Carpal tunnel op recovery time

[Thornyone]

I have just had surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome and am having the stitches out a week tomorrow. I wonder if anyone here has experience of this and how long it is likely to be before I can expect to get back on my bike (flat bars/ergon grips)? It’s certainly pretty sore at present, but 8 days or so is quite a way ahead. I’m missing the bike already

[softlips]

Ask your surgeon. There are several methods of operating on carpel tunnels, you’re recovery may depend on the type.

[Thornyone]

Ask your surgeon. There are several methods of operating on carpel tunnels, you’re recovery may depend on the type.

Thanks. I actually have some experience of the variability of approach to the surgery, since it is in my family. My late mother and father, and my sister all had it too, but none of them was any longer cycling at the time they developed the problem. They all had much the same open surgery as each other and as I’ve had, but the similarities ended there. My mother, years ago, had a very thick immobilising dressing on for several weeks. My sister and father had a light adhesive dressing on the palm, and were told to mobilise the hand immediately. I have a dressing more like my mother had, but for just a few days. Some surgeons still use a sling, some wouldn’t countenance one. The usual “two doctors, three opinions” stuff.

My surgeon is a non-cyclist, and what I was hoping was that someone who has actually had the op, might have some personal experience to share, because with the best will in the world, much advice that clinicians pass on is not based on personal experience.

[softlips]

Ask your surgeon. There are several methods of operating on carpel tunnels, you’re recovery may depend on the type.

Thanks. I actually have some experience of the variability of approach to the surgery, since it is in my family. My late mother and father, and my sister all had it too, but none of them was any longer cycling at the time they developed the problem. They all had much the same open surgery as each other and as I’ve had, but the similarities ended there. My mother, years ago, had a very thick immobilising dressing on for several weeks. My sister and father had a light adhesive dressing on the palm, and were told to mobilise the hand immediately. I have a dressing more like my mother had, but for just a few days. Some surgeons still use a sling, some wouldn’t countenance one. The usual “two doctors, three opinions” stuff.

My surgeon is a non-cyclist, and what I was hoping was that someone who has actually had the op, might have some personal experience to share, because with the best will in the world, much advice that clinicians pass on is not based on personal experience.

The problem is there are several methods of surgery for CTS. When I worked in orthopaedics there were at least three or four so the follow up care differed considerably.

[Thornyone]

Ask your surgeon. There are several methods of operating on carpel tunnels, you’re recovery may depend on the type.

Thanks. I actually have some experience of the variability of approach to the surgery, since it is in my family. My late mother and father, and my sister all had it too, but none of them was any longer cycling at the time they developed the problem. They all had much the same open surgery as each other and as I’ve had, but the similarities ended there. My mother, years ago, had a very thick immobilising dressing on for several weeks. My sister and father had a light adhesive dressing on the palm, and were told to mobilise the hand immediately. I have a dressing more like my mother had, but for just a few days. Some surgeons still use a sling, some wouldn’t countenance one. The usual “two doctors, three opinions” stuff.

My surgeon is a non-cyclist, and what I was hoping was that someone who has actually had the op, might have some personal experience to share, because with the best will in the world, much advice that clinicians pass on is not based on personal experience.

The problem is there are several methods of surgery for CTS. When I worked in orthopaedics there were at least three or four so the follow up care differed considerably.

Thanks. So what I would really need to know is precisely what surgery I have had, and then anyone who has had surgery and might be able to answer my question from personal experience, would only usefully be able to do so if they knew precisely what surgery they had had! This makes sense, but clearly means I’ll just have to wait and see myself. I must say that although I knew there were open and keyhole varieties, I wasn’t aware of other variations (although I have seen a video where a surgeon was making their incision in a non-usual place). I need to learn to be a better patient!

[Eman Resu]

I have just had surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome and am having the stitches out a week tomorrow. I wonder if anyone here has experience of this and how long it is likely to be before I can expect to get back on my bike (flat bars/ergon grips)? It’s certainly pretty sore at present, but 8 days or so is quite a way ahead. I’m missing the bike already

I had open CTS surgery on my left wrist on 4/9/19. Was able to get back on my bike (drop bars, but I ride mainly on the hoods) a week later by modifying the controls a little. Put on cross top/cyclo cross brakes on the left so I didn't have to painfully extend my hand to brake, and a bar end friction front shifter on the right bar end, so all gear changes done with the right hand. I envisage a mirror image amendment when I have my right wrist done. This modification might be a little difficult on flat bars but one could mount a bar end lever on the end of short TT bar I suppose.