# Carpal Tunnel Surgery? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 26, 2017, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpal-tunnel-surgery/780875 "2017-02-26T21:08:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2017, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpal-tunnel-surgery/780875/1 "2017-02-26T21:08:46Z")
I am planning to have carpal tunnel surgery done on both hands. Is a general surgeon adequate or is it better to go to a specialist? How long does it take to recover? Success rate? How long between doing both hands? Any experiences? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2017, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpal-tunnel-surgery/780875/2 "2017-02-26T22:18:12Z")
I have known 2 people who had the surgery and both really regretted it. They both said that their wrists didn’t move properly anymore and they still had a lot of discomfort. I had it pretty severely in my right wrist and mostly cured it by basically becoming left-handed. That was about 20 years ago and I still mostly use my left hand for everything, even mousing on the computer. If I over-use it, my right wrist is occasionally sore but for the most part it doesn’t give me any problems. I know there are people who are happy with the surgery but I thinking hearing all sides is important for decision making. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2017, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpal-tunnel-surgery/780875/3 "2017-02-26T22:45:33Z")
I’ve had it done. Totally simple; local anesthetic, awake throughout just looked away an incision followed by a straight forward snip I believe. All finished in a few minutes, went home at lunchtime. I went to day surgery at the local teaching hospital. I would think most biology teachers could do it, certainly a GP. Took few days to fully recover IIRC. No scar now. Huge relief as I was in some pain. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_Hey_Paula)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2017, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpal-tunnel-surgery/780875/4 "2017-02-27T00:15:22Z")
I had it done, both hands, about 20 years ago, by an orthopedic surgeon assigned by my work comp insurer. He did an excellent job, you can’t even see the scars. It didn’t cure me 100%, but it did make a huge positive difference in my life, and I don’t regret it for a minute. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2017, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpal-tunnel-surgery/780875/5 "2017-02-27T03:00:05Z")
It’s a simple surgery, but if I was getting it done I would choose a plastic surgeon over an orthopaedic surgeon (unless specializing in hands) over a general surgeon. But as long as they do several similar surgeries a month you’ll be fine. ---
**Author:** ![sunstone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunstone/32/3372_2.png) [@sunstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunstone)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2017, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpal-tunnel-surgery/780875/6 "2017-03-04T07:27:46Z")
I’ve had both wrists done. Before surgery my right hand was nearly unusable and was diagnosed at the “severe” level. My left wrist was better, and was diagnosed as somewhat less. The surgery was a breeze as was the post operative recovery. I was using my hands starting the next day; the only restriction was not to bust the stitches, and keep things dry. My surgery was over 10 years ago, and has been completely successful since that time. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2017, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpal-tunnel-surgery/780875/7 "2017-03-04T15:53:39Z")
Mrs. B. had it done on both wrists by a specialist who had also done his own. She had a 100% outcome, pain gone and no impairment… and she’s a concert pianist. Not a job for a GP, IMVHO.