Ganglion Cyst Excision

Ganglion cyst removal with Dr. Steven Ward in Tucson and Oro Valley — for wrist and hand cysts that are painful, limit motion, or bother you, when watching and draining have not solved the problem.

Call 520-881-1394
Over halfOf ganglion cysts go away on their own
Same dayExcision is usually an outpatient procedure
2–6 weeksTypical return to normal activities after excision

Typical ranges for general education. Dr. Ward’s plan for you may differ.

What it treats

A ganglion cyst is a fluid-filled lump that grows out of a joint or tendon lining, like a balloon on a stalk. It is the most common lump in the hand and is not cancer.

  • Back of the wrist — the most common location
  • Palm side of the wrist, near important blood vessels and nerves
  • Base of a finger, on the palm side
  • End joint of a finger (a mucous cyst), often linked with arthritis in that joint

Cysts can grow with activity and shrink with rest. They may cause pain, tingling, or weakness if they press on a nerve. Often the only problem is how they look.

Is surgery right for you?

Ganglion cysts are harmless, so treatment starts simply:

  • Watching it — safe when the cyst is not causing problems, since many go away on their own
  • A wrist brace or splint to rest the joint, which may ease pain and sometimes shrinks the cyst
  • Aspiration — draining the fluid with a needle, most often for cysts on the back of the wrist; cysts often come back because the stalk is left behind

Please do not try to break a cyst by hitting it with a book or other heavy object. That can injure your hand and rarely gets rid of the cyst. Surgery is considered when a cyst keeps causing pain or limits activity despite these steps.

How the surgery is done

Excision is usually done as an outpatient procedure. Depending on the location, it may be done through a small open incision or with arthroscopic assistance at the wrist.

The cyst is removed along with the stalk it grows from. This may include a small piece of the joint capsule or tendon lining, to take out the “root.” The skin is closed and a soft dressing, sometimes with a splint, is applied.

Can it come back?

Yes. Removing the stalk lowers the chance of the cyst coming back, but cysts can still return after surgery, just as they often do after draining.

Ganglion cysts rarely, if ever, cause permanent problems, so deciding on surgery is about your symptoms and how much the cyst bothers you.

Recovery overview

Typical ranges only, based on AAOS OrthoInfo patient education. Dr. Ward’s plan for you may differ.

Same day home First weeks: tender & swollen 2–6 weeks: normal activities

First days

  • Some tenderness, discomfort, and swelling are expected
  • Keep your hand raised above your heart and move your fingers
  • Keep the dressing clean and dry until your follow-up visit

First weeks

  • A short period in a splint may be used for comfort
  • Light use of the hand as comfort allows
  • Avoid heavy gripping and lifting until cleared

Weeks 2–6

  • Most people are back to normal activities 2–6 weeks after surgery
  • Hand therapy can help if the wrist or finger feels stiff
  • Let Dr. Ward know if a lump comes back

When to call the clinic

Call 520-881-1394 if you notice any of the following after surgery or while you are recovering:

  • A fever of 101°F or higher, or chills
  • Redness spreading around an incision, or drainage that is cloudy, foul-smelling, or keeps soaking the dressing after the first few days
  • Fingers that turn pale, blue, or cold
  • Numbness or tingling in the hand or fingers that does not go away once the nerve block or numbing medicine has worn off, or that is getting worse
  • A cast, splint, or dressing that feels too tight: throbbing pain, swelling, or numbness under it that does not ease after you raise your hand above your heart and gently move your fingers. Do not cut or remove a cast yourself
  • Pain that is not controlled by your prescribed medication, elevation, and ice

It is normal for the hand and fingers to be swollen, bruised, and sore for a while, and for the hand or arm to stay numb and weak for several hours after a nerve block or numbing medicine. Keep your hand raised above your heart, and move the fingers that are not splinted as you were shown. Call if something feels different from what you were told to expect.

Call 911 or go to the nearest ER

for chest pain, shortness of breath, or trouble breathing. These can be signs of a blood clot in the lungs and need emergency care.

Questions about your recovery plan?

If something does not match the instructions you were given, call the office. Dr. Ward or one of his physician assistants will get back to you.

Related resources

Patient resources

Surgery packets, pre-op and post-op instructions, exercise guides, and videos in one place.

Open page

Post-op packets

Dr. Ward’s post-operative instructions and packets, organized by joint.

Open page

Exercise guides

Hand & wrist handouts, including carpal tunnel exercises and hand and finger exercises.

Open page

Wrist fracture (distal radius)

Dr. Ward’s broken-wrist page: splint care, swelling control, and the week-by-week rehab plan.

Open page

OrthoInfo: Ganglion cyst of the wrist and hand

Patient education on ganglion cysts from the AAOS.

Visit OrthoInfo

Schedule a visit

Call 520-881-1394 and we will find a time that works.

Call 520-881-1394

Quick Links

Procedures

ACL Reconstruction Knee Arthroscopy Total Knee Replacement Total Hip Replacement Hip Fracture Rotator Cuff Repair Total Shoulder Replacement Proximal Humerus Fracture Distal Radius Fracture

More on the site

All Exercise Guides Videos Surgical Services Meet the Team About Dr Ward Pre-Op Packets Post-Op Packets PT Locations Resources Anatomy Pictures