The post-obit are post-operative instructions for patients who accept undergone carpal tunnel release of their wrist. Please refer to this reference sheet, which should probably answer near of the questions y'all might have. If you have farther questions that need immediate answering, contact our office at (970) 879-4612 or 877-404-4612.

Dressings

You will have a bulky dressing and splint. Although it is very unlikely, you may discover some encarmine spotting coming through the outer Ace wrap. Information technology is important for you to sentinel this area, and contact us if information technology continues to spread. Otherwise, any pocket-sized surface area of spotting will dry and can be ignored until you remove the dressings.

Sutures

The suture utilized in endmost the wound is nonabsorbable. The sutures volition need to be removed. Usually, nosotros removed the sutures when you follow-up in the office. This can occur as early equally seven days but unremarkably 10-xiv days after surgery.

Pinnacle and Ice

Peak will help minimize the pain and swelling after surgery, peculiarly during the starting time few days. Meridian, to exist effective, involves keeping your wrist in a higher place the level of your eye. You tin keep ice packs on the palmar side of the splint continually during the starting time few days without take chances of frostbite injury to the underlying pare as long every bit the original dressings are in place. I experience that elevation is more of import than icing due to the thickness of the splint and dressings.

Showers

You can remove your dressings to shower 3-5 days post-obit surgery (i.e., surgery on Thursday, shower on Lord's day, Monday or Tuesday). Remove the dressings to the sutures, shower, let the wound to dry out. Employ a calorie-free gauze dressing or large Ring-Aid.  You can go along to use the splint or any wrist splint or Ace wrap. How much protection you use is usually dictated by your comfort level.  If you lot're more comfortable leaving the original dressing on that is okay. Simply keep the splint and dressing from getting wet during showering by elevating your arm. If there is any noticeable or persistent drainage from the incision site or any surrounding ruby areas, please contact united states immediately.

Physical Therapy

In general, the recovery from carpal tunnel release is rapid and can be accomplished with home exercises and Theraputty for strengthening. If y'all prefer a prescription for formal therapy can be written so delight permit me know.

USE OF THE HAND:
Unless instructed otherwise, nosotros encourage yous to increment motion of your fingers as shortly as possible, inside your comfort range. You can utilize the hand for routine activities. I practise not want you to do any heavy lifting, pushing or pulling until the wound heals.

Office Follow-up

Please call our office within a few days following surgery to schedule your showtime follow-up visit for 10-14 days subsequently surgery unless instructed otherwise afterward surgery.

Medications

Y'all will be provided with a prescription for a pain medication when you are ready to go out the hospital. Usually, we will prescribe hydrocodone, hydromorphone, or oxycodone. These are generic names for three different narcotic hurting relievers. If you are aware of a certain hurting medication that you accept previously had problems with or one that you normally respond favorably to, please inform the states so that we tin can give you lot the appropriate prescription. You may have the prescription prior to surgery to avoid filling information technology the day of surgery.

Y'all might too exist given a prescription for an anti-inflammatory medication Toradol (ketorolac) that will help lessen pain and swelling. If not, you are welcome to utilize an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory such every bit Ibuprofen (Advil, Nuprin, etc.). These come in 200-mg tablets. The usual maximum adult prescription dosage is 600-800 mg 3 times per twenty-four hours, usually taken with food. This would corporeality to taking 9-12 store tabs per day. The anti-inflammatory medicine can exist taken on a regular basis along with the prescription pain medication, which is utilized on an equally needed basis. Yous will detect that the combination will lessen your need for the prescription pain pill. If you have a history of ulcers or of stomach irritation with aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs, then you should avoid taking these medications. If you accept high claret pressure yous should check your claret pressure to be sure these medications do not crusade an elevation in your pressure.  If you take kidney problems yous should avert these medications.

Plainly Tylenol is OK if you take no liver disease. Remember, the curt acting hurting pills oftentimes have acetaminophen (Tylenol) in them. The maximum daily dose of Tylenol if yous have a normal liver is 3500-4000 mg.  If your narcotic hurting medicine is not lasting long enough you can utilise a little more or utilize if less oft equally long as you exercise not overuse the maximum daily acetaminophen dose.

If yous have a history of nausea with surgery nosotros can prescribe an antinausea medication (Phenergan or Zofran).  Attempt to have this medication regularly at first and prior to taking the narcotic pain pills to allow it to exist most effective.

Please try to anticipate the demand for whatever refills on your pain medication, and contact our function early in the day the day earlier running out completely. I cannot provide prescription refills afterwards business organization hours or on weekends.

Complications

Carpal tunnel release surgery is a adequately unproblematic and minimally invasive outpatient surgery, and so postoperative complications are fortunately quite rare. The incidence of an infection deep within the hand is literally one out of thousands. The onset of symptoms would be approximately v-7 days post-obit surgery, and would consist of a meaning increase in pain, swelling, warmth, and redness of the paw, wrist, or forearm, fever, chills or nighttime sweats. More mutual, just still quite rare, would exist a small superficial infection or irritation at the peel incision. Contact our function for whatever concerns at 970-879-4612 or 877-404-4612.

Bryan Bomberg, Doctor
12/12