Question about Cysts

[Rowan]

Has anyone here ever had a Ganglion Cyst on the underside of their wrist? If so did you have it drained or removed? Last question, if you had it removed what was the procedure to remove it like?

 

[acemcmac]

is that something I'd get from wearing down my mousepad until it cuts me?

I have problems with that... not the whole cyst thing though...

 

[Excelsior]

Here.


Treatment options

The first course of treatment is nonsurgical and conservative.



Observation. Because the ganglion is not cancerous and may disappear in time, the physician may recommend just waiting and watching to make sure that no radical changes occur.

Immobilization. Activity often causes the ganglion to increase in size, thus increasing the pressure on nerves and causing pain. Your physician may recommend that you wear a wrist brace or splint to relieve symptoms and allow the ganglion to decrease in size. As pain decreases, your doctor may prescribe exercises to strengthen the wrist and improve range of motion.

Aspiration. If the ganglion causes significant pain or severely limits your activities, you may choose to have the doctor drain the fluids with a procedure called "aspiration." The doctor will numb the wrist and puncture the cyst with a needle to remove the fluid.

 

[Rowan]

Thanks....I had come across that webpage before. I'm hoping someone who's had one, could share their experience; out of 80,160 members someone else here must have encountered one.

 

[Ryan]

While I personally haven't had one, this woman who used to come to our house and give my mother a pedi/mani-cure had a rather large one in the middle top of her hand (opposite fo your palm). She said it hurt, but after she had it drained every couple of months she said it felt MUCh better.

 

[upsciLLion]

A friend of mine gets those from time to time. He smashes his hand down onto something hard, and it more or less pops them. It doesn't come back for a couple months usually. I wouldn't recommend his method, though. Have it drained if it's that much of a bother.

 

[TreyRandom]

I had one on the top of my wrist for a couple of years. Excessive activity would make it ache. However, one day, it popped. A few months later it came back, but popped again later. It has not come back again... yet.

My doctor told me that there's a 50% chance of them coming back if they're popped or drained, if I remember correctly. That's one reason why doctors typically prefer to "wait and see" rather than go ahead with surgery unless the pain is absofreakinlutely unbearable.

Waiting worked for me, and the pain was noticeable, but quite bearable (even without pain medication), especially with a wrist splint. So, that's what I would recommend, provided your pain is manageable.

I never could pop mine by banging it against anything, although I tried a few times. I wouldn't recommend it... ouch... WTH was I thinking?

 

[simms]

Look, I have one on the top of my wrist. I got it drained, with it coming back. My doctor said there was an 85% chance it would come back, and it did. I've had it for about 5 years now. I even went to the extent of getting it surgically removed last year. It came back within 8 months. Surgery was supposedly 50/50. While I must say.. the feeling of it gone was amazing... like you're used to it being there, and it's GONE.

I don't know if I'll do surgery again. it left a scar, but if I can actually make it go away I'll do it one more time. I think the cyst is in a SLIGHTLY different spot, but that's just telling from the scar i have.

 

[apac]

Just be glad it's not in your ass.

 

[TreyRandom]

Originally posted by: simms
Look, I have one on the top of my wrist. I got it drained, with it coming back. My doctor said there was an 85% chance it would come back, and it did. I've had it for about 5 years now. I even went to the extent of getting it surgically removed last year. It came back within 8 months. Surgery was supposedly 50/50. While I must say.. the feeling of it gone was amazing... like you're used to it being there, and it's GONE.

I don't know if I'll do surgery again. it left a scar, but if I can actually make it go away I'll do it one more time. I think the cyst is in a SLIGHTLY different spot, but that's just telling from the scar i have.

I think your recurrence percentages are probably more accurate than those I gave, Simms... 85% for drained, 50% for surgically removed.

 

[TubStain]

I just had my second one recently just below the underarm. I drained it myself after I couldnt bear the pain. I just stabbed it with a needle and squeezed it like mad until all the pus was drained. Then cleaned it with alcohol. Did that 3 times and then it healed itself and subsided.

I once had a much larger one near my beltline below my belly button. Drained that one too, but it needde to be surgically removed since it had gotten too big. Wasnt too bad, doc just slit it open and stuffed it with gauze and it was ok in a few days after the gauze was removed.

 

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: Rowan
Thanks....I had come across that webpage before. I'm hoping someone who's had one, could share their experience; out of 80,160 members someone else here must have encountered one.

Well, here you go. I had the problem. It was not painful but looked bad.
My doctor made an incision in my wrist and then into whatever causes the ganglion and then stitched that up and then the incision in my wrist.
Apparently some viscous material is involved because he picked some of it up and let me see it.

The doctor said it would most likely come back. It never did. That was 1984.

Oh yes, the cost: $360. Not bad for 15 minutes work.

 

[MomAndSkoorbaby]

I have only seen them surgically removed before....that's about all I know!

 

[Wag]

Excuse me while I vomit.

 

[Ogg]

Originally posted by: apac
Just be glad it's not in your ass.

:thumbsup:

 

[DrPizza]

Good luck with it..

btw, from that link above, it occurs most often in gymnasts and people who flex their wrists a lot..
And... just what was it you were doing with you wrist? Hmmmm????

 

[Wag]

I'll wait for the movie.

 

[Kalvin00]

:thumbsdown:

 

[FoBoT]

holy crap!

break out the SawZ All and belt sander and get that thing off your arm!!

 

[Papagayo]

My wife had hers drained..

They just insert a needle and suck out the fluid..

It will be little sensitive, but nothing major..

 

[440sixpack]

I had a big one, the size of a walnut, removed from my ankle. Doctor said he could drain it, but since the fluid is so thick a relatively large needle would be needed and the size of the hole would increase the chance of an infection. So I had him cut it out - general anaesthesia, it's a great thing. A smaller one came back for a little while a year or so later, but that one disappeared on its own. Haven't had any problems in the last five years. It never hurt, just felt weird to have this huge lump on the side of my ankle.

 

[simms]

Crap. I wish mine would go away though. Mine is about the size of... a marble, on my wrist. Ya, it's hella annoying.. just wish it'd go away. I doubt lifting heavy weights helps either..

 

[Rowan]

Now the thought of getting this thing drained or removed doesn't seem so bad, this is the first time I've ever encountered anything like this. I was freaked out at first thinking I must have a tumor, and they would want to take my arm. I always think of the worst that could happen first. I'm still waiting for my appt with the doc to check this thing out, thinking I may go to a Urgi Care place and see if they can do anything for it. It's on my right hand, and is getting pretty annoying, can't type or write to long without my hand getting tingly and numb. I'm wondering if one can get these things from typing and having your hands curled up when you type. If that makes sense.

Thanks for all your replies.

 

[StevenYoo]

i had a ganglion cyst on my wrist some years back.

the doc aspirated it, no problem.

but now i think i may have another on the other wrist... oh well