Carpal Tunnel ???

Register Today!

  1. This is a discussion on Carpal Tunnel ??? in Orthopaedic Nursing, part of Nursing Specialties ... Is it possible to get carpal tunnel from rotator cuff surgery? I never expirenced symptoms of...

    by May 3, '05
    Is it possible to get carpal tunnel from rotator cuff surgery? I never expirenced symptoms of carpal tunnel prior to surgery. Symptoms following rotator cuff surgery include coldness, numbness, pain, inability to close hand into fist and fingernails growing at faster rate than nails on other hand. Had nerve conduction study by surgeon associate and was told I have SEVERE CAPRAL TUNNEL and needed surgery ASAP. When I informed my surgeon that I was seeking a second opinion, his reply to that was..."I don't know exactly what happened to your hand." I find it rather strange that is was so adament about have carpal tunnel surgery UNTIL I told him of the sencond opinion. Any input will be greatly appreciated. By the way....the shoulder is doing great.
    Read Online


    Print and share with friends and family.
    Compliments of allnurses.com.
    http://allnurses.com/showthread.php?t=103820

    by BNKSYRR May 3, '05 8:01 pm
    ©2013 allnurses.com INC. All Rights Reserved.
  2. 3,682 Views
    Click Tags to Find Similar Topics

  3. 12 Comments so far...

  4. May 3, '05 by
    sounds more like RSD

    http://www.rsds.org/2/what_is_rsd_crps/index.html

    Best wishes
  5. May 6, '05 by
    If this is CRPS (the new name for RSD) have you expirenced any treatments and outcomes of this problem. It is repairable?
  6. May 6, '05 by
    Thoracic outlet syndrome?
  7. May 6, '05 by
    Quote from MikeLPN
    Thoracic outlet syndrome?
    Complex Regional Pain Syndrome-Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome
  8. May 11, '05 by
    Quote from BNKSYRR
    Is it possible to get carpal tunnel from rotator cuff surgery? I never expirenced symptoms of carpal tunnel prior to surgery. Symptoms following rotator cuff surgery include coldness, numbness, pain, inability to close hand into fist and fingernails growing at faster rate than nails on other hand. Had nerve conduction study by surgeon associate and was told I have SEVERE CAPRAL TUNNEL and needed surgery ASAP. When I informed my surgeon that I was seeking a second opinion, his reply to that was..."I don't know exactly what happened to your hand." I find it rather strange that is was so adament about have carpal tunnel surgery UNTIL I told him of the sencond opinion. Any input will be greatly appreciated. By the way....the shoulder is doing great.
    If the NCV said you have severe nerve compression across the Transverse Carpal Ligament, and the symptoms persist you should have the surgery. If you wait too long it could be permenent (may be already) It could be RSD but if the NCV's are positive then get the surgery. Also, do you know how you were set up in the surgery? Beach Chair or Lateral? Sometimes the Coban that is used to wrap the hand can cause some problems.....edema in the Carpal Tunnel ect. That may go away in time.
  9. May 13, '05 by
    Quote from Bull's eye
    If the NCV said you have severe nerve compression across the Transverse Carpal Ligament, and the symptoms persist you should have the surgery. If you wait too long it could be permenent (may be already) It could be RSD but if the NCV's are positive then get the surgery. Also, do you know how you were set up in the surgery? Beach Chair or Lateral? Sometimes the Coban that is used to wrap the hand can cause some problems.....edema in the Carpal Tunnel ect. That may go away in time.
    What concerns me is that when I told my primary MD my symptoms, she immediately said it sounded liek CRPS. The neurologists are connected with the surgeon......and I don't wnat to have surgery for carpal tunnel if it is indeed CRPS. I have NEVER had symptoms of carpal tunnel and don't understand how I can have "the most severs case every seen" by the neurologists. I think I am need another opinion outside the loop of my physician.
  10. May 13, '05 by
    Quote from BNKSYRR
    What concerns me is that when I told my primary MD my symptoms, she immediately said it sounded liek CRPS. The neurologists are connected with the surgeon......and I don't wnat to have surgery for carpal tunnel if it is indeed CRPS. I have NEVER had symptoms of carpal tunnel and don't understand how I can have "the most severs case every seen" by the neurologists. I think I am need another opinion outside the loop of my physician.
    Yeah I agree that it is strange, but numbness in the first 3.5 digits, pain and difficulty making a fist can be Carpal Tunnel. I don't want you to have unnecessary surgery either, but I don't want you to have perm. nerve damage. Do me a favor.... the most sensitive test for carpal tunnel syndrome is the compression test. Have someone put thier thumbs over the junction of the wrist and hand on the palm side, and have him bend your wrists up (flex the hand)and compress the area for about a minute see if that worsens the symptoms. This will help lead us to the right diagnosis. Treatment options for CRPS is controversial some like injections into the sympathetic ganglion some like more surgery to take out the sympathetics some like to leave it alone. I am far from a specialist in that field. Best of luck to you. How far out post op are you?
  11. May 13, '05 by
    Quote from Bull's eye
    Yeah I agree that it is strange, but numbness in the first 3.5 digits, pain and difficulty making a fist can be Carpal Tunnel. I don't want you to have unnecessary surgery either, but I don't want you to have perm. nerve damage. Do me a favor.... the most sensitive test for carpal tunnel syndrome is the compression test. Have someone put thier thumbs over the junction of the wrist and hand on the palm side, and have him bend your wrists up (flex the hand)and compress the area for about a minute see if that worsens the symptoms. This will help lead us to the right diagnosis. Treatment options for CRPS is controversial some like injections into the sympathetic ganglion some like more surgery to take out the sympathetics some like to leave it alone. I am far from a specialist in that field. Best of luck to you. How far out post op are you?
    Surgery was 2/2/05 and there were NEVER any previous symptoms of Carpal Tunnel and this was NOT a risk explained to me pre-operatively. If this IS carpal tunnel ....it WAS CAUSED by the surgery especially since there were no previous symptoms.
  12. May 14, '05 by
    Quote from BNKSYRR
    Surgery was 2/2/05 and there were NEVER any previous symptoms of Carpal Tunnel and this was NOT a risk explained to me pre-operatively. If this IS carpal tunnel ....it WAS CAUSED by the surgery especially since there were no previous symptoms.
    Well, generally speaking CTS is a chronic disease, fibrosis of the Transverse Carpal Ligament, and if the nerve is that severely injured it argues against sudden onset. Some causes of sudden onset CTS are high impact falls on an outstreached hand, anything that can cause edema of the hand/wrist (Pregnancy, Anasarca), or space occupying lesions of the Carpal tunnel (synosvitis). Also, you don't have to have surgery right away (although if the neuron said it was the worst he has ever seen, they may want to go in and get it done.) You could try an injection of local and steroid into the Carpal tunnel and wear wrist splints. The surgery takes about 5 minutes skin to skin and needs about 2-3 weeks recovery time for the skin to heal. They don't even need to put you under. Honestly, I don't know all the answers here, but if you were my friend or family member, and the NCV said severe disease, Iwould tell you to go for it and get the surgery to avoid permenent nerve damage.
    Last edit by Bull's eye on May 14, '05