Do my symptoms warrant surgery?
I fractured my radius and damaged the ulna at my left wrist in October last year. I have a degree of reduced movement as a result which I have physiotherapy for. I noticed severe tingling and numbness of my thumb, index and middle fingers. After testing it was identified as CTS. A few months on and it's not so severe but I might have just got used to it now and it doesn't bother me so much. However, I think I feel the same in my right hand fingers. I remember times when I felt severe numbness and tingling on one or both hands causing a lot of discomfort in the past couple of years, particularly when a passenger in a car. I have preassessment due for surgery on my left wrist and admit that I have not been uncomfortable recently. I don't know how to rate my symptoms to decide whether to go ahead with surgery or not. Can you please guide me? I was referred to you but lockdown started before we could meet. I have a letter from you. Thank you.
5HL - the problems of having a common name! I do have a letter but the reference didn't match the requested format. I'm happy to try the reference number if it helps. Thanks.
That's enough to pin you down. I can see the referral from Mr Stanton now. I'm not sure where that letter came from as we didn't send one out from neurophysiology so far as I can see - the request arrived just at the time we stopped sending out appointments so we never sent you one of our standard appointment letters. Perhaps you could bring it with you when I see you. I can see you on Monday 22nd June at 9:30 - would that get us in before the pre-op assessment? Could you make that date/time? Are you OK with the COVID restrictions on the patient information page here? JB
NB That Monday slot has now been offered to someone else - I could manage Wed 24th? JB
Thank you. My preassessment is this week but I think I will go ahead with it as they don't have a date for surgery anyway. I would be happy to meet you on 24th June to discuss further. Where would that be? I will check out the COVID information but I'm sure it will be OK.
It's certainly worth testing before launching into surgery. Unfortunately I have 4 different Sharon Williams 's on the systerm and no easy way to know which one is you. If you have a CTS letter from me it will have a reference number on it which I can use to pin you down, otherwise the last three letters of postcode or date of birth help. JB