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Anyone have Carpal Tunnel sugery?

drpepper

drpepper

Supporting Member
Jul 20, 2009
4,805
3,120
Columbia, Maryland
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#1
What was your experience with it related to playing the bass?

I've been tested by a neurologist and been to a hand specialist and the recommendation is surgery - both wrists.

I know this sucks for anyone and it just sucks generally, but for me, this particularly bad as I've recently started playing again, after putting the bass down about 20 years ago. I've geared up, joined an established band, and have been looking forward to gigging. I just got rolling.

I don't have carpal tunnel issues directly related to playing. As a matter of fact, the hand specialist explained that carpal tunnel syndrome manifests itself in varying ways beyond the core symptoms (which also vary in degree from person to person), and I'm very lucky to not have any painful sensations from it. Mine (which is neurologically rated as "moderately severe") is primarily experienced as my hands feeling like they're "asleep" when I get out of bed in the morning.

Right now, it passes fairly quickly with simply shaking my hands out. The doctor said in time, without surgery, I won't simply be able to shake them out.

I'm going to wait some period of time, but I want to be prepared and prepare my new bandmates.

Since it's both wrists, they really don't recommend doing them both at the same time - making you unable to care for yourself for a period. Spreading the surgeries several days apart seems like the best option. He said he's had people who work with their hands back to work in a total of 3 weeks.
 
#2
Sorry to hear about this problem and in both hands. As it is not un-common for the condition to appear in both hands, and i have no reason to doubt it, there maybe an underlying medical condition for this or you lifestyle (work and leisure) have contributed to it.

In the health sticky at the top of techniques, there is lots of information in CTS and other related conditions. There are many here on TB who have had surgery and i believe all has gone well.

From my far off position i would just have a second opinion to confirm that diagnosis, if for no other reason( with the limited information about you) than it is both hands and you can shake it off, rather than just the effects of the median nerve compression on the thumb, index finger and middle finger of the hand.

If you believe your surgeon has had all the facts and considered all the options, he knows your situation better than anyone here, then make sure you catch it early before it deteriates further.

Good luck and all the best for the future:)

Ps. if you want some other links drop me a PM.
 
#3
I had it done to my right wrist about six years ago. I do not remember having any real down time beyond a couple of days just to keep the suture clean. I drove myself home from the surgery and was working that afternoon as a gunsmith.
 
#4
I had my right wrist done about 10 years ago as well & I have no problems with my playing at all these days. I took 6 weeks off from work, only because I could, lol. But I was using my hand for manual tasks by the end of the first week.

Had my left hand done last year, that surgery didn't go as smoothly (same doc) I was very sore after the surgery. My palm & the meat of my thumb were very bruised, swollen & sore. But he explained that the left was harder to to "release" than my right had been. I was back to work 2 weeks later. But year later I am good no problems.

Best of luck with your surgery, if you space them out, let one heal before doing the other. Also be prepared your hands have learned to do specific tasks and going to the bathroom with one or the other was interesting to say the least!
 
#5
Never had surgery, but been dealing with it for two decades. I have a few friends that have had surgery, and it seems about 50% successful. Seems to return if you go back and do exactly what you were doing. I've had massage and acupuncture, and both seemed to work as long as you continue it. Stretching seems to help. Sleeping with splints helps too. I used to take Naproxen Sodium before it became "Alleve". Sometimes I will do a week or two cycle if my hands get really overworked. Ibuprofen will help sometimes. Just throwing that out there hoping it may help. I know it's a painfully frustrating thing to live with. The computer really bothers mine. And using a pick on the bass.
 
#6
Fergie Fulton said:
Sorry to hear about this problem and in both hands. As it is not un-common for the condition to appear in both hands, and i have no reason to doubt it, there maybe an underlying medical condition for this or you lifestyle (work and leisure) have contributed to it.

In the health sticky at the top of techniques, there is lots of information in CTS and other related conditions. There are many here on TB who have had surgery and i believe all has gone well.

From my far off position i would just have a second opinion to confirm that diagnosis, if for no other reason( with the limited information about you) than it is both hands and you can shake it off, rather than just the effects of the median nerve compression on the thumb, index finger and middle finger of the hand.

If you believe your surgeon has had all the facts and considered all the options, he knows your situation better than anyone here, then make sure you catch it early before it deteriates further.

Good luck and all the best for the future:)

Ps. if you want some other links drop me a PM.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the insights. I didn't see the sticky.

I gave the very abbreviated testing and diagnosis story. I'm as confident as I can be with the diagnosis and prognosis.

One thing I've learned is that there's not agreement as to exactly what causes and contributes to CTS. I had assumed that was completely settled.
 
#8
etoncrow said:
I had it done to my right wrist about six years ago. I do not remember having any real down time beyond a couple of days just to keep the suture clean. I drove myself home from the surgery and was working that afternoon as a gunsmith.
Click to expand...

Thanks. The hand specialist had said that he had people with both wrists, done several days apart back to work in 3 weeks.

Same day is amazing - I hope they didn't recommend that to you.
 
#9
Michelob_64 said:
I had my right wrist done about 10 years ago as well & I have no problems with my playing at all these days. I took 6 weeks off from work, only because I could, lol. But I was using my hand for manual tasks by the end of the first week.

Had my left hand done last year, that surgery didn't go as smoothly (same doc) I was very sore after the surgery. My palm & the meat of my thumb were very bruised, swollen & sore. But he explained that the left was harder to to "release" than my right had been. I was back to work 2 weeks later. But year later I am good no problems.

Best of luck with your surgery, if you space them out, let one heal before doing the other. Also be prepared your hands have learned to do specific tasks and going to the bathroom with one or the other was interesting to say the least!
Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing your experience.

The options were both at the same time (not recommended), spaced some days apart - enough to allow enough healing for sustained activity/hygiene, and spaced completely apart.

The thing I don't like about spacing them competely is that the total time down is fully doubled.

Maybe I should give it more consideration though.
 
#10
drpepper said:
Same day is amazing - I hope they didn't recommend that to you.
Click to expand...

No, they did not. As a matter of fact they were not going to release me from the hospital until someone came to get me; so my bro-in-law signed me out and then I drove my vehicle back to work. As far as work went, if it hurts you stop for a while and then start up again. I figured I could work or I could pay some PT hundreds of dollars for "rehab therapy".

I have a plate, four screws and part of my hip bone for a shim in my left wrist due to a severe compression fracture (cured CTS). I rehabbed myself on a Dillion cartridge reloading machine; saved money and turned out thousands of .45 ACP., .44 mag, .357 mag and 9 mm ammunition.
 
#11
Greevus said:
Never had surgery, but been dealing with it for two decades. I have a few friends that have had surgery, and it seems about 50% successful. Seems to return if you go back and do exactly what you were doing. I've had massage and acupuncture, and both seemed to work as long as you continue it. Stretching seems to help. Sleeping with splints helps too. I used to take Naproxen Sodium before it became "Alleve". Sometimes I will do a week or two cycle if my hands get really overworked. Ibuprofen will help sometimes. Just throwing that out there hoping it may help. I know it's a painfully frustrating thing to live with. The computer really bothers mine. And using a pick on the bass.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input. I have an aunt who had a surgery that wasn't completely successful. I believe they had to do it again after a few years.

I got a suggestion to take Ibuprofen every day for 10 days whether I feel like I need it or not. Not sure what I'm supposed to do after the 10 days :hmm:
 
#12
I've had both hands done and both times I only had to take it easy on them for a couple days and after about 2 weeks I was back doing regular activities. I had them done seperately a couple months apart. The surgery took 10 minutes both times.

One thing my doctor told me that you may want to consider. Every time your hands "go to sleep" (tingling) there is permanent nerve damage being done. The longer you put off the surgery, the less likely you are to have a good result. Some people put it off so long that the problem persists after surgery.

Rob

P.S. one tip I heard from a nurse is to get it done by a plastic surgeon. They seem to be used to doing delicate work and have the best results.
 
#13
madrob said:
I've had both hands done and both times I only had to take it easy on them for a couple days and after about 2 weeks I was back doing regular activities. I had them done seperately a couple months apart. The surgery took 10 minutes both times.

One thing my doctor told me that you may want to consider. Every time your hands "go to sleep" (tingling) there is permanent nerve damage being done. The longer you put off the surgery, the less likely you are to have a good result. Some people put it off so long that the problem persists after surgery.

Rob

P.S. one tip I heard from a nurse is to get it done by a plastic surgeon. They seem to be used to doing delicate work and have the best results.
Click to expand...

Good story, Rob. That gives me more to consider and more on the side of getting them done separately.

I feel pretty good about the had surgeon. He had multiple recommendations. My business partner has therapy from a car accident, and he asked his therapist for a recommendation for me and it turned out to be the same guy.

He said I should look to do it within 3 to 4 months.
 
#14
etoncrow said:
No, they did not. As a matter of fact they were not going to release me from the hospital until someone came to get me; so my bro-in-law signed me out and then I drove my vehicle back to work. As far as work went, if it hurts you stop for a while and then start up again. I figured I could work or I could pay some PT hundreds of dollars for "rehab therapy".

I have a plate, four screws and part of my hip bone for a shim in my left wrist due to a severe compression fracture (cured CTS). I rehabbed myself on a Dillion cartridge reloading machine; saved money and turned out thousands of .45 ACP., .44 mag, .357 mag and 9 mm ammunition.
Click to expand...

You don't mess around there in WV, huh?
 

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