How to Know the Latest Techniques of Carpal Tunnel Surgery

If you are facing the prospect of surgery to correct the pain, numbness, loss of function and tingling of carpal tunnel syndrome, it helps to know the latest techniques for carpal tunnel surgery. The growing awareness of repetitive motion injuries has led doctors to pioneer new and innovative ways to correct these symptoms. Here are some steps to help you discover the options that are available.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Internet access
• Computer

1. Know the most commonly practiced surgeries. These surgeries include:
   
   • Open Release Surgery
   Open release surgery is generally performed in an outpatient facility with a local anesthetic. An incision is made on the palm and the carpal ligament is cut from the underlying median nerve to relieve pressure.
   
   
   • Mini-Open Release Surgery
   A mini-open release surgery is very similar to the open release method but is commonly performed in a doctor’s office with a local anesthetic. The doctor makes a much smaller incision thereby reducing the swelling and size of the scar.
   
   • Endoscopy
   Endoscopy is the use of two pencil-sized tubes inserted into very small incisions to perform the surgery. A tiny scalpel, camera and light source are inserted into the tubes and a surgeon can manipulate the instruments and monitor the progress of the surgery on a screen. This surgery is performed with a local anesthetic and the patient can expect to recover in a much shorter period of time due to the smaller incisions.
   
   • Percutaneous Balloon Carpal Tunnel-Plasty
   This procedure requires the insertion of a balloon through a small incision on the palm, which is placed between the carpal ligament and the median nerve by a catheter. The balloon is inflated with a saline solution that stretches the ligament and relieves pressure on the median nerve.
2. Schedule consultations with several different surgeons. Each doctor may approach your particular situation differently and provide insight on which type of surgery is the best option for you.
3. Speak to a few chiropractors and osteopathic surgeons. These practitioners of alternative medicine may be able to further inform your decisions by suggesting more progressive and less invasive methods for your carpal tunnel symptoms.

Tips & Warnings

• The more informed you are about your options, the easier it will be for you and your doctor to find a solution that best fits your needs and your lifestyle with a minimum of the complications of surgery.
• Avoid doctors that will not consider any other option but the one that they present. When it comes to carpal tunnel surgery, there is no method that is clearly better than the rest. Each person’s situation is unique, and if a doctor steadfastly refuses to consider anything else, find another surgeon.