After having surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), you can use your hand to do light activities that do not cause excessive pain or discomfort.
However, try to avoid using your hand for more demanding activities until it has completely recovered, which may take several weeks.
The recovery time for open release surgery is usually slightly longer than the recovery time for keyhole surgery. Studies have also shown that there is less pain during the first three months after keyhole surgery compared with open release surgery. However, both methods have proven to be equally effective in treating CTS.
Open release surgery
Following open release surgery, your hand may take around six weeks to heal. Depending on the nature of your job, you should be able to return to work two to six weeks after your operation.
Keyhole surgery
Returning to work after keyhole surgery will depend on the nature of your job and which hand was operated on.
For example, if surgery was on your dominant hand and your work involves carrying out repetitive activities, it is likely that you will need about four weeks to recover from surgery.
If surgery was not on your dominant hand and your job does not involve repetitive activities that might affect your recovery, you may be able to return to work after one or two days.
Comments are closed.