wrist surgery ?

[THE HAT]

I just found out today that I am going to have to have surgery in two weeks on my left wrist for a TFCC tear.........has anyone had this before and/or does anyone know what to expect post op? At least I am right handed!!

 

[Poohnatic]

Haven't had surgery for a TFCC tear, but I've had wrist surgery for:

deQuervain's disease (removal of the tendon sheath) in both wrists
major wrist reconstruction with a graft from my hip
carpal tunnel surgery
bone spur removals

After all that surgery, follow your doctor's orders and don't rush to resume normal activities. If you do, you risk hurting the right wrist. Follow doctor's orders for physical therapy. Trust me!

Suzanne

 

[bekkiz]

I'm pretty sure that's what I had repaired, or at least something in that same area. (Between this and the spine surgery thread, people are going to think I'm a mess )

Anyway, I actually had two surgeries, the first was arthroscopy b/c they didn't know what exactly was wrong.

The second was through about a 3 inch incision. They shortened my ulna, inserted 3 pins and used bone shavings to fuse the area together.

I was awake the whole time, and had a nerve block. They inject a local anesthetic in your arm, sort of near your armpit. Then your whole arm goes to sleep. I was also given a little bit of a relaxing agent. They said if I started to freak out during thr procedure, they would give me more relaxing meds (Versed or something like that, the called it vitamen V).

The surgery itself was maybe 1.5 hours. The only kind of icky part was feeling the vibration from the bone saw where they shortened the ulna. That part wasn't so cool But the doctor was helpful and the nurses kept talking to me.

It was done out-paitent, so I think I was in the recovery room for a few hours before I was able to leave. Obviously someone else drove me home. I was perscribed strong pain meds (vicodin) but my stomach does not tollerate them at all, so I stuck with tylenol. The weirdest part was feeling my arm regain feeling. I was sitting on the couch and all of the sudden, my pinky moved. It was so strange!

I took it pretty easy for the first few days, but I was fine. I was just super careful about picking stuff up, driving etc.

Good luck! Let me know if you have other questions

 

[THE HAT]

Haven't had surgery for a TFCC tear, but I've had wrist surgery for:

deQuervain's disease (removal of the tendon sheath) in both wrists
major wrist reconstruction with a graft from my hip
carpal tunnel surgery
bone spur removals

After all that surgery, follow your doctor's orders and don't rush to resume normal activities. If you do, you risk hurting the right wrist. Follow doctor's orders for physical therapy. Trust me!

Suzanne

I'm pretty sure that's what I had repaired, or at least something in that same area. (Between this and the spine surgery thread, people are going to think I'm a mess )

Anyway, I actually had two surgeries, the first was arthroscopy b/c they didn't know what exactly was wrong.

The second was through about a 3 inch incision. They shortened my ulna, inserted 3 pins and used bone shavings to fuse the area together.

I was awake the whole time, and had a nerve block. They inject a local anesthetic in your arm, sort of near your armpit. Then your whole arm goes to sleep. I was also given a little bit of a relaxing agent. They said if I started to freak out during thr procedure, they would give me more relaxing meds (Versed or something like that, the called it vitamen V).

The surgery itself was maybe 1.5 hours. The only kind of icky part was feeling the vibration from the bone saw where they shortened the ulna. That part wasn't so cool But the doctor was helpful and the nurses kept talking to me.

It was done out-paitent, so I think I was in the recovery room for a few hours before I was able to leave. Obviously someone else drove me home. I was perscribed strong pain meds (vicodin) but my stomach does not tollerate them at all, so I stuck with tylenol. The weirdest part was feeling my arm regain feeling. I was sitting on the couch and all of the sudden, my pinky moved. It was so strange!

I took it pretty easy for the first few days, but I was fine. I was just super careful about picking stuff up, driving etc.

Good luck! Let me know if you have other questions

Thank you so much for the replies..............I am going to call my DR again to ask more questions etc......I have come up with a ton since I left his office....par for the course I guess....................................

What kind of splint were you in and for how long? How long was P/T for?

 

[cybrkitn]

I had surgery on my left wrist in 1991 for a torn tendon. The specialist that I went to injected nuclear dye to find out what was wrong since the x-rays were only showing a little too much space between the bones. The results came back that I had torn a tendon.

I had an ambulatory surgery done and was in a cast for a few weeks. Afterwards, I had to go through PT. I don't remember how many times a week I went, but the exercises helped build up my strength again.

The only difference now with my left hand is that I can hold my ring finger and middle finger together naturally, while my index and pinky are away from them. I can't do that with my right hand at all. But it's easier to do the Vulcan sign of "Live long and prosper" with my right hand than it is with my left. BTW, I'm not a Trekkie.

Half the time I forget that I have a scar on my wrist from the surgery.

 

[Poohnatic]

Sorry, didn't notice your questions this morning!

What kind of splint would you like? I have all sorts of splints, the ones that I'll use on a rough day now is called a CMC restriction splint. It's completely neoprene and comes halfway up the thumb. Basically, it cradles the hand (as if it were a girdle for the hand) and prevents stressing the thumb.

After several surgeries, pins and casts, I've had several rounds of PT. First round was when I broke the right wrist and had a malunion on the radius and ulna (and made a scrambled mess of the smaller bones). That one didn't go so well, but when I had the wrist reconstructed 18 months later, things went much better.

Until I moved to Florida, the splints were daily wear through fall and winter. They collect dust now!

(psst, if I EVER have to have more wrist surgery, I am hightailing it up to my orthopedist in Maryland. IMO, he walks on water.)

Suzanne

 

[starwood]

I had wrist surgery (left wrist) 2 years ago. I had a ganglion cyst removed and inflammation cleared out. When I woke up my hand was bandaged in an ace bandage and they put it in a sling. I had to keep it elevated for 4-5 days in the sling. After the stitches were removed there were only 4 tiny little holes from the stitches. I had to do a few strengthening exercises but it's better now (stronger and I don't get the numbness in my fingers).

I didn't need a splint at all.

 

[THE HAT]

Thanks once again for answers to my questions...............I will be having my surgery on Oct. 8th...a couple of weeks later then my DR. wanted..I have been 13 months trying to figure out what is wrong, that waiting a few more weeks doesn't really matter.
This date works well as it is after an overnight field trip my ds has, after a weekend away for dh and I, and there is no school that day, so trying to coordinate getting ds to school when I have surgery in the morning 30 min away isn't an issue.

I have been told that after surgery I will be in a very large bandage for 10 days,(I am hoping that I will at least have my fingers free) then I will be going to get my stitches out (10 days post op) and put into a splint that will immobilize my wrist from turning in any direction, if I am understanding right it goes a bit up my arm, but will stop before the elbow?
They dr's assistant said that total recovery is 4-6 weeks...does this sound about right?

What sort of discomfort after surgery am I looking at?
I suppose I should invest in some pull on pants as I don't think I will be able to button anything for those first 10 days?

 

[bekkiz]

I'm pretty sure they put in in a cast right away, but honestly I really don't remember. (Should I have such bad memory problems at 26? I think I have issues ) I know I was in a cast for at least 8 weeks, and I went in on my birthday and they wanted to just replace my cast and I begged them to just let me wear a brace, which I think I did for another 3-4 weeks.

I did NO PT at all. None. However, I healed really well. I had the surgery in mid-Aug. and by early January I was in the pool playing water polo (I played on the college team and the surgery was right before my JR year). My only lasting issue is the inablity to do a push up, my wrist lost some flexibility and just can't bend my wrist backwards the full 90 degrees. Not that I could really do a push up anyway, or have any desire to You might want a brace to wear at night after the cast comes off, just to protect it.

I honestly don't remember too much pain after the surgery. My arm would get tired/achy from the weight of the cast, so I know I wore a sling for the first few weeks. I'm sort of clutzy (which is why I was in the situtation in the first place) and so I would hit the cast on tables and stuff, which was pretty annoying. Just remember to take your pain meds on a schedule (every 4-6 hours) NOT when it starts to hurt. You want to stay ahead of the pain, it's easier to keep it away then fixing it after it comes.

I cannot recommend a XeroSox enough. It was a lifesaver. http://www.drycorp.com/ I used in the shower, of course, but I also swam the whole time during my recovery to stay in shape, and it worked wonders.

 

[THE HAT]

Bekkiz--thank you for the link.....I have been wondering what I would use to shower..........ugh what a pain this all is...but better then the "pain" I have with the tear!!
Also thanks for the reminder on the pain meds....that does make more sense to stay ahead of it all.

I will be glad when this is all said and done!!!