I started physio exercises 2 weeks ago and hadnt really done much before that except wiggle fingers as I had not been given any advice at all post op.  2 weeks ago I couldnt even make a fist or reach my thumb to each finger, now I can make a fist and touch all finders and am using it normally but with alot of pain, more so at night and shooting pains, my grip is extremley poor which worries me after this length of time.  I am scheduled to have my left one done in around 6-8 weeks but I am now considering cancelling as I worry constantly that this will not resume to 100% mobility. Has anyone had this problem after this length of time? and did it improve up to 12 weeks post op?  any reply would be appreciated.

8 likes, 191 replies

191 Replies

Prev
  • chantelle1992
    chantelle1992 976pamela

    Posted

    Had carple tunnel surgery 6 weeks ago and I'm still feeling some symptoms has anyone experienced this 

  • andrew77920
    andrew77920 976pamela

    Posted

    Had dominate hand fine first and left hand done 6 weeks later....after about 11 weeks both hands had full use still tender in scar area but need to keep massaging that area. In about 4.5 months I am full recovered, have great strength in both hands and no tenderness in scar area.
    • chantelle1992
      chantelle1992 andrew77920

      Posted

      I got told to not massage it I got my left hand done a week ago it's recovers fast

      I'm going to sperm to a doc to find out what I can do to prevent it coming back

  • nats4p
    nats4p 976pamela

    Posted

    Hi .... im now almost 7 months post op .. i do the same job as you i have had a nightmare of a time with my wrist. Still in pain and scar still painfull . My consultant has said it can take 12 to 18 months before its healed properly or settled as he put it .

    My grip strength is rubbish .. althought movement is improveing slowly ..

    Good luck hope you get sorted

  • Koby2009
    Koby2009 976pamela

    Posted

    I had my surgery about 3 months ago, and I am having some shooting pain where the hand joins the wrist. Feels like being poked with a hot iron, very painful. I am thinking of going back to my doctor to see if physio might help this, if it sounds like normal part of healing. Has anyone else had this?

     

  • lisa71069
    lisa71069 976pamela

    Posted

    Hi Pamela,

    How are you now after your carpal tunnel surgery 3 years ago?  Today is my second day post op after bilateral CTR surgery.  Prior to surgery, I had a nerve conduction study done and the results showed that I had moderate to severe nerve damage in my right/dominant hand and moderate nerve damage in my left hand. After speaking to my dr, I decided to have the surgery.   I believe the surgery went well, but with some numbness in my middle and ring finger on left hand. Today I woke up with stiffness and some pain when using my fingers and hands, but I was able to sleep through the night without waking up with pain/tingling and numbness, and So far I have taken 2 1/2 of pain meds.  (I am not one to take powerful pain medication) My Ortho doctor/surgeon had bandaged both hands to about 3/4 of my forearm.   Today, I will have a post-op follow-up with my doc. I am curious to know how you are feeling now after 3 years post-op.   I will post my post op recovery in hopes that it will help anyone who may be contemplating  CTR surgery or may have recently had one. 

  • joy32895
    joy32895 976pamela

    Posted

    I too had Bilateral CT surgery 6 weeks ago now.  The nerve conduction studies on me, showed "severe" left hand nerve damage.  My ortho doctor said I might not ever get full feeling back.

    Well, I put Mederma on my wounds after the stitches were removed and now I can barely see the scars, the GOOD news is, my feeling is almost ALL back in my left hand.  Dr. said could take a year to know the final results, so I am so amazed and pleased that after just 6 weeks, I have almost all of the feeling back in my left hand.  My right hand was never that bad.  But you're so right, getting to sleep through the night without having NUMB hands is worth everything. 

    • lisa71069
      lisa71069 joy32895

      Posted

      Hi, so happy to hear your surgery went well. I pray I can be just as fortunate. 3rd day post-op.  I have less stiffness and pain in the palm of my hands. The 2nd  day after surgery I had a post-op follow-up. During the visit the bandages were removed, a band aid was placed on the wounds and I have to wear a splint on both hands for 3-4 weeks.  He said I can return to work today.   I had explained to him that I have a very physical job that requires heavy lifting. He said there would be restrictions. They entailed no lifting over 1 lb., a splint must be worn, and I cannot drive more than 10-15. (I drive 30 min. each way to work). It was baffling to me why he would approve a return to work with those restrictions, as I told him that I had difficulty driving myself to the appointment,  difficulty squeezing tooth paste onto a toothbrush, buttoning a shirt and opening a can of ginger ale is cumbersome.   Needless to say, I will be home recovering until I am fully able to work without restrictions.  DOCTORS!!!
    • joy32895
      joy32895 lisa71069

      Posted

      Hi Lisa, I know every doctor is different in how they treat things...but my doctor had no restrictions for me.  Said I could lift anything, I never wore any splints of any kind.  I put a bandaid on my wounds because I put the Mederma cream on and the bandaid kept that in place...but I'm retired and so I will say it was about 2-3 weeks before I could actually do real housework again.  It was pretty sore for about 10 days and the first week I had this aching in my forearms...that finally went away.  But either your doctor doesn't know what your job entails or the difficulty you're having with everyday living issues..like buttoning and squeezing.  I will say after 6 weeks if I happen to try to open something hard or have to use the middle of my hand, it's still sore...but each day gets better.  I'm happy that it's over with and I hope you have good results too when you're further along the path of healing.

    • lisa71069
      lisa71069 joy32895

      Posted

      Good morning Joy!  It seems you have had a fantastic recovery experience. Day 5, and I feel that I am getting better each day.  I was instructed to remove the bandaids a week from  surgery date.  The wound on both hands are healing well with no stain on bandaids when changing, which is a good sign. I also make a fist and then do finger extensions to stretch my fingers and maintain the motion I had prior to surgery.   I am not sure why my doctor wants me to wear the splint for 3-4 weeks. but I do not want to lose too much of the strength in my hands and wrist, so I remove the splints periodically throughout the day to do light tasks around my house.  Not sure if my employer will allow me to return to work with light duty restrictions, because the injury was not diagnosed as an on-the-job injury. I will remain positive throughout this recovery by focusing on getting better first and foremost. 

      Thank you for posting your recovery experience, it has given me encouragement and hope for a great recovery. Have a wonderful holiday Joy!

    • joy32895
      joy32895 lisa71069

      Posted

      It's very easy to get discouraged when recovering from any surgery especially like hands that you use all of the time.  I just know that with TIME, things will get better and you'll get back to normal and be your old self...Now I hardly think of my surgery except the area  around the wounds is still reddened but no swelling or pain....my doctor said it would be a year to know the final outcome on the nerve healing and returning feeling...so I am very pleased that I already have MOST of my feeling back...still some numb areas, but nothing really bad.

      I let this go for as long as I did because I was blaming one of my Blood Pressure medications for the numbness and tingling.  Ace inhibitors are famous for causing vessel constriction and whatnot...and when I would flop my hands over the side of the bed and the "circulation" seemingly returned I had no idea it was carpal tunnel since I don't have a job that does anything repetitive like they say causes carpal tunnel.  Still a mystery to me why I got that and I'm right handed and my left was the worst, go figure?  But all is done now and over and just takes A LONG time for complete healing.  Blessings and you'll get there too.

    • lisa71069
      lisa71069 joy32895

      Posted

      I also take blood pressure medicine with a few side effects (angiotensin II receptor blocker), but I am almost certain that my development of carpal tunnel was due to heavy lifting on the job and repetitive hand movement. I am so better off now than I was before the surgery so I have no regrets, although I still cannot open a 16.9 ounce plastic water bottle, but again, it is only day 5. When I can accomplish that challenge, I will be thrilled (chuckle). Upon returning to work I will have learned ways to prevent further injury or a recurrence. Unfortunately, I have over 8 years before I can retire, so prevention is crucial for maintaining good physical health. Have a nice day!
  • lol56
    lol56 976pamela

    Posted

    Yes. I did experience the same. Don't worry....and I say this with kindness. The uncomfortable feelings you have shared in your letter are normal. My surgery was to my left hand in March 2017. March coming up 2018 will be 1 year. I no longer feel the stinging like tiny pine needles were scraping at my entire hand or the tight numbness around my fingers as though rubberbands were around them (describing left hand before surgery). The only problem I have is that I can no longer snap my index finger n thumb when dancing to a song I like smile

  • tammy_24171
    tammy_24171 976pamela

    Posted

    Hi,I’m nearly 4 weeks post op and I’m really struggling!my hand is so painful meaning the palm and my thumb can’t engage very well!i drove yesterday and the day before only short journeys but since then my hand has been throbbing and really painful!how you have gone back to working I don’t know!youre a braver person than I am 
Back to top
Prev

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.