Has Anyone Had The Sugery For Carpal Tunnel

[Silver Shadow]

My carpal tunnel has gotten so severe that I feel not only constant pains shooting in my hands but I lose feeling in them alot and have broken almost every coffee cup, carafe for thd coffe pot etc and I sleep w my hands bent at night so wake up unable to use my hands for a while. My pm dr said my case is severe and im definitely a candidate for the surgery. He says its like 95% successful. As much as I would love to be able to use my hands again, im nervous about the surgery. If anyone has had it, can you please share your experience? Thank you.

 

[2earls]

It's a very minor sugery. Healing is also very fast. If you're insured, I would definitely have it done. It helped with the pins and needles feeling although later on it was found that most of my nerve damage was in my neck. It was an outpatient procedure done at a surgical center and compared to my elbow surgery, it was a piece of cake. The scar is not even visible after a couple years.

 

[iversusvsversusi]

I feel as if Im a possible canditate for various surgeries, lots of problems around important areas. 

its freaking me the fuck out.

I have what is called carpal tunnell as well, but thats probably the most minor of my problems.

If anyone has any surgery experiences / info / advice, I would love them. 

Muchas gracias, humans.

 

[Silver Shadow]

Thank you 2earls. Thats pretty much what my dr said but ive heard it before and had it not be the case w(ith me. Ie epidural injections hurt so bad I had to be knocked out, appendectomy, hystericalectomy, L5S1, and childbirth all seemed to affect me more than usual people. I think ill take that chance with this tho. The benefits far outway any risks and pain afterwards. Thanks sgain.

 

[cherry]

a family member had that surgery recently and although she disliked being "awake" during the procedure and was very uncomfortable and bruised for a couple of days afterward- she felt ok enough that she didn't even want to take any of the prescribed painkillers they sent her home with. It was successful and she's healed beautifully. She was very glad she went through with the surgery.

 

[2earls]

a family member had that surgery recently and although she disliked being "awake" during the procedure and was very uncomfortable and bruised for a couple of days afterward- she felt ok enough that she didn't even want to take any of the prescribed painkillers they sent her home with. It was successful and she's healed beautifully. She was very glad she went through with the surgery.

Ewwwew! I wasn't awake! That would be creepy. A bit of sedation is called for, even if it's minor, it's still surgery.

 

[buyer2015]

Hey Silver, what were your symptoms like, in particular what fingers are affected the most? I've only heard good things and results from the surgery so I think its worth having if your symptoms are bad enough. I've also heard that once you have it done it doesn't come back. 

I've had some numbness right at the tips of all my fingers except the pinky for near 6 months now. Had a lovely EMG(my favorite) that came back abnormal. PCP said he would get to me with what he thought I should do and its been more then a month now with no reply(LAME!) 

It's a very minor sugery. Healing is also very fast. If you're insured, I would definitely have it done. It helped with the pins and needles feeling although later on it was found that most of my nerve damage was in my neck. It was an outpatient procedure done at a surgical center and compared to my elbow surgery, it was a piece of cake. The scar is not even visible after a couple years.

My symptoms are really bad in right arm and have had similar symptoms in left but only thumb, index and middle fingers were numb,l not as bad as right and for only a few days.

2earls, you mentioned that yours was caused by problems with your neck, did you have symptoms in only one hand or both?

 

[buyer2015]

iversus, I've had several surgeries all over and can recommend a couple of things. First, some surgeons will use a local anesthetic even when they use a general and some do not. make sure you ask them to use one no matter what as it will make a huge difference, not only when you first come to, but also in the long run as it isn't as traumatizing to the area around it and the muscles because when they don't use a local, you body still reacts to what's happening and muscles tighten up. Kind of similar to getting a regular shot and you clinching up when the stick you and not clinching. It usually huts bad for a few days after if you clinch and doesn't if you stay relaxed only its much worse from surgery.

I learned this the hard way when I had surgery on my wrist for a severe break and when I finally woke up in the recovery room, immediately began screaming in unbelievable pain. I had surgeries before this and felt no pain for several hours after waking and when I had another surgery after the wrist, I told the next doctor what happened and he explained this to me and that some surgeons also use a local some don't. Ask you doctor to pump you with as much as possible. 

Another thing I would ask for is a pain pump. They have several available now and what they are a pump that will continue to pump the local anesthetic through a catheter that they place directly into the nerves in the area. I've had a few now and they either look like a huge syringe or a thick balloon that pumps the stuff in continuously. The one that looks like a syringe is better because it will have an adjustment to control the flow. The one I had could be shut off completely or turned way up to the point that my entire arm would go completely limp. It was for one of my shoulder surgeries.

Both of these recommendations helped me to use dramatically less pain meds after since most of the worst pain is in the first few days.

Ewwwew! I wasn't awake! That would be creepy. A bit of sedation is called for, even if it's minor, it's still surgery.

I learned another lesson the hard way. There was a period from 2005-2007 that I had 5 surgeries back to back. During that time I basically took pk's most of the time as I would recover from one surgery to go right back in and have another. My tolerance was so high to OPie's that during the 3rd an 5th surgeries during that time, I woke up in the middle to see myself filleted open Talk about freaking out. I still have vivid nightmares and its one of the reasons I suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

 

[Silver Shadow]

@buyer2015

My right hand is the worst. It started a couple yrs ago with throbby achy arthritis like pain in my palms and fingers. Then it progressed to that spiny electricuting pain shooting thru my hands and my fingertips started getting numb. Especially in cold weather, if my hands get cold I lose all feeling in my fingers. Now the pain dhoots up my arm and if I use my hands to do anything like dishes, vacuuming, fine motor my hands and fingers swell and all of my fingers get totally numb and pain shoots thru my entire hand. I bend my wrists while sleeping so I wake up w no feeling in my entire hand and there are times I break things bcuz of my hand going numb. I just all the sudden drop coffee mugs, coffee pots, glasses etc snd dont realize it until its shattered on the floor. The pain is the worst tho. Its constant now.

 

[buyer2015]

@buyer2015

My right hand is the worst. It started a couple yrs ago with throbby achy arthritis like pain in my palms and fingers. Then it progressed to that spiny electricuting pain shooting thru my hands and my fingertips started getting numb. Especially in cold weather, if my hands get cold I lose all feeling in my fingers. Now the pain dhoots up my arm and if I use my hands to do anything like dishes, vacuuming, fine motor my hands and fingers swell and all of my fingers get totally numb and pain shoots thru my entire hand. I bend my wrists while sleeping so I wake up w no feeling in my entire hand and there are times I break things bcuz of my hand going numb. I just all the sudden drop coffee mugs, coffee pots, glasses etc snd dont realize it until its shattered on the floor. The pain is the worst tho. Its constant now.

That sounds more like arthritis because of it getting worse from the cold. I've never heard of that for CT. CT also isn't felt in the joints, its more nerve related. CT is also only felt in the hands as the tunnel is in the wrist so if it felt in your arms, that also points to something else. It still could be the same nerve only the problem is at the elbow and not the CT. You may want to get those wrist braces and wear them when you sleep to see if it helps. If its getting to bad it may be time to see the doc to get an answer. If it is your whole hand it probably isn't CT because the nerve that goes through there only affects you thumb, index and middle finger. I do know that having CT surgery usually always gives excellent results from all the feedback I have seen, so if it is getting that bad, I'd say go to the doc and get it done if that's what it is.

It could also be a peripheral neuropathy or in particular something called toxic neuropathy, which is caused by a lot of drugs like pk's or anything that affects the nerves. I also know that a lot of meds for Bi-Polar disorder can also cause it so you may want to again, inquire with your doc. You can do some research about this and the drugs that can cause it but be careful because there are a lot of things that can cause these symptoms so don't jump to any conclusions and make yourself worry unnecessarily.

I know one thing you should do is try to figure it out ASAP because the longer you have these symptoms the more likely they could become permanent. Good luck keep us informed on what you find out if you do, 

 

[Silver Shadow]

those are some good points buyer as my hands have gotten really bad specifically my right hand with my fingers over the last two weeks I can tell that this is not carpal tunnel my joints in my hands the numbness the pain shooting up my arms its really bad so I think you're right and I think I need to talk to my regular doctor about it to get a referral to a hand surgeon or something

 

[Silver Shadow]

It sucks too bcuz I go on the Internet with my phone bcuz my back prevents me from sitting at the computer but now everytime I text or write something I have to break every few seconds bcuz I lose all feeling in my fingers and thr pain starts up. I can't seem to catch a break.