How Long After Wrist Surgery Can I Drive Safely?

Depending on the type of wrist surgery you’ve had, you may be able to drive anywhere from five days to eight weeks after surgery. Every case is unique, and it’s important to consider your own situation carefully. Though it’s tempting to push the limits and drive as soon as possible, you may compromise your healing process, invalidate your insurance, or put yourself and others in danger if you get behind the wheel again too soon.

Essential Considerations Before Driving After Wrist Surgery

Every case is unique, but every driver needs to consider their medications, range of motion, and doctor’s advice before getting behind the wheel. Postsurgery limitations and discomforts can seriously hinder your ability to drive safely, so you should devote ample time and consideration to the process of getting back in the car.

Medication Influence: Assessing the Impact of Painkillers and Sedatives

Consult with your doctor about any medications you’re taking postsurgery and how they might affect your driving. If you’re taking strong painkillers, such as opioids, you may experience dizziness, drowsiness, or impaired thinking and judgment. Sedatives will make you drowsy behind the wheel, which can be as dangerous as driving drunk. Experts estimate that drowsiness is one of the contributing factors in as many as 21% of fatal car crashes.

The Role of Physical Therapy: Achieving Necessary Range of Motion and Strength

In nearly all cases, medical professionals will advise you to avoid driving until they remove your splint or cast. A below-the-elbow cast on the left arm adds an average of 16.2 seconds to the driving response time.

You should not drive until you have the necessary range of motion to quickly and effectively manipulate all aspects of the vehicle, including the steering wheel. For hand and wrist surgery, you would typically need to work on physical therapy exercises for at least five half-hour sessions per day. Failure to keep up with your recommended therapy can result in a slow or incomplete recovery.

A healthy range of motion for your wrist is 60 degrees of flexion, 60 degrees of extension, 20 degrees of abduction, and 30 degrees of adduction. Though you might be able to manipulate the steering wheel with slightly less motion, you should strive to get as close to these numbers as possible.

Legal and Insurance Implications: Navigating Requirements for a Safe Return to Driving

If your doctor gives you the all-clear to drive, you should have your usual insurance coverage in the event of an accident. However, if you drive against your doctor’s direct advice, you’re in violation of the law and your insurance will not cover any accidents. Some insurance companies will also revoke coverage if you’re in a cast or brace, have had recent surgery, or have an unhealed fracture at the time of the accident. Contact your provider for more information.

Evaluating Your Readiness To Drive Postsurgery

Your doctor’s approval is one of the most important things you need before driving again. However, you should also perform a quick self-check before each trip to make sure you’re in good shape. You should only drive if you’re free from:

• Distracting pain
• Drowsiness
• Inability to grip the steering wheel
• Limited range of motion
• Slow response time

The Impact of Surgery Type on Driving Readiness

Every surgery is different, even in instances where the type of procedure and nature of the injury are the same. However, some procedures naturally have a longer recovery time than others.

On average, you can expect the following fractured wrist recovery time before driving:

• Trigger finger surgery: five days
• Carpal tunnel surgery: nine days
• Dupuytren’s contracture surgery: two to eight weeks
• Wrist arthroscopy: two weeks or more
• Fracture fixation: four to six weeks
• Tendon repair: six weeks

Tips for a Safer Return to Driving After Wrist Surgery

The best thing you can do to protect your safety as you return to driving is to take a slow and mindful approach. Though you may feel fine driving one day, the next one could leave you homebound. Don’t assume that you’re permanently good to go once you’ve spent time behind the wheel again.

Pain is one of the most limiting factors if you’re driving postsurgery. You shouldn’t attempt to drive until you’re completely off narcotics. If you must return to your painkillers for any reason, you should stop driving again until your pain is under control when you’re narcotic-free.

While certain vehicle modifications are appropriate for permanently disabled individuals, you shouldn’t need to make any major changes to your vehicle to accommodate your postsurgery recovery. If you’ve healed properly, you’ll be able to operate your vehicle as normal. Plan to make other arrangements, such as carpooling with a friend or using a ride-share service, in the meantime.

Challenges and Solutions for Returning To Drive

Taking time off from driving can be frustrating. While the healing process typically requires time and patience, there are some ways to speed up your recovery. Pay attention to what your body needs postsurgery and don’t push yourself past your abilities or you’ll risk re-injury.

Keep up with your prescribed physical therapy, even if it’s moderately uncomfortable. Your physical therapist will help you find your limits. Adhering to a physical therapy schedule at home is crucial for the recovery process. If you neglect your exercise, you may suffer from a decreased range of motion or an inability to properly grip the steering wheel.

Contact an Expert Team for Your Wrist Surgery

If you’re in need of wrist surgery or rehabilitation, our experts at The Hand and Wrist Institute can help. We’ll walk you through every step of the process, including presurgery prep and postsurgery care. Our team members will also help you chart your personal path to recovery, including the anticipated physical therapy schedule and probable time for you to return to driving. Your healthcare team will work closely with you to determine when it’s appropriate for you to drive and how you can optimize your recovery to get back in the car as soon as possible.

person holding vehicle steering wheel by Laura Gariglio is licensed with Unsplash License

Dr. John Knight

Dr. Knight is a renowned hand, wrist and upper extremity surgeon with over 25 years of experience. Dr. Knight is a Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon and Fellowship trained. Dr Knight has appeared on CNN, The Doctors TV, Good Morning America, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Forbes, The Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, Oxygen network and more.