While surgery is usually curative, a small group of people may have residual symptoms, either due to permanent nerve damage, scarring, or some other complication. However, long-term recovery from carpal tunnel surgery may take months, especially in severe cases of compression. The risks of complications and repeat surgery are the same regardless of the technique used to release the carpal tunnel.Ĭarpal tunnel syndrome surgery is performed under local or regional anesthesia in an outpatient setting, and patients usually go home the same day. While this involves a longer immediate recovery time, it does not require any special equipment or expertise. This technique is associated with less pain in the first month after surgery, earlier recovery, and faster return to work.Īnother approach is traditional open surgery, using a larger incision in the palm. This allows the surgeon to see (and divide) the ligament that lies over the carpal tunnel to increase the volume of the carpal tunnel, thus relieving the compression. The newest method (called endoscopic carpal tunnel surgery) involves making a small incision into the wrist crease and inserting an endoscope, a small television camera with a light, into the hand. Prolonged nerve compression can cause permanent nerve damage, and surgery should be performed in many cases to prevent permanent disability.Ĭarpal tunnel surgery is a common operation. Corticosteroid injections, while commonly performed, do not provide long-term relief of symptoms, and the underlying nerve compression persists even if symptoms improve. Over-the-counter pain medications, wrist splints (worn at night), or simply changing how you work with your hands can provide significant relief. When carpal tunnel syndrome is diagnosed early, it can sometimes can be treated without surgery. If treated early, patients can enjoy a return of normal hand function, improved sleep, and less pain.” “While it is important to understand the risks and benefits of any procedure, patients should not be apprehensive about the surgical treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. If these carpal tunnel treatments aren't effective, however, it may be time to consider surgery to release the ligament that is placing pressure on the median nerve. Your doctor may also want to try giving you steroid injections to help relieve symptoms. Grant Thomson, MD, director of Yale Medicine Hand & Microsurgery. Medications, such as aspirin and ibuprofen aren't a cure, but can help relieve pain. “Carpal tunnel treatment has progressed from surgery requiring an overnight stay in the hospital to a quick minimally invasive outpatient procedure under local anesthesia,” says J. It occurs more often in women than in men. While it is not clear why some people are prone to this nerve compression, there are a number of factors associated with it, including age, diabetes, renal failure, pregnancy, menopause, and overuse. Caused by compression of a major nerve in the wrist, carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common nerve problem in the United States. It can make it difficult to chop vegetables, button a shirt, and even navigate the touch screen on your cell phone. Carpal tunnel syndrome is characterized by numbness and tingling in your fingers and thumb.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |