Surgery for Ganglion Cyst Removal

I had one removed from the joint where my middle finger meets my hand almost 3 years ago. I had been dealing with it for about 12 years before that where it would come and go and sometimes was painful and sometimes not but then it got to the point that it was there all the time and it hurt to move that finger. The surgery wasn't bad. They did not put me all the way to sleep but gave me enough medication that I don't really remember most of it. Afterwards I had my hand bandaged for about a month total. Honestly, for me, the worst part of the whole thing was getting the stitches out! :-)

I had the same problem when I was about her age (I was in 6th grade when I finally had surgery). I used to have to go to the doctor's office to get the cyst drained but it would always come back. I don't remember much about the surgery, but it was outpatient and a pretty quick recovery. No more issues after that. I am 30 yrs old now and only have a small scar on my wrist. Glad that I got it taken care of when I was young.

I have had this done once in high school when I had one in the joint of my middle finger on my right hand. It would get extremely painful at times and I would wan't no one around me. It also didn't help that I had tendonitis in my hands/wrists/arms. I would recommend having it removed. Once it is gone, she will have no further issues. I was told that I could also have a needle used to remove the fluid in the cyst, but it might come back again. I was awake during the procedure but they curtained off my hand so I couldn't see, which I would have rather seen. If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask me. I don't know what else you would like to know. I had my surgery done about 15 years ago. Good Luck.

Hi B.,
I've had two ganglion cysts removed, both from my hand. It was a VERY quick procedure and I was awake for it. I was 20 at the time of the first & 25 for the 2nd. My recovery time was pretty quick. Best of luck to you and your daughter.
L.

I had one of these on my wrist when I was younger. Sounds like a similar situation - would come and go and was sore/bothersome when it was there. However, I never had a doctor recommend surgery. Mine eventually just went away and has not returned. I'm not sure if that's a common scenario, but maybe you could take a wait-and-see approach. Surgery is never a small thing. If the cyst is tolerable (though bothersome), maybe it would be worth waiting.

I had a ganglion cyst on my right wrist that I had to have surgery on because I had no strength in my hand. It turned out that the tail of the cyst had wrapped itself around my tendons and was causing all of the pain and weakness. The surgery was not bad at all and I was in a wrist splint for 3-4 weeks. That was 12 years ago and I am glad I had the surgery. Every once in a while I think it has come back, as they can even if they are removed by surgery, but it always goes away and is never very painful. After my experience with the surgery, if one of my kids develops one, I would not have any problems having it removed surgically. Good luck with whatever decision you make!

Hi. I'm 35 years old, and have had a ganglion cyst for atleast half of my life. It's something that comes and goes. It's really not a big deal. It flares up when I do heavy lifting or push-ups or some other silly thing like that.:) I had it checked out when I was in my early 20s. The doctor said that the way they USED to fix those, and still can, is to slam a huge book (like a big bible or dictionary) on the person's wrist so that the cyst breaks up into teeny-tiny pieces. Archaic, no?:) Anyway, surgery sounds like it might be MUCH more painful than dealing with the cyst, in mho. You might look up natural treatments on the web. I've never bothered, because, honestly, I've gotten used to it.:) Hope this helps.

I would suggest getting the surgery while she is young, she will recovery very quickly, as kids heal faster than adults. If it bothers her off and on now, then it would bother her the rest of her life. Surgical procedures have come a long way, she will have pain though, so just stay up on the pain meds, giving as often as possible at first, then when it first starts to hurt a few days out.

I have not had this surgery, but a friend did in her early 20's. Her cyst came back, and the Dr recommended surgery again. Her opinion was that she wished she hadn't had it done in the first place. It was only painful if she had hit it on something pretty hard.

Hello,
I have a ganglion cyst on my wrist as well, but have never had surgery. I have had it since I was a teenager, but it doesn't ever really bother me. The Dr. wanted to take it off, but I figured why do surgery if you don't "have" to.
Good luck to you and your daughter.

I had one removed about a year ago. The incisions were thre little pin pricks. I had to wear a large bandage for a few weeks and then had to wear a wrist support (brace) until I felt well enough to not need it. The recovery can be painful, but full range of motion does come back (where I didn't have it before because of the pain the cyst caused). In some cases, the cyst can come back. The surgery I believe has a 97% success rate. I'm one of the 'lucky' ones who has to have another surgery because it came back. This time, they will make an incision across the top of it and remove it that way.. If it bothers her, I would go ahead with the surgery. But, if it is something she can live with and it doesn't bother her, it's not a necessary procedure. They are not harmful to have, just painful.

I had a ganglion cyst on my wrist in high school. It would flair up at times but it was not a big deal. They tried to drain it but that did not work. It actually caused me more pain than not. I had my brother hit it hard with a book and that did not work either but it hurt less than the draining process. And than one day it was gone. I don't know how or why but it hasn't come back. I excercise and lift weights and nothing. So for some unknown reason it's cured. So I would say the choice is up to her if she wants to try the surgery. Best of luck~ J.

my mom had surgery for this about 6 years ago & it came back & she has to have surgery for it again. i remember her telling me after it was removed & she was able to use it again that it felt 100x's better. her's was on her wrist right at the joint. i remember before she had it removed that she had very limited use of her wrist. you do have a good right to worry, if any surgeon tells you there are no risks & it's simple, then get a new surgeon. I worked in the surgery floor of a hospital for 2 years & the most important thing o keep in mind after surgery is infection control. good luck & God be with you, I'll keep you in my prayers.

Well, I just had a ganglion cyst removed via surgery a few days ago, and it was a piece of cake! They did use general anesthetic, but all went well, and I've had literally no pain--I did take ibuprofen twice for swelling, but that's it. I've been able to do whatever I want, although of course with a brace on. (I made homemade soup for lunch after returning from the hospital, if that gives you an idea that it wasn't bad.) I am so glad to have had it removed, and wish I had done it long before. I don't know why your doctor advised you that your daughter would have to have her arm in a sling; that isn't a current recommendation and it might be worth it to get a second opinion. Good luck to you and your daughter!

I have a ganglion cyst on both of my wrists. I have had the one on my Right wrist removed twice. The pain isnt horible. It is a bit sore after the surgery and about a week after. The sling helps a lot. Bending it is what really hurts!! Especially if it is done accidentally when it isn't supposed to! The only thing that really sucks is they come bac quite often. I am waiting until I can't stand it anymore to get either one of them done.
Good Luck!
J.

I had this done when I was in high school. Mine never returned after the surgey- thank goodness! She will be in some pain for a day or two, but it's really not too bad. The big pain you will have to deal with is helping her wash her hair. LOL! Good luck!

B....My husband had one on his wrist. His doctor told him just to leave it alone and it will go away. It did go away and hasn't returned. I guess if it gives her pain I may have it removed, but it will eventually go away.

I had a ganglion cyst in high school. The doctor told me that surgery would probably only be a temporary fix, so we didn't really consider it an option. As I got older and didn't use my wrists as much (I used to play basketball and was a cheerleader), it went away, and I haven't had problems in years - probably at least 10. I can't even find it in my wrist any more. I found that avoiding repetitive motion seemed to help.

If it is unbearable, maybe the surgery is the way to go. For me, I'm glad I didn't bother. It never was debilitating enough to go through the experience of surgery.

Good luck!

Hi I have one on my wrist and it is causing problems for me. I did see a hand specialist but surgery would be the last resort. I am currently in a splint as I developed Tendonitis, probably aggravated by the cyst. When I return to the Doctor, I will have cortisone injections and try that first. My understanding is that these can re-occur even with surgery, so for me every other option will come first.
Good luck to you both.
D.

Hi there my 6 yr old daughter has just had her ganglion removed after 9 mths of watching and waiting. After the 9 mth waiting period the cyst had grown and become more painfull so we opted to have it removed. I also have a ganglion cyst which is on the top of my wrist (my daughters was on the underside0 which I have had for the last 14 yrs and causes great pain for me when experiencing a flare up, if removal of mine was an option trust me I would not hesitate.

Hi. My daughter had the same thing on her wrist when she was like 7 or 8, she is now 10, and her pediatrician said it wasn't a big deal and to leave it alone. If it didn't go away they would see about draining it or removing it. It went away a few weeks later and we've not had a problem since. Good luck with what ever you decide to do. You will do what is best for your daughter.