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carpal tunnel surgery post op

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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

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  • rob_43989
    rob_43989 976pamela

    Posted

    Rarely do you have the opportunity to have identical surgeries and compare the results from one to the other.  My first carpel tunnel surgery was 4 weeks ago and I followed the minimal instructions-"keep your fingers moving", which I interpreted as wiggling them all the time. I then wore the brace for the first week to protect the incision.   I still can not make a tight fist with that hand and have trouble with control. 

       I had the other hand done a little over a week ago. With that one, I stayed on the pain meds at full strength for the first two days and made it a point to tightly close my hand into a fist repeatedly and do most of the normal daily activities that I could- brushing my teeth, holding my dinner plate, etc. No brace used either. Using caution to slowly increase pressure when doing something. That hand is now remarkably close to normal with almost full grip strength already and minimal pain.  I relayed this to my surgeon and am going to send them a "how to" for future patients.  Very poor instructions from the surgery center. 

  • annette04622
    annette04622 976pamela

    Posted

    I had my right hand done 7 months ago and my left 4 months ago .My right hand is a total right off . It is still swollen ,very painful ,my joints are swollen and my pinky is defdormed now curling in a downward motion .I cant make a fist there is no strength to it and I am abrely able to touch my pinky and thumb together .My left hand is much better only being slightly painful when I make a fist in my pinky and ring finger area but only about 60% back in strenght .

    I have seen my surgen 4 times and each time he says I am not working my right hand hard enough .I have been in Physo for 3 months now and nothing seems to be working .I am afraid my hard will stay like this .And help out there

    Thanks Annette

    • 976pamela
      976pamela annette04622

      Posted

      Hi Annette, sorry to hear you still having lots problems with your surgery. My right hand is now post op 8 months still very stiff on waking and not 100% but at least those horrid symptoms have gone. I did find that swimming helped my hand a lot so with continuous physio and some swimming it may improve? Worth a try . Good luck

  • janis93808
    janis93808 976pamela

    Posted

    Hi I had my op Nov 2014 and have just gone back to work on my dominant hand however the side of my scar down the side of my little finger is red swollen and sore and my wedding ring ring feels tight somehow when I bend it is this normal or should I go back to the doctors
    • 976pamela
      976pamela janis93808

      Posted

      My hand is still swollen after 8 months so prob is quite normal give it some more time
  • kimach1
    kimach1 976pamela

    Posted

    Pamela,

    I had Carpal Tunnel release on my left hand in Novemeber 2014...I have been going to therapy and nothing is working...I am in pain all the time. The site is red and swollen still...I have sharp pains in my wrist and around my thumb...i have terrible tingley pain in my fingers. Is your hand any better?

    • sheila41382
      sheila41382 kimach1

      Posted

      I had mine done 6 weeks ago and diagnosed with CPRS. It is awful, the burning and tingling shock like feelings I am having. My incision has hard lumps around it and so sensitive, it is unreal.Hope you feel btr soon. 
    • elaine02726
      elaine02726 sheila41382

      Posted

      You can help the sensitivity by stroking a variety of textures over the scar. I used cotton wool, toothbrush and a rough towel. The Physio explained to me that the nerve endings in the skin which have been cut have lost their memory and need re-educating. I know it ''goes through you'' but it works. Constant firm massage will also help the lumps. Any cream will do although some people swear by specific oils. My view is that as long as you are rubbing something into your skin it will help both the skin and the lumps. I had tubes of handcream next to every place I sat or lay for a few weeks.

      do hope this helps and you get some relief from your symptons

      Best wishes Elaine

    • sheila41382
      sheila41382 elaine02726

      Posted

      Thank you for the info, I certainly will do what I can to help this along.
  • maida13496
    maida13496 976pamela

    Posted

    hi - i had my op yesterday and i have been doing the finger and thumb wiggling, elevating my hand up  as much as i can, i know its early days for me but i have no pain just yet, i was on my way home within an hour of my surgery finishing, i had a local, i was seen by the physio whilst in the recovery room,she gave me a printed hand out and went through it with me, she explained the exercises, and how to massage my scar area when the stitches are removed, across the scar and not up and down, yes any hand cream will do, or bio oil.I was given a number to ring if i was worried about anything, and extra dressings for the wound for when i remove the bandage in 4 days.  The worst part of the surgery for me was when the consultant said if you can feel anything let me know to which i replied i think you will know if i can feel it.........cant wait to have my other hand done - but i know its early days for me and things might change and i too am a carer in a care home, so it is a very manual job i do and i won't be going back to work until my hand and i are 100% fully fit and the doctor says im ready to do so -
    • elaine02726
      elaine02726 maida13496

      Posted

      Great to hear you are feeling so well and positive. I felt the same at your stage and although I had odd days when I felt really low my recovery was excellent.

      read my advice to ELISA, I hope I will help although you seem to have received good support. I never saw a physio and when I rang them they gave me the impression that CTrelease was not important enough for tem to be bothered!

      hope your recovery continues to progress well

      regards Elaine

  • toni35528
    toni35528 976pamela

    Posted

    When u got bandage off did u have alot of bruising? I get mý bandage off this Thursday and I noticed loooking at my finger threw the bandage my palm is very bruised....its green bruising...did u have this or any bad bruising to ur hand
    • 976pamela
      976pamela toni35528

      Posted

      Yes I had a lot of bruising around my wrist area but soon cleared nothing to worry about. Remember when stitches are removed regular massage on scar will help too.
  • jeremydpbland
    jeremydpbland 976pamela

    Posted

    For all of the people asking questions about CTS I suggest you follow the link which you will find by searching for carpal tunnel syndrome in the 'support' section here on patient co uk. I can answer most of your queries there if you do not find the answers in the information which is avaialable there anyway. You can find your way to the same place via nhs choices or just by googling carpal tunnel syndrome and looking a little further down the search results. It seems however that I am not allowed to post a link directly here in this reply. - Dr Jeremy Bland
    • Tinsha
      Tinsha jeremydpbland

      Posted

      I am post CTS 4 weeks and I still have no feeling in my index and middle finger. I have parcial feeling in my thumb. All of my fingers move however my thumb will not bind. I can make fist but my index finger is so tingley that it jumps out the fist. Thankfully I havent had any major issues with my wound. My Dr. told me not to use any creams and I havent however the wound is pretty ugly and hard. I am massaging it. My major concern is the numbness in my 3 fingers. Should I be worried now or should I wait it out longer. I start therapy next week. Thank you.
    • jeremydpbland
      jeremydpbland Tinsha

      Posted

      Read the section on failed carpal tunnel surgery on carpal tunnel net - that will guide you through what we need to know to analyse the situation - in particular we need to think about how the symptoms have changed fro before to after surgery. Dr J Bland
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