I promised to provide an update after my zoom meeting with my surgeon. Here is what I found out.
My arthritis is at a very advanced stage and creating blockage when I try to move the joint physically. The arthritis displaces the joint and prevent articulation. My carpal tunnel is moderate to moderate extreme, both hands. Arthritis is to the point that she will remove part of the bone to repair and perform the carpal tunnel at the same time, surgery 2-2.5 hours. I will be put into cast that would be changed to a different shape each week. Rehab would start in 6 weeks, total down time for each hand is 3 months. So 6 months recovery is required to repair both hands at a minimum, probably more like 9 mo.
However. There is always a however.. I asked my surgeon ok..With the spike in Covid-19 cases and increases in the reported cases each day, would you suggest I have the surgery now. What are my risk of obtaining COVID-19 in the hospital.
Her response was, from a technical standpoint you should be fine. Surgery is not in a general hospital, and our surgery center is rigidly controlled and maintained we have no reported cases of any one catching COVID from the hospital or surgery. My second answer is, I would not recommend you have surgery with the numbers escalating every day of reported cases. Hospitals and staff are at full capacity and hospitals are being required to open up additional areas to support Covid cases. It may very well be that your osteoarthritis surgeon is performing anesthesia functions in a surgery room, because the medical staff is so overwhelmed with cases, there is not sufficient staff to accommodate the medical needs.
My recommendation is that we do two things, you continue being very active and keep hands working and watch for numbness that could be the result of either carpal tunnel or arthritis. the deciding factor is when you can not pick up and hold a piece of paper. If you can not, we do surgery immediately and take our chances with Covid, so as to not have a permanent loss in dexterity. I urge you to just continue to do what you have been doing and we revisit this in April of Next year. You definitely need surgery, but when Covid risks have substantially reduced.
So....I have found an honest straight forward surgeon. I trust her judgement, I will continue working, monitor the situation and see her in April.
Sorry this was so long, but I promised you an update....