12 day recovery? Was it orthoscopic rather than open-wrist surgery?
Can you use your hand yet? I need to get mine done.
I'm going in next week for a cortisone shot in my right wrist.

Glad the surgery went well. I have been lurking and reading this site, and it's interesting to note the similarity of my symptoms with others here when I have felt like I have been living in a vacuum. I had CT surgery on my R hand 3 years ago and it went well. It was open surgery and I was 90% functional in about 3 weeks. The soreness at the surgery site persisted for months though really. They make hand sleeves with padding on the palm just for this purpose and that really helped me get by since I use the computer a lot. The thing I really wanted to say though is make sure you are actively getting your hand back to normal with exercises and possibly physical therapy. At the heart of it a piece of your hand was severed and my experience is the rest of your hand will have to compensate in subtle ways. No one told me at the time and I wish they had. My surgeon was good at surgery but once it was done it became clear in his mind the job was done. Good luck with it Amigo.

I had open surgery, and it's feeling like a very slow recovery, so far. The fingers feel great, but not the hand and wrist. Went to my Dr. today, as it feels like I have some infection...with more pain, swelling and redness...hope what the Dr. gave me will help!
:( :o
~Jaime~

I'm sorry you may have an infection. I hope that was the doctor gave you helps your recovery too. Feel better

Pain and swelling went away once the stitches were finally out. Now, all is going good after 3 weeks...
:o
~Jaime~

I try to sort out if i have a CTS
When i am cycling my fingers start hurting especially when i have to break.
This pain can continue after 2 weeks after cycling.
Every morning coming out of bed my finger feel stiff this stiffness disappears during the day for good 50 or 60 %.
I feel the stiffness on the inside of my fingers not on the palm side.So is this stiffnes a common syptom of CTS or is it something else

That wrist looks angry and sore. I think if I am a likely candidate, I'll try to get the arthroscopic (Sp?) procedure- but I haven't seen that surgeon yet, only the one who does the open wrist surgery.

Simple Carpal Tunnel does not cause stiffness. When I had mine starting at age 30... I only had sensory problems and pain.

But now that I am older, I have some stiffness in my index and middle finger. I think this is arthritis on top of the CTS.

I have taken to wearing fingerless gloves. I bought some inexpensively on Ebay, they have 1/2 of the fingers cut off. I wear them to bed and find my hands more limber in the morning.
I also wear them outside when it is cool too.

Mine cost about $6.00 and are soft stretchy acrylic. There are leather ones, but I find that tight gloves make my hands numb. So I'd avoid the tight kinds. There are some called "arthritis" gloves, that are probably similar.

Avoid excess salt in the diet, avoid MSG as both can cause fluid swelling in the wrists. Some people find B6 helpful too. The activated for called P5P is very good and affordable, by the NOW company.

thx mrs.D for the answer so your saying this is artritis but i dont have any inflammed joints,a blood test didnt show artritis or reuma

Oh, blood work is not all that accurate IMO. My doctor says RA blood work is only 70% reliable. I've had osteoarthritis for 30 yrs, and it isn't until it progresses that it shows up(some spurring now shows on Xrays). I have some Heberden's nodes now on my right hand...but it was stiff for a long time before those finally became evident. ( my middle finger is worse than my index or thumb).

Tendons get stiff and shorten with age too...that won't show anywhere on blood work.

Trigger finger may just appear out of the "blue" too. (that involves tendons). Collagen and cushioning molecules often atrophy with age too. Cartilage dessicates and breaks off into the joints... etc etc.

Getting older can be such a bummer! :rolleyes:

Hi All, I just saw this post and thought I would ask a question. My mother, who is 84 years old, just had carpal tunnel surgery done on her left wrist/hand last Monday. She is doing fine but wants to know when the tingling will go away. You just have to know that she has always been extremely healthy so this whole "nerve compression" thing is new to her. And, well, she has always been a goer and a doer so this setback is bothering her. I have explained to her and so too has her doctor that it takes time. And I should add that the CT was going on for about 3 months before she had surgery. Anyway, she is getting concerned whereas I just think she needs to give it more time. Anyone have any advice as to what I can tell her other than what I already have? Oh, and I should probably add that when the doc came and spoke to me, he said that it was extremely tight in that area. Anyway, thank you because I have just run out of explanations.

It's nearly 3 months after my CT surgery, and things have gone well so far. I have good strength in the hand now, and no tingling in the fingers. I have been doing some heavy lifting when I shouldn't be, (I was moving house just after the New Year!) and I've had very little pain. But I'd better be a good girl now and rest it a bit! :o lol
The first month was the hardest...but it gets better!
~Jaime~

I'm putting off having the surgery done. Dunno whether to do open wrist or arthroscopic (sp?) surgery. Arthro seems to tout less recovery time (relatively).
But, I cannot find anyone to give me specific info that I want regarding real recovery time and rate.
I need the fine skills of a watchmaker, and the strength of a carpenter in my work as a full service locksmith.
I am self employed and run a retail shop as well as on-site repair service, emergency lock-out service, and installations.
I cannot afford more than 2 weeks (vacation time) being closed in my shop & being away from the business.

I had open surgery, and recovery time was a bit slower than I hoped. It took nearly 3 weeks before I could hold a pen properly, so my fine skills/dexterity took a few weeks, so you would possibly need longer than 2 weeks recovery time. I was lucky in that I had the time to recover, and no work commitments to worry about. Of course, it will be different for everyone, and depending on how bad the nerve damage was before surgery...for recovery time.
~Jaime~

Nearly 5 months since my surgery, and all is good...and I think having the surgery was the best decision! No numb fingers, and more strength in my right hand now. The difference is so noticeable...that I think I will get the left hand done...eventually! lol
;) :o
~Jaime~

I had arthroscopy bilateral carpal tunnel surgery about 3 years ago. I felt great immediately out of recovery. I resumed normal activity immediately (I couldn't resist). 3 years later I have have no issues other than two 1 week episodes where the symptoms came back along with tarsal tunnel symptoms. I am now being told I have pn.

I would definately do the arthroscopic again!

2nd CT Surgery!
 

I guess I haven't been in here much lately...
But I thought I had better bump up this thread...because I had my 2nd Carpal Tunnel Surgery on Friday, 2 days ago!
I had my left hand done this time, and it's still pretty painful, of course. But the funny thing is that I had this surgery 12 months, to the day, after my first...yep, exactly 12 months apart! lol
I hope it turns out as good as the right hand did, but since this surgery was done by a different surgeon at a different hospital...who knows how it will turn out! lol
:o
~Jaime~

Last month I had open carpal tunnel release surgery performed on my left hand and I will be having the same procedure done next week on my right hand.

So far it has not helped and has only made the pain worse in my opinion and the strength has not returned at all to my hand which will make things much more complicated if the same results happen after this surgery to my right hand (which is my dominate hand).

Is it normal to leave the stitches in for an entire month?