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Recurrence of a Ganglion Cyst


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Question

I had wrist surgery in January for a ganglion cyst on the inside of my wrist. It was painful and affected my quality of life. It was healing well until six weeks ago. The cyst has returned and is causing the same symptoms prior to surgery. What can I do?

Answer

Unfortunately, recurrence of a ganglion cyst is not that uncommon.

The options are still the same. You can live with it if it doesn't hurt very much. You can potentially have it drained. Or, you can have it excised again.

Recurrences do occur, even with experienced hand surgeons. The published recurrence rate is six percent. If you had it removed by someone other than an experienced hand surgeon, maybe its time to see one.

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Joshua C. Richards, M.D.
Orthopedic SurgeryHand Surgery

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