HAND | GANGLION CYSts
Ganglion Cyst Removal
That lump on your wrist is almost certainly harmless, and entirely removable. Consultant-led diagnosis, aspiration and excision at Berkshire Grove Hospital, with honest advice about which option actually lasts.
Excision
15 to 30 minutes
Anaesthetic
Local (usually)
Return home
Same day
Diagnosis
Usually same visit
Is this you?
Most People Who Come To Us About A Ganglion Cyst Say One Of These Things:
There's a lump on my wrist that gets bigger and smaller by the week.
It aches when I lean on my hand or do press-ups.
The GP said it's harmless, but it's still there and I still hate it.
It was drained once. It came back.
There's a little pea-sized one at the base of my finger that hurts when I grip.
I mostly just want someone to confirm what it is.
All fair reasons. Diagnosis usually takes minutes, and every option from reassurance to removal is on the table the same day.
THE HARMLESS LUMP
What Is A Ganglion Cyst?
A ganglion is a fluid-filled cyst that balloons out from a joint capsule or tendon sheath, most often on the back or front of the wrist, at the base of a finger, or over the last finger joint. The fluid is thick and jelly-like, the lump is benign, and size genuinely does fluctuate, which is why yours may grow and shrink.
Ganglions are the most common lumps in the hand and wrist. They are not cancerous and do not become so; the reasons to treat are pain, interference with movement or leaning, pressure on nearby nerves, or simply not wanting it there, all legitimate. And no, the old folklore about hitting it with a heavy book isn't a treatment; it's a good way to injure a wrist.
Ganglions are the most common lumps in the hand and wrist. They are not cancerous and do not become so; the reasons to treat are pain, interference with movement or leaning, pressure on nearby nerves, or simply not wanting it there, all legitimate. And no, the old folklore about hitting it with a heavy book isn't a treatment; it's a good way to injure a wrist.
KNOW THE SIGNS
Is My Lump A Ganglion?
Typical ganglions are smooth, rounded and often softly compressible. They sit at the back or front of the wrist, at the base of a finger (the small, firm "seed" ganglion that hurts when you grip), or over the last finger joint in older hands, where they're called mucous cysts. Many shine faintly when a light is held against them, most fluctuate in size, and the commonest complaint is aching with wrist extension, gripping, or leaning on the hand.
The honest caveat: most hand and wrist lumps are ganglions, but not all. A lump that is hard, fixed, steadily growing or otherwise unusual deserves specialist eyes promptly. Diagnosis is clinical, with ultrasound arranged where anything is atypical.
The honest caveat: most hand and wrist lumps are ganglions, but not all. A lump that is hard, fixed, steadily growing or otherwise unusual deserves specialist eyes promptly. Diagnosis is clinical, with ultrasound arranged where anything is atypical.
Most wrist lumps are ganglions. The point of a specialist look is being sure yours is, and then choosing, calmly, what to do about it.
Apex Medical
Expert care for the
Hardest-working part of you.
THE TREATMENT LADDER
Leave It, Drain It, Or Remove It
Leave it alone is a genuine option: ganglions are harmless, some resolve by themselves, and reassurance is sometimes the whole treatment.
Aspiration, drawing the fluid off with a needle under local anaesthetic, gives quick relief and confirms the diagnosis, but the honest number is that around half return, because the sac and its stalk remain.
Surgical excision removes the cyst with its root: 15 to 30 minutes, usually local anaesthetic, and the most durable option, though even surgery carries a real recurrence rate that we'll quote you honestly rather than round down to zero.
Aspiration, drawing the fluid off with a needle under local anaesthetic, gives quick relief and confirms the diagnosis, but the honest number is that around half return, because the sac and its stalk remain.
Surgical excision removes the cyst with its root: 15 to 30 minutes, usually local anaesthetic, and the most durable option, though even surgery carries a real recurrence rate that we'll quote you honestly rather than round down to zero.
Consultant-led care
Led by a Hand & Nerve
Specialist You Can Trust.
Apex Medical was founded by Mr Kuen Yeow Chin, Consultant Plastic Surgeon and Clinical Lead for Plastic Surgery at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust. Hand surgery, including ganglion excision, is one of his defining specialisms, and he is a member of the British Society for Surgery of the Hand (BSSH).
Your consultation, your Ganglion Cyst Removal procedure and your follow-up are with the same consultant throughout: the surgeon who assesses your hand is the surgeon who treats it.
Your consultation, your Ganglion Cyst Removal procedure and your follow-up are with the same consultant throughout: the surgeon who assesses your hand is the surgeon who treats it.
Your clinical team:
Mr. Kuen Yeow Chin
Consultant Plastic Surgeon & Skin Cancer Specialist
Reconstructive surgery and advanced skin cancer treatment
Sarah Millward
Skin Cancer Nurse Specialist
Skin checks, mole screening, and early skin cancer detection.
Laura O'Hare
Skin Cancer Nurse Specialist
Skin lesion care, post-surgical recovery, and private dermatology services.
Jackie Brighton
Skin Cancer Nurse Specialist
Expert mole checks, lesion assessment, and aftercare for skin cancer patients.
Jennifer Povey
Skin Cancer Nurse Specialist
Skin care treatment, photodynamic therapy (PDT), cryotheraphy, and personalised patient care.
Mr. Kuen Yeow Chin
Consultant Plastic Surgeon & Skin Cancer Specialist
Reconstructive surgery and advanced skin cancer treatment
YOUR CARE, STEP BY STEP
How Your Ganglion Cyst Removal Works
Five steps, and possibly only three: many patients get their diagnosis, their options and their aspiration in a single visit. Excision, when chosen, is a short day-case procedure with the root removed, not just the fluid.
A
Consultation
Examination confirms the diagnosis in most cases; ultrasound is arranged if anything is atypical.
B
Your Choice, Honestly Framed
Reassure, aspirate or excise, with real recurrence numbers for each.
C
Aspiration, Often Same Visit
Minutes, local anaesthetic, instant deflation.
D
Early Recovery
15 to 30 minutes under local anaesthetic (wrist ganglions occasionally suit regional anaesthetic), home the same day with a light dressing.
E
Recovery
Moving fingers immediately; stitches out around 10 to 14 days; desk work within days, heavier wrist loading over 2 to 4 weeks; the scar settles over months.
Transparent Pricing
Ganglion Cyst Removal Pricing
Fixed, transparent pricing with no hidden extras. Your exact quote is confirmed in writing at consultation, before you commit to anything, and includes your follow-up care.
Initial Consultation
Consultant examination and diagnosis, with ultrasound arranged if anything is atypical, and every option honestly framed, including leaving it alone.
£0
Aspiration
Minutes under local anaesthetic, often at the same visit: instant deflation, with honest odds on recurrence
£0
Surgical Excision
Fixed all-inclusive package: 15 to 30 minutes, the cyst removed with its root, dressings and follow-up included.
£0
Ongoing Care
Recovery and Aftercare
After Ganglion Cyst Removal, normal life resumes the same day with a small dressing. After excision, fingers move immediately, stitches come out around 10 to 14 days, desk work resumes within days, and heavier wrist loading builds over two to four weeks; the scar softens over months with simple massage.
Recurrence gets talked about honestly rather than rounded down to zero. If a ganglion returns, you'll recognise it, you'll know it's harmless, and you'll know your options; come back and we'll take it from there.
Recurrence gets talked about honestly rather than rounded down to zero. If a ganglion returns, you'll recognise it, you'll know it's harmless, and you'll know your options; come back and we'll take it from there.
Where to find us
Consultant-led care at Berkshire Grove Hospital
Apex Medical is based at Berkshire Grove Hospital in Maidenhead, with clinics also at the Parkside Suite. Patients travel to us from Reading, Windsor, Slough, Marlow, Bracknell, London and across Berkshire, Surrey and Oxfordshire for consultant-led care in a regulated private hospital, without long waiting times. On-site parking is available.
Opening hours:
Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:30pm | Saturday by appointment only | Sunday closed
Phone
020 3871 5898
COMMON QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Gangliyon Cysts at Apex Medical
No. Ganglions are benign and don't turn cancerous. Treatment is about comfort, function and preference, never urgency, which is also why "leave it alone" is a legitimate option.
It might; a meaningful proportion resolve without treatment, sometimes after months or years. If yours isn't bothering you, watching and waiting costs nothing.
Aspiration empties the balloon but leaves the balloon and its stalk in place, so roughly half refill. Surgery removes the sac and root, which is why it's the durable option.
Yes, a minority do, and any honest surgeon will say so. Careful excision of the stalk keeps that risk as low as it can be, and a recurrence is a nuisance rather than a danger.
The procedure is done under local anaesthetic, so no. Expect soreness for a few days and a tender scar for some weeks, managed with simple painkillers.
Small "seed" ganglions at the finger base often hurt on gripping and respond well to removal; cysts near the nail (mucous cysts) relate to the end joint and have their own tailored approach. Both are routine for a hand surgeon.
No. It's folklore, it half-works at best, it risks fracture and it guarantees bruising. A needle under local anaesthetic does the same job properly.
Patient Stories.
In our patients' own words
BOOK A CONSULTATION
Settle It, One Way Or The Other
Whether you want it gone or just want certainty, one short consultation gives you both options with honest numbers attached, and often the treatment itself, the same day.
Book a Consultation
Consultant-led private skin, hands and aesthetic care across Berkshire. Precise, caring and expert.