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Should I have complete numbness after carpal tunnel release

Posted , 7 users are following.

craig_78739
craig_78739

I've suffered from moderate cts for the past few years which has been slowly getting slowly worse so my gp recommended surgery.

i hope this is a knee jerk panic because my surgery is less than 48 hrs but it's a sensation worse than I ever felt pre op I expected pain,discomfort and stiffness which I have very little but the feeling that the fingers don't belong to me is freaking me out.

the general posts are mainly about pain and pins and needles which I don't seem to have

any advice would be greatly received.

regards

craig

1 like, 15 replies

15 Replies

  • elaine02726
    elaine02726 craig_78739

    Posted

    Hi Craig

    my hand was still numb from the local anaesthetic after 48hours. I phoned the hospital and they reassured me this was quite normal. Reading these posts since my op. last April the recurring theme is of good days and bad days, depression and elation. It takes time and you have to try and relax and expect the unexpected. One day I wrote I was fully recovered and the next day I had strong shooting pains up my arm. Who knows why and they did not last. 

    Good luck

    regards Elaine

    • craig_78739
      craig_78739 elaine02726

      Posted

      Hi Elaine 

      many thanks for the reassurance i really hope it's par for the course after such a procedure I will probably ring the hospital tomorrow myself to get feed back from my surgeon.

      i suppose panic has set in early with me,as it is for many others it's crucial to my work and hobbies that feeling in these fingers returns and Im only too aware there always risks with such a procedure

      With all of us that suffer with this syndrome its a life changing challenge to get past.

      i appreciate your reply very much

      thanks again

      craig

    • heather26212
      heather26212 craig_78739

      Posted

      I'm about two weeks out with my surgery, stitches out three days later.. I have burning stabbing pain in my palm and absolutely no feeling in my middle and ring finger and partial feeling in my index finger

  • sharon2010
    sharon2010 craig_78739

    Posted

    hi craig, had my op on right hand last monday. big bandage but can move fingers ok, i had local anesthetic with nerve blocker. once arm numb op took 10 mins. I was fine. Have had to get friends to pop round at home and been for walks out house as going a bit stir crazy! not even taking pain killers now. am having wound ckecked and re-dressed on 8th and stitches due out on 12th. am doing house work what i can with 1 hand. and mostly typing this with 1 hand. I will keep you posted on progress. but as i understand it, once you have nerve test done and its a poor result it needs doing. I am not suffering much 1st week in so far.
    • craig_78739
      craig_78739 sharon2010

      Posted

      Hi Sharon

      sounds like your off to a great start hope it continues I can only hope the next 48 hrs improves for me.

      i had general anaesthetic and was in surgery for 40 mins let's hope that's not a bad sign,typing this reply is like using a couple of chopsticks.

      hope all goes well when the stitches come out and I'm sure you've been told don't rush it take it easy.

      kind regards

      craig

       

    • sharon2010
      sharon2010 craig_78739

      Posted

      hi craig, not a bad start! although you were in for 40 mins its longer with general but the op does not take 40 mins smile taking it easy is the hard part for me, but am starting to unwind from work! (not a bad thing for me!) so we will be able to swap notes! i contacted my surgeon as caught hand when getting dressed and shooting tingling, but your hand can tingle as the nerves come back I was told, and pulled wound but not to worry. I just hope it is cured after alln this. was told no driving for 2 weeks but am going to leave it 3. and then the following month still not to lift anything heavy ( more than 10lbs). so am going to gently get back into gym and leave out weights. I think the rule of thumb is if it hurts then STOP!  
  • Bumblebea
    Bumblebea craig_78739

    Posted

    I also had my surgery on Friday.(5th Nov). So it seems we are in exactly the same timeframe post op. My CTS, was also in its advance stages. My muscle had started to 'sink' in at the bottom of my thumb. I had never had any pain from it, and the doctor picked it up only about a month ago, when my had became swollen like a boxing glove. So it does seem there are many variations in the symptom, and I suspect that may be the case with the symtoms post op.Last evening, I had the most awful pain in my middle finger, and up my arm. It was excruciating. I took Nurofen, and it subsided. Same happened during last night, but the tablets helped again.. The surgeon told me to expect that sort of pain. I was given a post op 'care sheet' , and the nurse said the same, which was to keep my hand upwards, and in the sling, which she put on for me. When sitting on the sofa, to pile pillows beside me, and rest my arm/hand on that. I also put a pillow alongside me in the bed, and rested my arm on that all night. There seems to be the 'thing' about keeping your hand elevated a little. I suspect your fingers are just protesting about the trauma of the surgery. So do the things I have said here, althought I suspect you would have had the same care sheet and advice which I had. If your fingers are still feeling the same tomorrow, you could go to your doctor to check it out with him, or back to the hospital A&E. You could even go there today, if you get worse, or are really concerned about it. Where did you have your surgery? Mine was at Winchester, and they couldnt have been nicer.
    • craig_78739
      craig_78739 Bumblebea

      Posted

      Hi there

      i had my surgery at West Midlands private hospital Halesowen by an accomplished surgeon so I can only hope for the best.

      mine hadn't got as far advanced as yours so the op was supposed to nip it in the bud.

      its so frustrating having more symptoms of numbness than before the op but I'm not the most patience of people so I'm probably expecting to much to soon.

      as I write this I've got so wicked pins and needles so let's hope that's my nerves firing up again.

      good luck with your recovery

      regards

      craig

    • Bumblebea
      Bumblebea craig_78739

      Posted

      Have just read your reply to Sharon, and note that you had a general aneasthetic. CTS is usually done under a local. Mine was done that way and only took 10 mins. The surgeon told me his quickest was 3 minutes. I told him there was no need to hurry!! But he was lovely, and we did laugh about it. Was there a reason that yours had to be done this way?When a local is injected into the actual area it does of course aneasthetise the actual carpal tunnel. This has the effect of numbing the actual area. This remains 'numb' for 6 hours. It may be that because yours didnt have this, that you could have more internal swelling, thereby making your fingers feel as they do. If this is the case, it will subside. How are your fingers feeling I am interested to hear.
    • craig_78739
      craig_78739 Bumblebea

      Posted

      Hi again

      very different now  fingers have gone from dead sticks to hot bursts and pins and needles still very uncomfotable. But i hope this is a good sign.

      the surgeon did say to me after surgery that my carpal was extremely tight maybe that's why I was in longer than average.

      regards

      craig

    • Bumblebea
      Bumblebea craig_78739

      Posted

      Why dont you try some Nurofen, Its made mine feel so much more comfortable. I did try Paracetamol first, but that had no effect at all. it will help you get a good nights sleep at least, and then you may feel more comfortable tomorrow.
    • craig_78739
      craig_78739 Bumblebea

      Posted

      Hi

      thanks for the suggestion I'm taking naproxen which very similar as an anti inflammatory I normally use this for back pain.

      it helps a little on its own but works better if you take both anti inflammatory and paracetamol together that was recommended by my gp and physio.

      this getting older is great huh!

      regards

      craig

  • ejj11251955
    ejj11251955 craig_78739

    Posted

    Sounds like early days to be too concerned . . . I had quite a bit of pain a few days after the operation but that was from the surgery; once it faded, I didn't have the pain from the carpal tunnel at all. However, it's about two months post-op for me and I still have some numbness--I was unaware of this before the surgery, but apparently the numbness can take months and months to fade. So I'm still hopeful on that front. Hope you find yourself improving over time!
    • craig_78739
      craig_78739 ejj11251955

      Posted

      Hi

      thanks for your input 

      got a lot of crazy pins and needles today very uncomfortable hope this is my nerves kick starting it's something other than numbness anyway.

      regards

      craig

  • gabesson
    gabesson craig_78739

    Posted

    Hello Craig, I had CTR done on both hands. My right hand twice. It's been almost two years and I still have some numbness and pins and needles in my right hand. Left hand is good.I keep doing the stretch exercise and also take a stiff brush to my hand palm side while in the hot shower. Dr. says I probably have some perm nerve damage. My advise to all out there... do not wait!!!

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