Carpal Tunnel Syndrom - If you or someone you know

[metro_habanos]

So guy’s I got some bad news today. Due to some damage done to my muscle and nerves in my right hand from several years of fighting fires and typing of all things, I developed Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. I had the surgery scheduled until I met an officer who lost the use of his hand due to a surgery gone bad, so I pulled out since I need my trigger finger and of course all the others. Now, two years later I am having tingling, stabbing pain, and numbness in my hand and my hand inadvertently opens up on its own. The orthopedic says that I have lost so much muscle in my hand due to the inactivity of the nerve, that I may lose my hand permanently because nerves and muscles do not regenerate very quickly.

Secondly, I have recently been seeing a flash of light in my right eye, in the corner, looked like I had a hair. I called the doc immediately and was told to come in same day. Apparently this flash of light is what you see when the vitreous fluid sac starts to detach from the retina. After a short time the other eye will follow. Apparently there is no treatment for this other than “no sudden jarring moves or running or blows to the head.”

I am writing this in hopes that with folks all over the globe in the forum, someone may have had this or knows of someone and some reassurance would be great right about now.

Thanks to all.

Tim

[fitzy]

Tim I'm sorry to hear that. I do have to say that you should get a second opinion on your retina. My father had the exact same thing and his eye Dr reattached it with lasers somehow.

[metro_habanos]

3 hours ago, fitzy said:

Tim I'm sorry to hear that. I do have to say that you should get a second opinion on your retina. My father had the exact same thing and his eye Dr reattached it with lasers somehow.

Great. Thanks for the info. I hope he is doing well.

 

Tim

[avaldes]

I had carpal tunnel problems due to repetitive motion at the computer. Had a car accident that shattered my arm and had the carpal tunnel surgery at the same time they repaired my arm. After the healing period my carpal tunnel has not returned (9 yrs). Very positive experience. I think you need to find the right surgeon. Mine was in San Diego and he is very good.

[Rupe]

My wife had the carpal tunnel surgery done almost 30 years ago now on both hands due to repetitive stress from working on an electronics assembly line. It corrected the problem for her and she has been free if the symptoms for years.

If you are not confident in the surgeon that you spoke with I would suggest maybe getting a second opinion. Maybe from someone that specializes in carpal tunnel vs. just a regular ortho doctor?


As far as the retina thing I have heard they have made great strides with laser surgery too. Definitely worth checking into.


Sent from my iPhone using that Tapatalk thingy.

[metro_habanos]

3 hours ago, Rupe said:

My wife had the carpal tunnel surgery done almost 30 years ago now on both hands due to repetitive stress from working on an electronics assembly line. It corrected the problem for her and she has been free if the symptoms for years.

If you are not confident in the surgeon that you spoke with I would suggest maybe getting a second opinion. Maybe from someone that specializes in carpal tunnel vs. just a regular ortho doctor?


As far as the retina thing I have heard they have made great strides with laser surgery too. Definitely worth checking into.


Sent from my iPhone using that Tapatalk thingy.

Thanks Rupe.

[el.barbudo]

I had surgery on both hands back in ‘94 and don’t think there was any noticeable ill-effects. I would think that the success rate for the surgery has only improved in the last 24 years...

[HabanosNJGuy]

I am an orthopedic surgeon.  I am not not a hand surgeon and do not specialize in carpal tunnel releases.  But I think I know enough to help.

If you already have muscle atrophy (the muscles, particularly in your palm beneath your thumb, are smaller and weaker because of decreased nerve input), that indicates advanced disease.  Have you had a nerve test (EMG/NCS) to objectively document the amount of nerve damage?  It may tell you how much recover potential the nerve has.  However in many cases, particularly advanced ones, the goal of the surgery is not to relieve all numbness and muscle damage, but simply to keep it from getting worse.

The surgery involves cutting the broad ligament in the wrist that is putting pressure on the median nerve.  It is this pressure that is causing the nerve damage and your symptoms.  The surgery is usually successful.  It depends on how you define success and having realistic expectations is important, especially since you've had it for so long.  But as in life, nothing is 100%.  Complications are uncommon, especially with experienced surgeons that do a lot of them.  Sometimes the ligament is not cut all the way, and the portion that is left intact continues to compress the nerve.  (This can happen when the surgery is done endoscopically, as apposed to open.)  A less common complication may occur if someone has atypical anatomy of the nerve.  Nerves are simply electrical wires that usually split and branch out in the same pattern in almost everybody.  This is why we dissect cadavers in medical school, to learn this anatomy.  However a certain percentage of people have a different branching pattern to nerve.  If this is not recognized during surgery, a branch may be cut by mistake.  This can be a devastating complication if the cut branch controls the muscles around the bottom of the thumb.

This may be what happened to the officer you met.  However, it's usually not a good idea to delay a treatment you need based on one other person's experience.  You rarely get the whole story from people when they talk about their medical conditions.  The people with bad outcomes are usually the most vocal about their experience.  (Have you ever read online reviews about, well, anything?)

I agree 100% with getting another opinion.  If a doctor can't be honest and upfront about your situation and give you realistic expectations as to the outcome of the surgery, you should see someone else.  They need to give it to you straight and not sugar coat things and simply just say, "you will be fine".  If you do not have confidence that a surgeon will do right by you, run away.

I hope this helps.  Let me know if you have other questions.  Feel free to PM me.

[GWG]

Im no doctor but will put my two cents in. First I agree with HabanosNJguy get other opinions, this is your life get all the info you can. Second do what you can do, Get your body prepared, as much as doctors love to say that diet makes no difference my experience over and over again is that it does. Your immune system needs to be optimized and your body peaked to help heal from any and all treatments that you may have. As we get older healing does not get easier so all you can do to optimize will help. Green smoothies once a day, juicing, supergreens  stretching, exercise within your confines, alll will help your body grow strong and heal. Wrist guards while driving and sleeping have been very helpful for me. It isn't THE answer but one of the answers along the way.  Research and being your own advocate is of maximum importance, ask lots of questions and dont assume that the answers you get are always correct. Trust but verify.  New things come out everyday. I have lost one wife to cancer and helped another beat cancer and these practices and more have helped make her body strong and deal with all the different things that the journey thrown at us, I have found that dealing with health issues is not about one treatment but about the whole body working together to help itself. The last thing that many people forget is all mental dont give up. Feeling helpless is the worst so all the little things help keep us active and hopeful. I applaud your post and hope the answers come. Good luck and God bless.