Post-operative carpal tunnel syndrome

Johands333

irmgard,
2 months is nothing in regard to healing. give it time. today I had a second cts operation. this time I won't do too much too soon.

IRMGARD

Thank you for your reply. I would like to know, if you don't mind, how much time it took before the swelling in your fingers from your first CTS disappeared. IRMGARD

Johands333

it's been 4 yrs. I don't remember. Even at 2 months the incsion felt slightly tender. at 6 mos, felt pretty much healed. that's when I did too much. never go back to how you used to do things. I love to sew. recently if i made something. I spread it out over 2 weeks to make something instead of doing it in one day..

IRMGARD

I also like to sew and presently, when I do the hem of a dress, the needle is always gliding backwards, i. e. my fingers cannot hold it properly. The fingers of my right, operated, wrist are often very cold, contrary to those of my left hand. They felt warmer right after the surgery two days ago. For the right wrist, I had to wait a year and a half for the surgery, for the left barely 6 months. How long did you have to wait before you got your surgery?
IRMGARD

Taimse

IRMGARD, have your symptoms improved. Have you seen the doc again and are you doing any physical therapy?

Those are pretty much the extact symptoms I had after the CT release that I had on my left hand. The doc had nicked the nerve during surgery. ( he denied that he had done anything to cause the symptoms, but had to admit to it later, when confronted with the truth after it was confirmed by another surgery).
I complained about the sensitivity to touch early on and was sent to PT for things to do to desensitize. At one point, it was thought I had RSD ( another topic on healthboards) and I probably would have had full blown RSD if I hadn't had the PT as an intervention. I wore a surgical glove a lot for awhile, because it hurt to touch things.

Don't believe anyone that tells you the pain or symptoms are in your head. They will also tell you you need to learn to live with it. It's up to you, but I would seek another opinion, preferably with a hand specialist. I saw one in the Twin Cities in MN.

I do take amitriptlyine, though, to keep symptoms calmed down, though the pain and sensitivity to touch is still there. And there are things I cannot do now, but was able to do when I had carpal tunnel.

IRMGARD

I will see the surgeon next Monday (I understood, he WAS a hand specialist) and will insist on Physiotherapy. I have done a few exercises that I got from the internet and my hands seem to be quite flexible, if not very strong. It is just this feeling to touch that bothers me. When I work with files and documents, it is especially unpleasant. What do you mean when you say "he nicked my nerv"? I had this little "Bang" feeling both times when he operated. Do you mean that? And what is RSD?

Irmgard

Taimse

Nicked nerve means he cut a little of the nerve....fascicles. According to the first doc, they are supposed to grow back. They grow slowly, and can take up to a year, but in my case, they must have gotten lost in scar tissue or didn't grow and re-nerve the areas they used to. That "unpleasant" feeling has never gone away.
RSD is Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy or another name is Complex Regional Pain syndrome. It is a topic on healthboards. They can explain it better.

IRMGARD

The "scar tissue" frightens me. I have a fistula for dialysis in my left upper arm and the access was blocked twice because of scar tissue. (The good news is that I was freed of dialysis after three years now. Kidney function imovement! A miracle!). The surgeon said that I easily make scar tissu and from what you say it seems that a lot of scar tissue is not advantageous with a CTS either. By the way, when typing on my computer, I use a pair of thin white cotton gloves. I feel that there is less "vibration" on my my finger tips.
Irmgard

Johands333

today is 3 weeks since my cts revision. I stll have a visible bruise in the center of my palm. I still cannot make a tight fist. But--I'm healing. It's just going to take longer. I continue to put lotion on the scar and massage it. The lotion is vitamin E with aloe vera. I'm getting better at printing left handed. It will be worth all this trouble if it works. Still no grabbing or pinching motions.