wrist fusion surgery????......really bummed

[jeremy714]

two years ago i hurt my wrist snowboarding......i didnt see a doctor until a couple months had gone by........a few doctors, mri's xrays and arthrograms later i found the wrist doctor for the lakers. he came to the conclusion that i tore a small ligament in my wrist causing the instability and pain at the base of my thumb and wrist.  my grip isnt too bad but it hurts to do anything, especially exerting pressure with my hand.  the doctor said the only realistic option would be to fuse the wrist, however he thinks id be better off living with the pain. id like to do that but its getting worse. seems the fusion is inevitable.
im an active 32 year old who lives to surf and snowboard. will i be able to do these things anymore let alone work?...................super worried and depressed.............

[Killroy]

I totally understand how you feel. I also have a bad situation but in  my elbow keeping me from doing everything I live and breath for. Surgery the only chance of fixing it but might not help or even make it worse, What a nightmare. If I were in your situation I would not have your wrist fused and somehow live with the pain in hopes it might improve somhow some way. Once you have it fused it's permanently disabled as a moving part of your body and theres no turning back. Good luck with whatever you do

[jeremy714]

makes me wonder if it were kobe bryants wrist would there be another option...

[Ms_Demeanor]

yuck!  I'm so sorry you have to make this kind of decision...You might ask you doc to put you in touch with some people who have had the surgery, and see what they tell you about their daily activities. Either option is not good, but getting more info might help you choose the better one.

[Killroy]

It would make such a HUGE! difference in making life altering decisions like this or my situation if you could actually call your doctor and ask him stuff as you think of things. I know for me its always the nurse will get back to you later and when she does what she says doesn't quite answere your question and then brings up another question and she gets back to you the next day with another half as!@# answere. Its like having the most important conversation in your life through a third party who gets things messed up and unclear and when its done the doctor probably thinks your a pain in the a!@# and you still don't really know what to do. I know it's impossible but I'll bet if you or I were able to sit down somewhere like at your house with the doc for like a whole evening and really discuss things thoroughly instead of in 10 minutes in his office we would know for sure what we wanted to do and then do it.

[jeremy714]

yeah the doc just throws words like fusion around and im supposed to know what that entails. i had no idea that i was looking at a permanent disability.............im not sure i even got 10 minutes....these surgeons are like robots

[Ms_Demeanor]

can you guys not email your doctor?  i email my doctor all the time and he usually gets back to me in about 3-4 hours with information...i find that works well because there is always something i forget to ask...

[jeremy714]

i was never offered an email  address....seems like i have to pay the full 180 bucks for an appointment to ask a question......

[Killroy]

I asked my neurologist if I could e-mail her because for me that would be perfect, even better than talking to her cause of forgetting to says things in conversation and she said no she has never done that with her patients.

[jeremy714]

seems like orthopedic surgery is mostly a heartless chopshop

[jeremy714]

arghhh

[Killroy]

arghh is putting it mildly. I have this ulnar nerve that needs surgery which might not even help me get the feeling and use of my hand back but will certainly destroy me financialy and mess up my job cause of long recovery time. I have also many MS symptoms, extreemly dizzy all the time, numb body parts, unbearable fatigue, many more to mention. Nobody beleives anything is wrong with me,even friends and family cause none of my symptoms are visible which adds to the misery cause absolutly no understanding or support. . Docs haven't figured it out yet with MRI and every blood test ect,ect, . I cant stand it anymore. I really mean I CAN'T stand it anymore. If I didnt believe in God and didn't think I would go to hell for it I would blow my head off right now to escape this un ending daily torturous nightmare. I am not a depressed suicidal person but I CAN'T STAND!!!! this anymore with no end in sight for 4 months now and getting worse. I pray to God for death in my sleep tonight because that is the only way this is ever going to end. Good luck with your wrist Jeremy. Good-by

[barb888355]

First i am just recovering from a wrist fusion, there was no option for me since shattering my wrist a year ago, yes i will lose some mobility but hopefully gain strength and have kess pain. Also i see no reason why you couldn't surf, snowboard etc, you don't need you wrist for that. I know there are some things i will have difficulty doing but i'm sure i will adapt.

[uriah]

hi barb888355, i was just diagnosed with stage 3-4 keinbocks recently and have to change my job situation as well as everything else in life. My lunate has shattered, but my doctoer doesn't want to fuse right know because the form of my and and flex motion is still in tacked. The pain I guess I can handle, I have built up a tolerance for it over the years, but I'm concerned about waiting for the deformaty to accure. I went for help twice in the past and was x-rayed and told it was tendenitus both times. home much does the fusion change things as far as pain and visually?

[vavoom1]

Well now....in 2003 I had a 35-40 mph impact with a truck while obeying the driving laws on my motorcycle.  I had ulna/radial head fractures with shattered palm bones incl complete ligiment and some tendon tears with chronic inflamation (inflammation) of the ulna nerve.   Ortho put me back together as best they could but the lunate ligiment surgery was futile.  So fusion was my only option and that was in late 2004.  I decided to put it off and go on pain managed care with daily morphine.  Its helped up until now, as the more I attempt to do with my arm and hand the worse the erosion of the bone becomes.  I love to ride my motorcycle.   The the more I research in this sport the more I find that we humans do adjust to most debilitating injuries.  So as of this week I've decided to have the fusion, and lose over half my chronic pain, which is a fair trade off for me as I want to start riding again.  You will be fine if u take the time to network with others who have had similiar injuries with like interests ie skateboarding, surfing etc. Utilize the tons of pain meds available, to help u understand your limitations and proceed from there.  Remember you are still alive and will always have the resources you need, so take your time and you may just find u will make the right decision that you can live with.
Good Luck and try not to focus on the negatives this life forces us to recognize, there will always be a solution u just have to be there to see it for yourself.

[tonymo]

im 39 now, in 2001 i had a wrist injury that required the replacement of the scaphoid-lunate lig. which was harvested from my ankle, you might ask your doc to consider this option. had it not been for a motocycle crash in 06, my wrist would still be in good condition. external fixators were put in place till the graph took.total therapy/recovery was about six months post-op.and had about 88% strength/function/ROM. i lived with moderate arth. discomfort but payoff was worth it.now im looking at total wrist fusion or total wrist joint replacement,and im skepticle of both based on my age and active liestyle.but it wouldn't hurt you to discuss the option of harvesting your own tissue with your ortho surgeon before you jump into situation that could be permanent.screws loosen and plates can break cuz were not made of that stuff.and there is no promise that the pain will go away.i also had donor tissue graphted into my knee,all major ligamenst were gone and they were going to take my leg. but thry reconctructed my knee and the tissue took and saved my leg. i walk today because of tissue harvesting/transplanting.check it out.

[zilla60]

Just had my wrist fused last week. Too soon to tell if it has helped yet as I Am still in pain from the surgery. I lived 30 years with arthritis that developed after a fall or falling off a bike or jumping into the wrong end of a swimming pool.
I finally had to say what the f#&K and just do it. I got a bad back and arthritis in my foot also. The back will be next after the wrist heals, I can't go on with the pain

[SalRush]

Hi, i shattered my wrist whilst ice-skating and tryinging to avoid falling on a lil boy, ended up in hospital to have my wrist maliputated then the following day being admitted into hospital where i had an operation to insert a plate and 7 pins. My operation was Feb Fri 13th 2009 and i'm still not able to use my hand properly and can still hardly move it. Just to add to everything i'm still in so much pain which is making me depressed. I think i can safely say that it has ruined my life. I see the physio every week where she tells me things are getting better, they are just taking my time. I decided to have a look on the internet to see if there were any other people in my situation where we can ***** and moan about things and just get things of ours chest.

[sjelby]

I was pushed from behind by a bouncer and landed on my wrist. I had nine breaks in the radial head  . I had K wires in first ,then after a week i was back into the operating room for a plate and nine screws.. This was back in early November 08. Then a couple of the wires broke through the skin as the swelling went down and they got infected, back into hospital again for a few more days before the took them out. I still have a lot of pain in the wrist and thumb that they say is probably arthritis forming and when it gets too much to put up with they recomend fusing the wrist.As i used to play golf and lay bricks for a living this news is not so good. hopefully the judge awards me a healthy sum to compensate for all this . Good luck with yours.. Taking panadol daily seems to help with the pain. (when i remember to take them)
Sjelby

[RB19]

I am 23 and have instability from a ligament injury from a MVA.  It is my right wrist and I am right dominant.  I had surgery, dorsal wrist arthroplasty, almost a year ago.  4 months post op my doctor drop the partial wrist fusion bomb shell, I did not see it coming. I still have pain everyday, decreased grip strength, my ulnar sided pain is back, and my shoulder, elbow and left arm are starting to feel the effects of increased use.  I am a RN.  I know I will go through with the surgery but I would love to hear how people feel after a partial wrist fusion. Any regrets?  Being young do I have more to consider down the road.  Quite honestly I want to just jump on my bike and ride again, or dive into a pool and swim labs again without pain or needing to put on a splint!  

Also, I know we all think of questions as soon as we leave the room, try to write them down and bring in your list,  and google other questions to ask.  I know it has helped me in the past and uses the doc time more wisely.

[Dr Vinod]

As all other methods of consevative treatment fail your orthopaedician has adviced for partial wrist fusion.
This procedure is used to reduce wrist pain while preserving wrist movement.
A partial fusion uses bone graft from one of the bones in the forearm to join three small wrist bones together: the scaphoid, the trapezium, and the trapezoid. These three bones form a triangle on the thumb side of the wrist. The fusion holds these bones in place when pressure or load is put on the wrist.

[RB19]

Okay, I understand the procedure and its intended results but what implications would it have down the road.  Is it like a knee replacement and need some work down the line?  All the information I have found and studies are done in arthritic joints and the average age is almost double mine.  

[Dr Vinod]

Yes this is the only factor against you, age!  As conservative treatment should be done and if it works then fine but in your case the fusion of wrist was done by your surgeon to improve the quality of life taking all factors into consideration.
Now you should be careful with this wrist and preserve it. Do not lift weights or do any agressive work with this wrist. If you change your lifestyle and take care of your wrist there is nothing difficult down the road and there would not be any complications.
You can do normal activities slowly your strength will increase but avoid all the things your Orthopaedician has mentioned.
Take care!

[beaubeauman]

hey I busted both wrists in a dirtbike crash 5 years ago....non union of the scaffoid after a screw was inserted with 3 k wires, went back for the bone graft a few months later...been ok ever since, can deal with the pain and have adjusted to having pretty much no movement, think it may have partially fused itself. Its only just started giving me real pain and clicks and grinds constantly, so just thinkin about fusion for the long term. I am an Electrician and just wanted to know anyone out there who has had a fusion and does manual work with their hands for a living afterwards and if its a tough adjustment? also any tips for just keeping my wrist healthy ( things to do, things to avoid )? I'm 27

[RB19]

The only thing I have ever been told for my wrist is to wear a splint! It helped more with pain relief in the begining, but wearing one while you work might decrease the pain in the short term. CORFLEX makes a great "ultra cool fit" wrist splint.  
Hope to hear what others have to say about the adjustment, I am interested too!  If you are already use to no movement you might not have much to adjust to.  Best of luck!  

[teeroy77]

I had a major dislocation of my scaphoid back in 2005 of my right hand. Had to put in pins to get the scaphoid back in place...no good after 1 year of therapy and pain it didn't work. had to get a 4-corner wrist fusion.Here I sit for the past few years in daily pain but I never stopped surfing.Bone to bone, no cartliage so I elected to stop dealing with every day pain( no painkillers) only when un-bearable, going thru with full wrist fusion 8/14/09--tommorow.Back in 2005 my left hand was dislocated and went thru the exact procedure and ended up with a 4-corner fusion. Therefore both wrists are screwed. My whole life has been insane with activity surfing,skateboarding,dirtbikes etc... my love and lif is surfing... will never stop.. After 2 wrists screwed up, I took a surf trip last October to the Mentawis off Indonesia..the best time of my life. will continue to surf until death.. I will never give up to much strength inside.. You need ot be stong in life and will aclompish all you set out to do...I am trippin about the surgery tommorow but I know after battling these wrist problems in life all is good...

[Dr Vinod]

It is very good to hear those lines from you.

Only take care that you do not harm anything further. Discuss with your operating Orthopaedician and continue surfing and the advice from expert will help you to minimize damage.

Take care!

[RB19]

You are so right... everyday is that decision to wake up and live with what life gives you and LIVESTRONG!  
A wrist is small on the scheme of life and I hold out for the idea that one day I will not be in this pain.  And if that means a partial fusion I am for it!  Still scared about it, but will LIVE with it.  Still bike riding... and would love to learn to surf, want to teach me??
Hope everything went well, keep us posted on the recovery and surfing!
Best wishes.
RB

[teeroy77]

1 week yesterday fused right wrist..hard lto type 1 handed and i am righty ..right wrist fusion the wake-up was intense.. 4 shots diladin..2 percosets 10mg..then chewed a 20 mg. oxy finally could talk 2 nurse..after 4 surgery's in 5 years this being #6 by far the most insane..to function without snivelling i need 2-10mg. percoset every 6 hours, need to try to beat the window where it acts up..i wake up all the time with pain, chew in half the 2 pills and cringe until they work/kick in..hard the first week to run my business ..too much pain.. alot of rest, ice and keeping arm up above heart level..the otherday -day 6 - pain went to different level--no appetite alot of v-8 juice  finally forced a sandwich at 3pm..though it  couldn't get worse?? day 7 got appetite back.cant type anymore will update for you that want to hear..

[RB19]

Any update? pain go down yet?  I would love to hear how you are doing!!! and yes, typing is difficult!

[Phill614]

teeroy, thank you for your post, i need make a decision in the next 2 weeks weather to have a full wrist fusion or wrist joint replacement to my left wrist.  i went in for a TFCC repair back in apr 08 (i swear he rotor rootered my entire wrist joint) then put one of those pain pumps onto the side of my wrist which helped for 3-4 days before taking it out.  i've never expierenced that kind of pain after a surgery. i kept having pain on the ulner side of the wrist and pain in the thumb joint that was irritated by the physical therapy. i had another surgery feb 13 2009 to again repair the TFCC but this time put a stich in the legimend and did another complete rotor rooter of my left wrist, this time i managed the pain better but i still was having pains through out the wrist joint. again i had several more weeks of PT that seemed to help with the Range of Motion but not a whole lot for the on and off shooting pains, oh i forgot to mention that after surgery #2 i had clicking, clunking and ratching sounds in my wrist,  i started getting a large bump on the ulnar side which got larger and larger and still lots of pain in the center and both sides of my wrist. aftter each surgery and several weeks of therapy i went back to work even with pain. In Junt 09 i had a third surgery and this time the Doc removed a large ganglion the wrapped its self around my ulnar nerve and the TFCC repair, on the thumb side he relieved pressure on a tendon by cutting the sheath.  nothing was done about the clicking, clunking, grinding and ratching.  i had 3 more weeks of therapy and stopped because of the pain. about 2 months ago same doctor sent me out for a second opinion and that doctor was quick to want to fuse my wrist, at that point i never imagined my wrist had gotten that trashed, i refused to believe that doctor.  i returned to the treating doctor and told him i wanted to get another treating doctor and he agreed.  last week the doctor read through all 3 surgery notes and the MRI's and x-rays and took his own x-ray and didn't like what he saw, we briefly discussed fusion but he asked me to do some research about fusion and wrist joint replacements and to find out what medicaane was used in the pain pump on my first surgery.  sorry to be so long winded but this is the first site i've found that has other people that are expierencing the kind of pain i'm going through. Oh i forgot to mention at that last appt. with my last doctor i tested postive for corpral tunnel sydrum as a direct result of all the fluid in the joint and extensive PT.  TEEROY i'm looking forward to hearing how your doing..I'm 49 and extreemly active and work as a mechanic in the airline industry and i am left handed

[teeroy77]

in a cast trying to type lefty, pain went way down, stopped meds last saturday, 5 days off, pain is different. black and blue on tops of fingers went away last week fingers look normal black and blue switched to inside fingers just slightly discolored. in a cast until 1 week from today, was in for a 3 week run got 1 left, yeah. very uncomfortable hard to bend or curl fingers. want to use hand but very cautious and careful, can't wait to start therapy. top of hand still very numb.

[Phill614]

Hi Teeroy, thanks for letting know how your doing, what has the doctor told you?  is everything going as expected?  does the cast go above the elbow and is there any pins sticking out?  when are you expected to start therapy?  was your only option a full wrist fusion or was a replacement an option?  i have talked myself out of a joint replacement because how active i am and the possibility damaging the hardware and having to go through the whole process again.  not sure if a partical fusion is the best option either because of future  arthritis and going through another surgery.  thanks again for keeping us informed   Phill

[Phill614]

how's it going teeroy, i just saw the doctor today and have decided to go for the total wrist fusion of my left dominate hand.  having spent countless hours researching about wrist fusions and replacements and reading what ya'll have expierenced, i feel i'm making the right choice.  now i was told i would be able to get back to work full duty in about 3 months. how are you doing? are you doing therapy yet? do you feel comfortable that you made the right decision?  i'll talk to you later  Phill

[teeroy77]

pain way down, no more pills , been 10 days, cast off tuesday, started therapy yesterday, got in my pool and finally got to move my hand been 5 weeks and i am good now, no regrets, no pins full wrist fusion, 6" plate with 8 screws, scar is cool the kids love it can type again barely, therapy will help. good luck phil it's not as bad as it seems just tought it out and be strong life is life  i want to be pain free 1 day and this is my road on this journey......

[RB19]

I can't tell you how nice it is to hear from people on the same journey I am on.  Glad to hear everything is going well teeroy77!  I am holding out for that pain free day as well.  I just saw my doctor who advises me to wait as long as I can, he sweetly gave me a FEW more splints, I plan on having a partial fusion next year!  I am waiting for leave from work... but it really is nice to hear from all of you.
I ran into someone in PT who had a partial fusion, he was in a Long arm (above elbow) with thumb included for 4 weeks and a short for two.  He did have his scaphoid removed, so that is one less bone to fuse, I was told 8 weeks of casts.  I think pins are included to, and have heard of smaller plates for partial fusions as well.
Good luck everyone, i am glad we are in this together!
LIVESTRONG!

[kriyamon]

I too am faced with inevitable four corner fusion or proximal row carpectomy.  I broke my schaphoid 40 years ago and never knew it.  it's been painful for 30 years, and now necrotic and collapsed it is time.

I'm very glad to see this string as I have searched the internet for years for information and support with this problem.  I am an avid surfer, gardner, and guitar player and treasure the use of my hands.  

I want to talk to others who have been through this and can provide support and advice on procedures, doctors, etc. (I had my hip replace 2 years ago and there were numeroous web-based bulletin boards with tons of information and support.)  I have not found that for SNAC wrist problems.

Any suggestions?  If there is no group we should create one....there are others out there who need it too.

[JMcCormack]

If you can flex and extend your fingers to normal R.O.M. a surgery would not prudent.

Best Regards

[RB19]

There is not much out there about this, I know how frusturating it can be, being a health care professional I like to understand everything about it, my doctor is really good at explaining things, but it leaves me to want to know more.  here is the best place I have found to talk to others in the same situation.  We all feel each others pain and now how hard and complicated the decision to move forward with a fusion is. Me, I am ready just waiting for benefits!! best of luck!

[teeroy77]

wrist surgery man,what do you want to know? where r you located? I am in So. Cal and can offer advice

[bikinginspector]

I broke my wrist 33 years ago and have lived with it and have made adjustments over the years. Recently the pain has gotton worse and is difficult to deal with. I had a dr visit this week and his advice was to have a full wrist fusion. Even though the pain is intense It freaks me out thinking about this surgery. I am 50 years old. I want to thank you all for sharing about your situations. It has helped to read your stories, Thanks...

[JJfrmSD]

Had stage 4 Kienbock's disease since 1986 from a college wrestling injury.  Lived with pain until 2008, when I could no longer take it without painkillers.  Had total wrist fusion in Feb. 2008.  After surgery pain is extreme for about 2-3 weeks, I had a lot of swelling so used a lot of ice and kept wrist elevated most of the time.  Had an infection that increased swelling and pulled stitches through skin, that increased the pain duration and level.  Getting hand function back takes time and rehab.  A lot of post-op pain goes along with this surgery.  I did have several months with no wrist pain, and after 22 yrs that was a nice change.

I started having pain again in Sept 2009.  Had an x-ray done and found that the plate had bent and broke the head off of two screws.  One screw shifted sideways and is poking at the skin on the backside of my hand.  Have to see the Ortho on 10-6 to see what is next.  Not looking forward to another post-op experience, but I'm guessing it is inevitable.  It is hard to believe that this is the best alternative for long term relief of wrist pain.  

[bikinginspector]

I hope all goes well with your next visit. I'm sorry to hear about all you have gone thru and all you have coming up. I'm glad to read you had a little relief for a while and I hope they can get this done and be able to give you a pain free end result. I am struggling with the decision to have it done or not.

[bikinginspector]

I does not sound like there are many if any positive results from the fusion procedure.

[RB19]

I had surgey a little over a year ago. The procedure was intended to relieve the pain in my wrist.  I had no where near the pain after surgery that I had before. And the first post-op week I was so comfortable.  I hold onto that week and hope and think that some day I can be without pain every single second of the day.  I have not gotten more than 6 hours of sleep and I am so tired of the pain, the fusion surgery (although mine would be a partial) is the means to that.  That is the positive, it works to relieve the pain and gain strength.  There are complications with every sugery, and the words of my surgeon saying "its major surgery," and "I think you are too young." run around in my head, but I am tired of putting my life on hold for this wrist. I am glad to find all of you that feel the same way. To JJfrmSD good luck, keep us posted...

[BUICK55]

On Oct 3 2009, while working on a latter i lost my footing and fell approx. 10 feet onto concrete. I had surgery the next morning as the doctor in emerg. said he needed to put plates and pins in because I had reduced my bones in my wrist to near powder. He says I will need a wrist fusion in 3 yrs. Its day 4 since this and I am wide awake at 4:00 am, in pain as the pain meds aren't working. I will try and post  my experience with this injury as time goes on. I feel like most, I have altered the rest of my life. I am so depressed right now that i just don't have the words. My hands are my life and where to be a big part of my future retirement.

[RB19]

Keep your head up, things tend to be the worst right after injury and surgery.  having been 22 months since i was injured I will tell you time helps and hurts but you will pull through, there is no other option!
LIVESTRONG!

[JJfrmSD]

Had appt with ortho surgeon, will have surgery on Friday to remove hardware from my wrist.  He said fusion still looks good, and will not need plate and screw in my wrist anymore.  Will keep you posted on progress after surgery.  

[LLWB]

My (ex)husband first tried a partial fusion as recommended by his ortho surgeon. It failed, so the only alternative was the total wrist fusion. While recovery is painful, he made an excellent and full recovery. At the time we owned and showed cattle, which involved washing, grooming, and clipping them with heavy electric clippers. After figuring out some adjustments, he had no trouble, and I'm talking very minute, precise clipping. He works as a Corrections Captain, having worked up from just an officer. He changes oil in cars, mechanics, does home repairs, etc. There isn't much he isn't able to do. It did take quite awhile for the recovery, but has no pain from it now. Good luck to all who are suffering here.

[jasencollege]

I, like i guess a lot of u, have wrist probs. I had a scaphoid break i dead center, didnt know for 3 +yrs, had the ol nonunion surgery and healed it, went to hard to soon i guess (cause it was healing i saw the xray. i think it was rehab, i would go hard...doc said i could). went to join the army, and saw xray after a appt with a surgeon and saw it was indeed broke and the click clacking sound whenever i moved it ws the screw in the bone and a gap of air. went in out month and a half ago, got the PARTIAL fusion where they take out the surgery. I have been i the cast, and just got out the temporary pins, so am starting rehab. I got like 30 degrees total already, and looking for 70+. Its not that bad, it feels ok, but trust me rehabing your muscles inside is such a btich, you will hate it so much. I have done it twice, and it blows.
Anyhow, dont do it to hard and to quick like i guess i did. good luck, and stay wrist problamatic free

[lerrymoe]

http://www.medhelp.org/user_groups/members/504

[bexyv]

HI All im after some reassurance as I’m having my right hand totally fused on the 18th November, to put I mildly I’m terrified.
To give some history, Im 29 years old, I work in computing and doing PhD as well (nothing like stress huh!).
Sine the age of 14 I have suffered with horrendous wrist pain, resulting in not being able to write without pain. I have seen god knows how many surgeons etc….but a brief history:
At 15 I had an arthroscopy and they found a baggy ligament so they tried to mend it. I have had two further operations to try and sort it, seen 4 pain clinics, had a denervation where they burned the nerves off (they reknitted), further arthroscopies and more recently they found one of the wrist ligaments had torn completely and was bone on bone rubbing resulting in a unstable wrist. To try and sort this last November they took part of my arm tendon and then threaded it through my wrist bones to pull the wrist back and try and stabilise the wrist that way, it wasn’t guaranteed to work. However I tried it and had long period of getting used to it (now have the equivalent of a partial fusion in terms of movement). However the pain is worse and it hasn’t worked so after 6 operations they have decided the only thing left is to fuse it.
I am pretty terrified but I cannot go on being on tramadol, etc and high based pain killers forever, id rather have limited movement.
I am seeing surgeon next week where he is going to put a rigid plaster cast on to simulate a fusion for me but I want reviews, I want real experience from people.
What can I expect? Recovery? Pain etc?
I have tiny boney hands so I reckon the plate will effect things?
Thanks I advance

Bex

[RB19]

It really sounds like we have the same injury.  I am waiting as long as I can before I have a partial fusion, it has been 21 months and thought that was bad, but I guess you have had a longer journey. Write down all your questions before your next appointment, your surgeon should be able to calm your nerves.  He may aslo know someone he has recently operated on for you to chat with.  I did some PT for pain management a few months ago and ran into a man my age who had the same surgery and he was really happy and had ROM that he didn't expect.  
And from experiance the size of the wrist determines the hardware size. But ask your surgeon, he should realize how big a step this is for you, and be willing to anwser all your questions.
Good luck!  Keep us posted!

[Phill614]

Hi Bex and all the rest of you that have had fusions or hand surgeries, i have a new post and i plan to keep you all updated.  under the search option i typed Total Wrist Fusion and this what i wrote.                                                                                                                                                            Well today is the big day, it's 10:50am central time and i have to be at the surgery center by 1pm.  Today i'm having a total fusion of my dominate left hand, i have looked at all options and this is in my best option if i want to get on with my life as normal as possible if that makes any sense.  I've had three operations on my left hand apr 30, 2008, feb. 13 2009 and june 6 2009.  the orginal problem for the first surgery was a small tear in the TFCC ligament, that it.  i had extensive physical therapy after each surgery with only temporary relief and sometimes no relief of pain.  I went through the process to change doctors through workers comp. which went ok.  My new doctor reviewed my previous records and more checks and test and we (Doc. and I)  determined the best option due to the type of work i do and the very active life style i have is to have a TOTAL WRIST FUSION.  I plan keep everyone updated as often as possible, i want others to know what i'm going through and hopefully inform them what they will be going through.  Oh by the way the reason for the total wirist fusion is my cartlidge is totally destroyed, i have a legal matter going on so i can't mention the cause of the destroyed cartlidge.  Talk to ya'll later  Phill

[bexyv]

Hey thanks for the reply, really appreciate it, two weeks today and im very scared. The surgeons is so lovely, he has said my plate needs to come out as im so bony and small in the wrist.  I had the choice between the partial and full but tbh ive had enough now, this is op number 7 and the idea the partial may not work for me makes me think id rather go for the drastic one but have a good result and no more pain.

The partial does give you a lot of ROM form what ive heard, trouble is my wrist moves less than a partial now due to the pain so for me ive kind of physchologically made the decision. im just hearing horror stories of the pain after and im scared. Already on high opium pain killers so i need to discuss this when i go in.

Lets hope we can all be pain free :(

Thanks again

Beckix

[bexyv]

Phil

Wishing you all the best for your op, its good to be able to talk to others with similar injuriesi, ive had a bone scan which basically showed the whole of my right wrist wihta big problem, dont you find that some surgeons think your exagerating on the pain? My latest surgeon is so lovely and im very lucky really.

Sendin you my best wishes and keep us posted

Becki xx

[RB19]

I think the pain is so bad that it effects every part of your life and no one can fully understand it. I have an amazing physican who always understands my frustrations and helps work on the issues at hand... LOL
best of luck, remember pain comes after surgery but your team of Docs and nurses will make it as comfortable as possible.  
Best wishes!!!

[Phill614]

good morning, the surgery went well according to the Doctor, the surgery  took 2 hrs. 20 min..  i woke up in hosp. room at 11:30pm hungry and having to go the bathroom (lol) never thought that would be an issue.  bone graph was taken from my left hip, doctor takes from the hip because theres plenty of bone to use for graphing.  the hip feels like a really bad charlie horse.  i feel like an old man walking around, it's a little difficult turning around in bed.  i've found stuffing 2 pillows into 1 pillow case works better 4 me to rest my arm,  last night i had a fever of 100.6, fingers very swollen, and exposed fore arm very red.  i called the Docs office around 7:30pm., i was really surprised that the answering service put him on the line.  he said it is not uncommon to get fever of up to 102, and redness and excessive swelling bothered him, doc did say total wrist fusions have an awful lot of swelling buts wants to see me before the weekend i'll heading to the dr. office about 9am .  the only reason i'm up at this hour is waiting for the next pain pill  hydrocordone 10-500.  the meds say take every 4-6 hours, i need it every 4 hours there is quite a bit of pain in the wrist but a different kind of pain than before.  Docs says it's a must to keep moving fingers so they don't stiffen up.  well thats all the one handed typing for now and time to take Med.  i'll keep ya'll updated   Phill

[Phill614]

today is 5 days since surgery.  well i went back to the doctors office they cut away the first dressings, no signs of infection, & normal swelling. 3 xrays were taken which showed the 6 in. long plate & 8 screws and where the bone graph was placed.  18 stiches close up the plate, pretty impressive.  it was rewrapped & i go back Mon. NOV. 16th.  the biggest problem i've had is Constapation and bad, today 5 days since last business was done, the pain killers every 4 hrs and the anastetic given in the hosp, yesterday morning i took drastic measures, i stopped the meds, i was already eating very little, quit anymore food,  i tried stool softners  no help, took the green bottle of magnesiumn citrus and 2 ES exlax,  no help.  this morning i took i again took 2 more exlax  and waited about 4 hours then i drank another green bottle,  by 5 this afternoon the problem was solved if you get my drift.  now i'm sure many of you did't need that added info. but no one yet has gone step by step what they went through.  i ate a lite dinner and took a much needed pain killer. the pain i'm having trouble with is the elbow to the forearm, it feel really knotted up. swelling has gone down in the fingers a little and i do move my fingers as i was told to.  thats all for now and i'll date in a couple days    Phill

[RB19]

Thanks for the updates... so are you in a long arm (above the elbow) cast?  And how is the pain now compared to before surgery?  My first op I had no pain after surgery, or at least it was nothing compaired to what I had been experiancing, abd  I would take stool softeners while still on the pain meds regularly, they really slow down the GI motility.  

[Phill614]

short arm 1/2 cast, i wish it was full arm, i'm left handed and my pea brain keeps telling me grab it, although i don't.  the pain is very different sometimes stabbing knife wrenching pain from wrist joint, sometimes in my forearm & above elbow like i lifted  weights the feeling of pulled and strained musles. then other times pain coming from my knuckles & thumb joint a long dull ache, i really know the pain when not taking meds when supposed to.  RB what has your pain been like and how long since surgery?  did bone graph come from hip?  hip doing much better each day, not really an issue except getting up and rolling over. thats it for now it took me 30 min to type this wrong handed   LOL    but thats ok  update is good   Phill

[Phill614]

7 DAYS SINCE TOTAL FUSION, just a short note.  the last 2 days i've been expierencing some extreem nerve and musle pain just below my shoulder to about 5 inches fwd of elbow where the arm bends.  pain meds not really helping this issue, i've just put Bio Freeze on this area and it's feels a hair better.  it appears i'm also starting having another bout with Constipation, this really s u c k s.  talk to yall later   Phill

[RB19]

Sorry to hear about the nerve pain... and the constipation.  I had Dorsal Wrist Arthroplasty over 16 months ago, I was in the car accident over 22 months ago and since that day I have had pain like a dull ache that gets pretty intense.  I am young and my surgeon has told me to try to wait as long as possbile to have the fusion, mine would be partial, and the graph would come from my radius.  I plan on having surgery next year, it hurts way too much!  And has affected every part of my life! I am sure you understand.  
Drink plenty of fluids for the consto. and move your elbow it may help with the nerve pain.  Please continue to keep us up to date!

[Phill614]

i posted a few new pics of my wrist, just click on my name & it will get you there.  Also today is day 8 post op, no more Constipation TG.  I'm having lots of shooting pain from elbow (funny bone area).  shooting to my pinky finger & knuckles, no pain today so far around fusion site just every else.   LOL    TTYL   Phill

[Phill614]

Here's a link to where i'm keeping updates about my wrist-------------------------------------http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Orthopedics/Total-Wrist-Fusion/show/1093237 ;          copy and paste in address bar          Phill

[pau38]

had a total left wrist fusion on fri 13nov.so far so good pain is o.k most of the time,and just wanted to reasure anyone out there who is nervous about having this done dont be,i was an absolute reck but it really isnt that bad.i had my wrist fused because my left hand is deformed(2 fingers missing)and i had worn out my wrist joint since my fusion the pain already seems much less.im back in hospital on 23 nov for dressings to be changed so will up date you all then.best of luck to all of you out there considering having this done.

[Phill614]

pau38, glad to hear your doing better, i got the stiches out yesterday (Nov. 16th) i'm not having much pain in the fusion area buy i'm having some intense ulnar nerve and forearm muscle pain, pain killers don't help.  i just bought a tennis/golf elbow strap that secures around the forearm & so far seems to help.  yesterday i started ultra sound therapy that promotes bone growth, the ultea sound product name is EXOGEN Bone Healing System.  i'm mention this because workmans comp apporved the use and payment of this machine which tell me it must work also the doctor said it was medically necessary, i use it daily for 20 min.  Tomarrow  bexyv (Becki) is having her wrist fused, so i'm sure she'll want all of our prayers.  here's again is the link to my progress (i'm a couple days behind)     http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Orthopedics/Total-Wrist-Fusion/show/1093237 ;        Phill

[pau38]

how long has it been since your fusion?are you still wearing a cast?have you had any physiotherapy?(sorry about all the questions).my pain is o.k most although sometimes it can be very intense,but i do have a lot of swelling.mymain concerns are returning to work as i am a car mechanic by trade and found it hard enough with my hand and wrist before the operation.

[Phill614]

good morning Pau, my surgery was Nov. 3rd. i'm in a half cast/splint, i had what i thought was extream swelling bot not so according to the doctor. you can see what my hand looked like 3 days after surgery just click on to my highlighted name then click the pics.  i returned to the doctor because of fever and swelling but again according to him it looked normal.  swelling now is way way down, kinda looked like a dried up prune when dressing were removed monday. I'm an airline aircraft mechanic so I too do manuel labor for a living, that is why i elected for total fusion and not joint replacement.   before surgery i asked how long before i could return to work full duty with "no restrictions" and he said 3 months.  asked him what could go wrong he said non-union of bone graph could happen 1 by trying to use the hand to early and if i was a smoker this could a non-union.  Pau did you check out my link? this was my to update my progress. oh the pics i took were with my cell phone so that can be handy at the doctors office.  talk to you later     Phill           p.s. whats your first name if you don't mind  

[pau38]

my first name is paul,must have miss typed the l?and i live in norfolk in the u.k.

[Phill614]

Hi Paul, check out this link about bone growth stimulators and ask your doctor about it. i am using a ultrasound bone growth stimulator daily for 20 min.       later  Phill-------------http://www.aetna.com/cpb/medical/data/300_399/0343.html

[Phill614]

Good morning, todays 21 days post op. still having muscle and nerve pain in forearm/elbow and it's not really improving yet. I'm sleeping a little better and longer without waking with pain. i'm still not using my wrist for "anything", i don't want to take a chance of a non-union of the bone graph. i've been doing daily ultra sound for 20 minutes at home thats suppose to stimulates bone growth, whatever it takes to get it right and back to work and being useful.  only using pain meds a couple times a week usually at bed time.  thats about it for now, i'll update in a couple days.   Paul how are you doing?  Phill

[pau38]

doing really well it is day 12 for me and have not had to take any pain relief for 4 days now.had dressings and stitches removed on mon 23 nov,and rm now in solid cast for 4 weeks.i no longer have any pain at all in the wrist or arm area allthough the ends of my fingers feel strange to touch.i hope you start doing better soon.

[RB19]

Glad to hear you are doing well.  can I ask what kind of cast?  Long arm or short? Long goes above the elbow.  You had a total fusion, right?  Have a Happy Thanksgiving!! next year I hope to be thankful that I no longer have constant pain in my wrist! and that I made it through!

[pau38]

hi.yes its a short arm cast and i had a total wrist fusion.so far i am happy to say i have no regrets to having this operation done.if you are considering this next year then i hope it is as sucessfull for you as it has been for me.