The small inner 'tunnel' between bones and ligaments is your carpal tunnel, through which the median nerve is traveling on the edge of your wrist. This nerve affects the thumb, fingers (long fingers and forefingers), which give you feeling as well as movement. The idea of an infection in our carpal tunnel can be frightful considering how important the function is in our hands. You may wonder if you have carpal tunnel syndrome, and consider carpal tunnel surgery in both hands or worried about post-operative infection, and what red flags should you look out for? In particular, you are at risk of infection with carpal tunnels and how to know if they are infected.
Can It Be Infected?
Did you have or are you considering carpal tunnel surgery? You will then have to work to prevent possible infections. Your carpal tunnel could not be affected or infected by its own preoperative operation; it is a small tunnel inside your wrist and is not exposed to outside bacteria. If you experience carpal tunnel syndrome, this is not an infection — this is where the median nerve of the carpal tunnel is pressed and get uncomfortable or painful. In fact, carpal tunnel syndrome can be extremely painful, and you might be convinced to carpal tunnel operations in order to remedy it in some cases.
That's when you want to stop and think for a while. If you perform carpal tunnel surgery in both hands, you will face an infection risk, which is approximately 1% of the total time. This may not appear to be in a great percentage, but it's important to note that these infections can be extremely serious irrespective of how rare they are. Carpal tunnel infections make you loss of limb or even cause death if they are not treated immediately and aggressively. Do you want to take that risk?
What Is the Ultimate Result?
Even without complications it can take from a few days to a few months to recover from carpal tunnel operation, and often physical treatment is required. And the cases of infection could have disastrous consequences for the 1% of patients. Not only are you at risk of losing your limb or life, but also you will have a long recovery and a potential long hospital holiday where physicians typically prescribe powerful IV-administered antibiotics. Operation is regarded as a last resort in almost any situation, especially in light of the risk of infection.
Where at all possible, the best way to prevent infection and other complications is to treat CTS without surgery. Fortunately, there are many ways to cure this problem; if you can help your median nerve, your symptoms will soon lapse. But don't delay; it could be exponentially worse if you ignore the pain.
If it terrifies you of getting an infection, you can look for other carpal tunnel syndrome treatment options. Visit us at Neuroscience Specialists for details.
**Disclaimer- Information presented here is not intended to be qualified medical advice. Nothing expressed herein creates a doctor-patient relationship.