Carpal Tunnel surgery, complication

I had my left hand operated on 5 weeks ago, a carpal tunnel release. I had the right hand done in May and haven't had any problems.
In my left hand, I have no numbness or tingling, and I have full feeling, but my thumb will not extend fully. I can't stretch it out, I guess towards my chest if I were holding my hand in front of me. I have almost full strength to grip, but I can't extend it. I can extend it manually with my other hand, but it moves back towards my hand when I let it go.

Is this a "normal" side effect, or did the surgeon do something wrong? Of course I showed it to him, he kept feeling the muscle area at the base of my thumb and asked if I wanted physical therapy. I asked if it would get better and he said it "likely" would. I don't know if I believe him.

Please help!

[S. Kaul, MD]

Hi there!

Well, without a clinical valuation it would be difficult to determine the cause of your symptoms; though the corresponding nerve responsible for the action is unlikely to have been damaged in a carpal tunnel surgery and this is more likely to be a muscular issue. I would suggest trying physiotherapy for a few weeks. If there does not seem to be any improvement in the following weeks, we can go ahead with an MRI/ investigation for a detailed review and depending on the cause identified, this can be managed accordingly.
Hope this is helpful.

Take care!