Botched Carpal Tunnel Surgery results in agony for Mrs L.

In 2019, Mrs L started to experience pain in her right hand which was a dull on and off stinging pain as well as pins and needles. As time went on her hand became more painful, so she consulted her GP who thought she had carpal tunnel syndrome. Mrs L was referred to the ACHE clinic.  

After the clinic appointment, Mrs L was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome and was booked for a right carpal tunnel decompression procedure, which is a procedure to relieve pressure on the nerves in the wrist. The pain in Mrs L’s right hand remained the same until the procedure.

Mrs L had the surgery and was in pain for the next 2 weeks. The pain was bad, but she believed it to be post-operative pain and thought that it would resolve on its own. A few weeks after the surgery, Mrs L went to her GP surgery to have the stitches removed. After having the stitches removed, she continued to suffer with pain, which was becoming unbearable. She contacted the doctor who performed her surgery and was told that the pain was from her nerves settling down post-surgery. The doctor said that it would take up to 12 months to heal properly. This was almost 2 months after the surgery.

Mrs L was referred to a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon because the pain continued, but there was a long waiting list. By around a year after the surgery, Mrs L had lost sensation in her right fingers, she had constant pain in her right hand, was unable to raise her right arm due to the pain, she also struggled to do any household chores or carry out personal care.

As the NHS waiting list was so long, Mrs L opted to see the Orthopaedic Surgeon privately as the pain was still really bad. She also had to do as much as possible with her left hand which meant that her left hand had also become painful due to the extra work.

She saw a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon and was advised to have more surgery to try to treat the pain. She was transferred to the NHS waiting list for the procedure.  

Mrs L’s symptoms continued, and she underwent a nerve conduction study and an ultrasound scan before her second procedure. The second surgery was performed in 2022, and it revealed that the first procedure was performed incorrectly, and this is why Mrs L had ongoing problems.  

Following the second procedure, Mrs L experienced very little improvement to her right hand. The numbness and lack of sensation in her hand and fingers continued, and she had no feeling or grip in her right hand or fingers. She has ongoing pain in her right wrist and and her left hand due to excessive use. The cold weather also makes the pain and numbness worse. She now has restricted mobility and struggles to perform everyday tasks such as household chores and personal care.

Prior to the procedure, Mrs L also lived an independent lifestyle. She did all her own household chores and gardening. She now must pay someone to do her household chores and gardening.  

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