"Carpal tunnel surgery"

I underwent carpal tunnel surgery at BCH. The surgery was fine but I have not been happy with the post operative care. According to the notes I was given, the large bandage on my wound could be removed after three days. Apparently, I would be referred to a hand therapist who would obviously advise on follow up but also remove sutures and change the dressing between 10 to 14 days post surgery. 

Perhaps these notes are outdated because when I rang the hospital about a week after the surgery, there had been no referral. Subsequently, Access organised the referral and an appointment was made for approximately one month after surgery. 

On Day 10 post surgery, I went to my local clinic to have the wound checked. At this stage there was moisture under the duoderm, the skin was white and the wound was not knitting. I had noticed some white sections under the duoderm on Day 3 when I removed the large bandage. I feel that if I had been alerted to the possibility of moisture forming under it, I would have gone to my clinic immediately. I had been at great pains to keep the area dry so am not sure how this occurred. 

Once the nurse at the clinic had cleaned the wound and applied a waterproof dressing, healing has been enabled and all is progressing well. 

The reason I am alerting the hospital to my experience in this case is because I feel the advice on the Post Operative Instructions Day Surgical Procedures Hand Surgery is inaccurate and needs to contain more detailed information with regard to who will check the wound post surgery and when this should be done. The other inaccuracy was that the stitches were dissolving ones which did not need to be removed. 

Regards,

Carpal tunnel patient