Men and women of all ages suffer from the common problem of Ganglion Cysts. Although not dangerous or life threatening, they can become a painful nuisance and prevent or curtail many normal activities. These cysts are fluid-filled sacs that arise from the joint lining. They can gradually enlarge and encroach on other structures causing deformity and pain. Known as mucoid or mucous cysts, they are often a part of arthritis in the fingertips. They can give the fingertips a crooked appearance and cause constant pain or discomfort. In the wrist, they can grow quite large and cause stiffness and instability, especially when performing sports or playing musical instruments.
Ganglion Cysts Surgery Treatment
The treatment is straightforward. If we do not address the stalk arising from the joint space, ganglion cysts usually do not respond well to needle aspiration. The cyst merely recurs, filling up with joint fluid again after some time. Surgery is the best way to totally remove these cysts and prevent them from coming back. The location of these ganglions are in and around joint spaces and close to critical structures of the hand. Thus, we recommend that you seek the help of board certified surgeons in Surgery of the Hand surgeons.
Board certified Dr. Shankar Lakshman completed an orthopedic hand surgery fellowship. He has extensive experience in removing these cysts and has successfully treated professional piano players, cellists, and other musicians as well as teenage softball and football players, cheerleaders, tennis players and instructors. He will take his time to thoroughly explain the procedure and ease your fears. After surgery, he will personally provide the follow up care and not outsource the job to a lesser trained assistant. He even changes the post-operative dressings and removes his own sutures! We believe that this type of continuity insures the best results for our patients.
If you have painful ganglions or mucoid cysts, come to the experts for your hand care.