Has anyone here had a wrist ganglion?

Went to the docs today about a lump on my wrist-turns out it was a ganglion (cyst). He aspirated the contents in hopes that it would get rid of the cyst. However, in about 50% of cases they come back, and the only way to get rid of them permanently is through surgery.

Has anyone been through this? I'm not especially thrilled about having surgery and I would like to know what to expect.

I had/have one, they kept draining it for years, finally the pain got to intense and they cut it out. Well guess what? It came back, smaller but still there. I just deal with it now, when it gets really bad I wear a wrist brace and take Advil. It sort of comes and goes. The docs call it a floater

Originally Posted by okeefecl

Has anyone been through this? I'm not especially thrilled about having surgery and I would like to know what to expect.

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I went through this many long years ago, apparently caused by the lengthy stirring required to make a correct gumbo roux which might pass Jim's taste test. At that time my doctor said I had two choices: (1) just ignore it and it might go away, or (2) drop a Gutenberg Bible on it.

I took the first option, and lo and behold, it went away -- almost 15 years later!

Good cheer -- all will be well,

Ann, with Jim, Samwise and Miss Kitty, on a Texas beach

Originally Posted by James Brown

I went through this many long years ago, apparently caused by the lengthy stirring required to make a correct gumbo roux which might pass Jim's taste test. At that time my doctor said I had two choices: (1) just ignore it and it might go away, or (2) drop a Gutenberg Bible on it.

I took the first option, and lo and behold, it went away -- almost 15 years later!

Good cheer -- all will be well,

Ann, with Jim, Samwise and Miss Kitty, on a Texas beach

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I read about the book method *shudder* I think I'd rather have the surgery.

Unfortunately, I can't wait for it to go away. I'm a bench scientist and do a lot with my hands. Sigh. Hopefully the emptying will do the trick.

I have had one on my hand for years. I heard that they smash it with a book to make it go away, too. So, I have never had it tended to. A few years ago, I inadvertantly smashed my hand right on the cyst. OMG, did it hurt! But it did dissipate it some. It's smaller than it was.

I have had 3 removed and none of them came back. And the pain is not bad. The surgery is over quick. The worst part is they have to put a tight band on your upper arm to stop the blood from coming into the area and that hurts!!I had one in each inside of my wrist and one on the top of my wrist. I think when they suck it out it hurst worse the the surgery!

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Originally Posted by sherral46

I think when they suck it out it hurst worse the the surgery!

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You are not encouraging me here, Sherral......

I had one on a tendon to my finger, right at the base on the pad of my palm. They aspirated it (basically breaking it up, like the bible remedy) but it came back. I had it operated on, local anestesia (sp?) and I couldn't feel a thing. I had to wear a bandage for a few weeks, but the surgery took care of it. It has been about 8 years and no signs of returning.

Don't be afraid, no more pain from the cyst is definately worth it!

My other half had one, he uses his hands alot during his work to do really fiddly things, he had it removed just before he met me in a day hospital and almost four years later he hasn't had any problems (touch wood!)

I just had one removed in Dec 2003. My cyst was on the inside of my wrist, right hand where wrist and bottom of thumb area meet. I had the cyst for over a year and was getting bigger and I was starting to have pain with it. My surgen told me when you first see the cyst that is the time to have the fluid drained. If you wait a long time a hard sack forms around the fluid and it will not go away. and if you have pain with it, like I did have it removed. My surgery went well and 2 weeks ago my doctor saw me for the last time and I am glad I had it removed.
When I was a teenager (early 70's) I had one on my left hand on the top of my wrist. I was very active in softball and it got hit one day and burst. It went away and have no signs of it. If you do your research, years ago they were called bible knots, the ones ontop of your wrist. Because people used their Big Bibles to hit it with to burst it Thats how our Great Great grandparents got rid of them. Not me.
Clara

I've been having trouble with ganglion cysts on my upper wrists for 29 years, have had the left wrist operated on three times, and regularly use the "dictionary/Bible" and the "smash your hand against a tiled wall" methods. They always come back. When I have pain from them, usually in my upper arm, I wear a splint and take Ibuprofen. I just "broke" one yesterday. It will probably be gone for several months to a few years, only to return again.

Originally Posted by Deb25

You are not encouraging me here, Sherral......

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Sorry Deb25 !! But it is the true,when they cut it out ,they numb it,they do not when they drain it.

Believe it or not, I get them on the top of my feet (one foot or the other at a time). I have had them 3 or 4 times in the past 15 years. The first time, I ignored it and it went away after a couple of years. (boy do they hurt when pressure is applied!) The next two times or three times I got them, I would literally pray that God would heal them. Each time they would go away. I haven't had any in several years. Also, as a side note, I had a painful double bunion on the side of my left big toe (on the joint). One bunion started to grow on top of the other!! I was horrified! My mother prayed one day (silently, so I didn't even know it) while she had her hand over it. A couple of weeks later, to my shock, it was COMPLETELY gone!! It has never returned and that was about 5 years ago.