Results of surgical excision of wrist ganglion using catch–the– stalk technical approach

Background: Ganglions are mucin filled cysts which may be uni- or multi-lobulated. They are the most common soft tissue tumour of the hand. Dorsal wrist ganglia represent 70% of all ganglia. The aim of this study to evaluate the results of surgical excision of the ganglions.
Patients and methods: The study duration was from October 2018 to March 2020. This study was conducted on thirty-seven patients with wrist ganglion on dorsal aspect presenting to the orthopaedic out-patient department of our hospital. In surgical technique special consideration was given in identifying the stalk and excising the ganglion from the base of the stalk.
Results: Thirty seven patients were included in our study, of which 26 (70.3%) were females. The average age of our patients was 30.5 years (Range: 15-58 years).Eighteen (48.6%) of our patients has presenting complaint of a painless swelling giving a cosmetic trouble. The overall recurrence rate for our series was 18.9% (7 patients). There was no difference in gender predominance for recurrence: 2 recurrences in 11 males (18.1%) and 5 recurrences in 26 females (19.2%). 15 (40.5%) of our patients had some tenderness over the scar, of which 11(29.7%) had mild tenderness. Three out of our 37 patients (8%) complained of unsightly scars.24(64.8%) of our patients were satistfied with the overall results of the surgery.
Conclusion: Ganglions should not be considered non-significant lesions. Whenever a surgical intervention is contemplated a proper approach is necessary. Otherwise, the demands its surgical treatment can place on healthcare resources becomes a challenge.