Can de quervain's tenosynovitis come back after surgery?

Yes but unlikely: The operation for dequervain's involves decompressing the first extensor compartment of the wrist. Sometimes, the two tendons in this compartment are in separate sub-compartments; if both are not decompressed, symptoms may continue. Also, if the sheath over the tendons scars back and becomes tight again, symptoms may recur, but this is rare.