Does redness around my carpal tunnel incision mean infection?

The short answer to this question is: usually not.

Before we explain this, it must be clarified. If you are experiencing redness around an incision, you must notify your physician. This blog post is not specific medical advice about your wrist, but about the healing process in general.

Redness around an incision can mean different things. This includes the small 5 mm “poke” incision performed for carpal tunnel release with real–time ultrasound guidance. Raleigh Hand Specialist Johnny T. Nelson MD performs this procedure. 

There are times where redness does mean infection.  Raleigh North Carolina carpal tunnel specialist Dr. Johnny T. Nelson, MD discusses the risk of infection with every patient.  This risk is extremely low.  The risk of infection is higher in patients with certain medical conditions, especially diabetes.  Other signs that suggest infection include fevers, chills, the overall feeling of aches or “feeling sick,” increasing pain and swelling of the entire hand, wrist, and forearm.

However, there are other times where redness is a very natural and normal part of the healing process.

 

After a procedure such as carpal tunnel release, the human body’s immune system does not “understand” what has happened. It only sees that there is a cut in the skin that places the body at risk for invasion by bacteria and infection.  So it does what it is designed to do, which is to send immune cells to the area to prevent infection from setting in.

This process is not called infection but rather “reaction.”  So Dr. Nelson may mention that your poke incision appears “reactive.”

This reactive redness is sometimes accompanied by a small amount of fluid.  This fluid is not “pus” but is usually a clearish fluid.  This is the part of the blood that contains many of the immune cells sent to the area to keep infectious organisms away.

If you have concerns about your incision, contact Dr. Nelson or the doctor who performed your surgery.

 

If you have carpal tunnel syndrome, if you have numbness and tingling in your hands that wakes you up at night, please visit www.raleighupperex.com or call 919-872-5296 to schedule a visit with Dr. Johnny T. Nelson, MD, Raleigh North Carolina carpal tunnel specialist.

Visit Dr. Nelson’s YouTube Channel or follow him on Instagram.