Wrist replacement in dominant hand

[Marycullen]

I wrote before about wrist fusions and you were all so helpful. I live in the US and some of the hand surgeons are doing wrist replacements. When I am reading about them there are still some major issues with the operation and am just wondering if in the U.K. This has been a common surgery. What I am learning is that there are issues with success rates. Plus, the wrist replacement it can help with mobility but I lose the strength in my wrists with the pain I am going thru with bone on bone from RD! There is no strength, just pain. The doc put me in a cast me for four weeks so I could use my fingers again and when he took off the cast he gave me steroid shots in my wrist. The pain level has gone down immensely but I am still wearing a wrist and thumb brace. My question is has anyone had a wrist replacement on the dominant hand? How successful has it been? Or would you have rather had the wrist fused and gained strength and no mobility? Help.

[dippyd09]

I was admitted in March this year for a wrist replacement, sadly between the time of my initial appointment and being admitted my wrist had fused on it's own. The surgeon did an ulnar head excision and replacement which has taken away all the pain. Obviously I can't bend my wrist and I don't have much strength in my hand but the pain has gone. It is my right wrist which is my dominant hand. I hope you get the help you need. .......just for information this would have been the surgeons 50th wrist replacement, so not done very often over here.

[Marycullen in reply to dippyd09]

Thanks for the information. I am sorry you didn't get the replacement but maybe what you have is better. I know they don't do many replacements here also. That is my biggest concern. There don't seem to be a lot of successes of wrist replacement. I know with the cast it showed me what I couldn't do because of no wrist movement. I sure cannot curl my hair well or even blow dry it right since it is my dominant hand also. Hope you do well.

[dippyd09 in reply to Marycullen]

Thank you. I too have difficulty with my hair but have a fantastic hairdresser who cuts it in a way that is easy to just rub and blow dry. There usually is a way round things. I wish you well and hope whatever they do in the end works out well for you

[Marycullen in reply to dippyd09]

I may to go that route also 'thanks for the tip.