What Is Carpal Tunnel Release Surgery?
Carpal tunnel syndrome begins with that tingling feeling in the hand and wrist that feels like your hand is asleep. However, the tingling turns to pain shooting through your arm. Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by the median nerve (it runs from the forearm to wrist) being compressed and if left untreated, it will get worse. The first option for treatment is non-surgical, but if that fails, carpal release surgery, an outpatient procedure, may be the option to bring you relief.
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Surgery
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There are non-surgical treatments for carpal tunnel syndrome, but when the tingling and pain lasts for six months and isn't relieved by non-surgical methods, chances are your doctor will want to operate. The surgical procedure is called carpal tunnel release and it has become a common surgery in the United States.
Significance
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Carpal tunnel release surgery cuts the band of tissue around the wrist that forms the carpal tunnel to reduce pressure on the compressed median nerve.
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Procedure
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It is an outpatient surgery that is done with local anesthesia. Many times both wrists require the surgery. There are two types of surgery--open release and endoscopic.
Open Release Surgery
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This is the common procedure to relieve carpal tunnel syndrome. An incision about 2 inches long is made in the wrist. The carpal ligament is then cut to relieve the pressure.
Endoscopic Surgery
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Endoscopic surgery generally allows a faster recovery and less discomfort during the recovery than open release surgery. Two small (about 1/2-inch) cuts are made--one in the wrist and the other in the palm. A small camera that looks like a tube is inserted through one incision. The doctor can see the ligament through the camera. The doctor can insert his tools through the other incision and cut the ligament.
Recovery
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A full recovery from the surgery will take months even if the pain disappears immediately. Possible post-operative problems include nerve damage, stiffness, scar pain, loss of strength in wrist and infection. Physical therapy may be needed following the operation to overcome some of these problems. You will also want to avoid the activities that caused the problem in the first place.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Wrist splint courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
