The Argentine world number eight has been bothered by the problem since early January when he first felt pain in an opening match at the Australian Open a few days after winning the Sydney tournament title.
He withdrew from events in Dubai, Indian Wells and Miami.
"After a period of medical treatment which we tried to be competitive on a tennis court, and following new examinations done today, my doctor Richard Berger decided that I should have surgery to fix the problem on my left wrist," Del Potro said on his Facebook page.
It is unknown how long he will be out of the sport. Del Potro underwent an operation on his right wrist after winning the US Open in 2009 and missed much of the next season.