Carpel tunnel operation

Both hands done in 2016, different times though. Left hand first. I would sleep with braces on my arms wide out to stop pain, numbness, tingling etc. Couldn't bare it any longer and had the surgery.

Agree about the needle to numb! When the surgeon come, with almost a 4 inch needle, I looked and said "where are you going with that?" He smiled and grabbed my wrist! He did ask me politely to stop fighting him! !

Just before the surgery, he touched me and I reacted, "abit more lidocaine please" he said. Other than that all was well. Same chap did the 2nd surgery, and this time for the numbing jab, said "you going to fight me again?" I did pull back I admit , but it's a bloody big needle for my hand!!

I had therapy on the left hand after it had healed and whilst I was talking to the therapist, I told her who did the surgery. Apparently he is very well liked at the hospital and doesn't believe in putting the private patients before the NHS who trained him! This is 8 years ago, his opinions may have changed!!

I went to RJAH.

Issues after, none to start with. What I have now is sometimes and mainly my left hand as it was the worse one (yet I'm right handed) is my thumb can involuntarily move into the palm of my hand, sometimes even my fingers do it and lock, it's a horrid feeling and I can't always release them.

Would I have it again, yes, but hopefully not yet!

I would try to find a Bowen practitioner first - no operation but a few treatments should make a difference and be far cheaper than a private operation. In my view more successful too.
My issue is other health issues - my friends mom had a "simple" operation in her late 80s . early 90s and it caused a stroke. Just check out other ways to solve the problem first

The Bowen therapy does not list carpal tunnel syndrome on the list of conditions helped by its practice, which works on the fascia, the soft tissue covering your muscles and organs.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by the median nerve in the wrist being compressed due to increased pressure in the carpal tunnel, a band of muscles that goes across the hand.

Carpal tunnel syndrome leads to muscle wastage in the hand and numbness in the fingers. It is nice to think this can be cured by a bit of massage and a few exercises, but unfortunately it cannot. the only solution is to cut the carpal tunnel to reduce the pressure on the nerve.

In the early stages of carpal tunnel syndrome some other treatments; pain killes, splints, steroid injections can bring some relief. However, when radio conductivity tests show, as in my case, that I have severe carpal tunnel problems with signs of visible muscle wastage in both hands then there is only one solution and that is to have the carpal tunnel severed.

It is foolish and a waste of money for anyone to pursue private treatments that cannot help the problem.

I'm sorry your husband has had to wait so long
I had my carpal tunnel cooperation under a local. The only pain was when the needle first went into my wrist I had it done after I had my wrist broken playing sports.
It was done quite quickly as the surgeon listed it as urgent so I got called for a cancellation and was seen in a few weeks there were circumstances under why it was deemed to be urgent but not feeling the need to plaster over GN
I have to say there doesn't seem much improvement the only benefit is I won't lose function in my hand

Thankyou everyone for your very helpful advice, my DH has felt encouraged to go ahead with the operation. I think he just needed to hear of some positive results from surgery and it would seem most of you have benefited from it