CTS - Post Op Open Surgery Concerns....
THIS WAS POSTED BY ACCIDENT TO "WEBSITE FEEDBACK".....
49 yr old female, profession involves computer use 8-10 hrs/day for 20 yrs. I also have medical training, and after yrs of research, sleeping w/splints nightly for 10 yrs, steroid injections, & recent NCS I knew surgery my best option. I had Left hand (non-dominate) surgery on 12/15/16 so I could continue through holiday season, then Right hand on 12/28/16. Both hands open surgery release.
Surgery went fine on both but now Left hand has split in the center and seems to have tough, sore small section that isn't healing as fast as remaining incision. My Right hand is obviously still in initial healing stage. I learned from L hand to not use for several weeks and feel I am taking better care of my R hand incision.
My surgeon is a very well renown hand specialist/surgeon in the SouthEastern US, but he does not provide much information on Post OP, which is handled by his Post Op Dr.
I am soaking in Epson salts 10 mins/ 2xday and was told not to use anything else for healing except small amount of Vaseline for rough skin.
I want to know if other post op home care is recommended.
If so, what?
And if this "tough, peeling, center-incision pain" is normal for my post-op progress?
I'm not a surgeon so my comments on would care are a bit limited but a few CTS incisions do seem to open up, occasionally quite a lot, yet still heal satisfactorily in the end without resuturing. Other than keeping them clean not a lot else seems to be needed though many primary care physicians end up prescribing antibiotics. In terms of general post-operative care we adopt a policy of keeping the fingers moving but not generally employing specialist hand therapy unless things seem to be going poorly - it is a pretty much evidence free zone though and different surgeons have widely varying approaches. JB