Carpal tunnel release

I had C.T. surgery on my left hand in April of 2023 - left with a contracture middle finger & a trigger on index
I had C.T. surgery on my right hand in October of 2023 and now have the first three fingers that are NUMB!!!!!
I could go on & on, have seen neurologists & get the same response always, it's the nerve that is damaged.
I do exercises with the squeeze balls & have had P.T., nothing helps. I have not had a good day or night since October, I drop 'stuff' etc.. I wish I could have contributed a better response. I have been reading MAYO hoping I would read something helpful to me, sorry to say, it hasn't happened. I am 89 years old and it is very difficult with my dominant right hand the way it is. My very best to you with Carpel Tunnel problems.
JUST ME!

Please excuse me if this has been answered somewhere. I've searched unsuccessfully.

Is there any good, new?, alternative to surgery for CTS, which started a year ago, but has rapidly worsened to be enormously annoying. Not painful. Just numb, which has become disabling. And accompanying loss of strength. Mostly Right (dominant) hand, but Left is trying hard to catch up.

The complication is that I live overseas, where specialist doctors don't live. My GP doctor has little knowledge of Carpal Tunnel issues. And flying around the world to get useful info is... even more inconvenient than the disability. Exercises (soft ball, flexing, etc) no longer have any effect (and quite minimal previously). And my brace isn't very useful either.

I've read that cortisone injections are possible, but very temporary. Is there anything else? Like a miracle drug that dissolves excess bone selectively?

Having surgery by a general surgeon isn't very attractive. Acquiring a "dead" hand from accidental nerve damage would only worsen (severely!) the problem. And I don't believe that a joint replacement would be a wise choice. So what else is there?

I had very painful and numbing carpal tunnel syndrome last year. I had an open carpal tunnel tendon release performed at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. I am completely satisfied with the process, the surgeon and the result. My advice is to have the surgery ,but only by a qualified hand surgeon. Your misgivings about using a general surgeon are valid. If at all possible, seek out a hand surgeon in the closest country to where you are living. To my knowledge there is no substitute to surgery for severe carpal tunnel syndrome. Good luck!

I had carpal tunnel surgery on my right hand 20 years ago. I didn't go back to get the second one done on the left wrist as it was a distance to travel to the surgery center. I still wear a brace at night on the left wrist and wish I had had it done at the time.

Are there other disorders that are primary? CTS can be related to other disorders. Having had 30+ successful orthopedic surgeries, including highly successful CTS release, I believe strongly that experienced surgeons can make a difference. Sometimes wrist Sx's can be from the neck. Have you had a nerve conduction study? Consider traditional healing resources including massage and acupuncture. I'd try shots or oral steroids too.

I was diagnosed with severe carpal tunnel syndrome this month - February - the surgeon I saw recommended the release surgery ASAP. The appointment flew by very quickly. I signed a consent form for surgery in early April. From some reading I've done (I know doctors hate it!) it's better to have surgery if the CPS isn't too advanced. I'm 73 years old. I have extreme arthritis in my left hip and need a cane - used in my right hand. The CPS is in my right wrist so I am very concerned about the 4-6 months recovery time my surgeon mentioned. I am grateful to be able to join this discussion - and learn from everyone's experiences before I make any decision.
Thanks everybody.

I look forward to joining the carpal tunnel release surgery discussions. I am scheduled for surgery in a month's time.
I have concerns that weren't really addressed in my first
very quick meeting with a hand surgeon. I'm 73 and need to use a cane in my right hand - the CTS is in my right hand. I would appreciate hearing the wisdom of this group very much. Thanks everybody.

I'm 71. First, I had CTS on my left (non-dominate) hand, which was not yet severe. After two weeks I was mostly functional, but I wasn't supposed to lift more than 2-5 lbs. That was to be followed by 6 weeks physical therapy. I was fine.

Then two weeks after the left hand surgery, they did my right hand, combined carpal tunnel and a thumb joint (CMC) arthroplasty. The carpal tunnel on the right was severe and developed massive scar tissue around the incision. That caused "nerve glide" and "tendon glide" issues, which turned into full blown tendonitis from the tips of my fingers to the inside of my elbow. Debilitatingly painful. PT was delayed. At 3-1/2 months post-surgery, I'm still in a lot of pain and have limited functionality. I think I worsened the scar issue by trying to do too much too soon after surgery, too. It's taking forever to break up the scar tissue to resolve the tendonitis.

I wouldn't have been able to use a cane at all, and still couldn't. (However, some of my lack of function is from the thumb surgery.) Given that yours is severe, I'd take it slow, but do PT and massage as early as possible, and be careful how much weight you'd be bearing on that hand using the cane.

I'd suggest having a Plan B, maybe a walker, temporarily. Hope I haven't scared you unnecessarily.

Wish you the best of luck! ❤️

You didn't scare me LOL! I appreciate your reply very much. From my reading about CTS I learned that there's a much better chance of success if the CTS is caught early. Mine definitely was not caught early. I did feel that my appointment with the surgeon was rushed. He certainly didn't offer any
options other than surgery. I am sorry to hear you've had so much debilitating pain, and that you had thumb surgery as well.
I know I need to make up my mind. The pain now from the CTS, as well as tendinitis in my left wrist, is not screamingly bad as yet. If I decline the surgery perhaps it might become inoperable. Thank you so much for your post.