Ganglion cyst - wrist

Yesterday I noticed, for the first time, a cyst on near my wrist. I am overseas. Went to ER. They did an ultrasound. Diagnosed Ganglion cyst. No hand specialist is available for a couple of weeks and I have to travel. Can't see anyone until early August. How serious is this? I consider surgery the last resort but if needed, who does it? Orthopedic surgeon? Dermatologist?

At this point it doesn't look so bad but medical report said it has "intimate contact" with carpal joint (I am translating) which concerns me. No pain.

What options do I have? Thanks

Eric, don't worry about it.  It can be taken care of.  Actually, my neighbor had one and had her brother take a large book and slam it down on the cyst!  It did go away and never came back. 

 

Here is a link about ganglion cysts to put your mind at ease.  They even mention smacking it with a book!  LOL  They don't advise it now but that's how they took care of it years ago. 

 

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/ganglion_cyst

 

Sherrine

 

       ...I have had one for several years now. Dr said if it bothered me, he would remove it, but so far it's just a hard bump on the wist. I don't think I would go to the extreem of possibly injuring yourself by slamming a book on it though! LOL

    SE

Screaming Eagle, I'll be more than happy to whack that cyst with the book of your choice!  I'll even whack you in other places...free of charge!  I don't even charge office calls. 

 

Sherrine

It can be quite painful. I have had it as well. It went away on its own. The old wive's tale is to smack it with a Bible. Faith healing by violence is unnecessary lol

 

     ..yes I agree with your Dr, and this is basically what mine said as well. He went on to say if it bothers the nerves and or blood vessels, then he would do surgery on it, but again that it could come back. I have left mine alone...and would never Let Dr Sherrine come within 100yrd's of it!   I'm afraid she would leave me with more lumps than I have already! ...and I'm already beat up as it is!

 (side note: I personally think these are caused from patients throwing their left over med's in the trash and contaminating the Environment!,.... and not down the sink or toilet, where the wastwater can be treated)  

 

      Good luck!

    SE

I had a large one removed from my left wrist last June. Mine was a big lump on top that had been causing increasing pain for four years and I was wearing a brace almost constantly by the end of it. One orthopedist four years ago said it was probably rheumatoid arthritis and gave me a brace, telling me to wear it whenever it hurt, but never took x-rays. I saw another one just before surgery who took x-rays, said it was definitely a ganglion coming from a tendon almost on the other (palmar) side of my wrist and that he'd be more than happy to do surgery because it'd been so painful. Mine turned out to actually be the really deep cyst with a cluster of smaller ones just underneath it coming from a tendon on the thumb side of my wrist. I have a two-inch scar on my wrist, which he said is quite long for that type of surgery. He was very glad that I'd gotten it done because if I hadn't I could have ended up with major damage to the nerves that run through my wrist. He told me there's about a 10% chance of it returning, which it hasn't, but I do still have residual wrist pain that is probably permanent from the long-term pressure on the nerves.

My doctor was an orthopedic surgeon that specializes in wrists and hands. My family doc said that he recommends a hand specialist for anything to do with the wrist/hand due to their complexity (muscles and nerves). The ortho said that he normally offers aspiration to people but in most cases you can't even get anything out of them due to how thick the gel is inside them, and if you are able to aspirate, it comes back in better than 80% of cases. He said he definitely didn't recommend whacking it with a book.