The carpal tunnel is a narrow tube located in the wrist through which various tendons and the median nerve pass to provide mobility and flexion to the fingers.
Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the duct becomes inflamed, causing compression of the median nerve and other structures. This condition produces symptoms such as: severe pain, numbness, tingling sensations, and weakness in the muscles of the hand.
Currently, carpal tunnel syndrome is considered one of the most common upper extremity conditions with the highest percentage of incidence in people between 45 and 55 years of age.
Carpal tunnel surgical release is a procedure used to decompress the median nerve. During the operation, the surgeon makes an incision over the palm of the hand and then cuts the segment of the transverse carpal ligament that compresses the tunnel; This will help widen the space and release the internal pressure that is affecting the nerve.
Generally, orthopedists recommend carpal tunnel surgery when all other nonsurgical treatments such as medications, therapies, splints, and corticosteroid injections have failed.
In carpal tunnel surgery, you may receive local anesthesia in the wrist area or locoregional anesthesia injected from the nerve root in your armpit. In these cases, it is advisable for the patient to be conscious so that they can assess the intraoperative functioning.
During classic carpal tunnel surgery, a longitudinal incision of a few centimeters is made in the palm of the hand (near the wrist) to achieve a minimal approach. However, there are surgeons and/or patients who opt for endoscopic surgery to treat the condition through small incisional openings.
After the specialist performs the internal maneuvers to cut the transverse carpal ligament that presses on the tunnel and any other tissue that may be covering the nerve, the layers of skin and tissues will be closed with stitches to complete carpal tunnel release surgery.
Our suggestions for the days leading up to carpal tunnel surgery are:
Talk to your treating doctor about all the medications you take regularly, to prevent the consumption of any drugs that may have harmful effects in the operation.
Be sure to check with your specialist if you should take any special medications on the day of surgery.
Avoid smoking, this habit can affect your own healing power.
Take care of your health in general, if you get an infection, fever, flu, cold or other illness, the surgery would have to be postponed.
Below, we provide concise answers to the most common questions regarding carpal tunnel release…
Carpal tunnel surgery allows the hand to return to optimal function in a much shorter period of time. Although the recovery process is different for each patient, from the first week postoperative you will see most of your symptoms disappear.
The patient can usually return to their usual activities within 3 to 6 weeks after the procedure.
The ailments of the surgery improve as the days go by; however, the patient must closely monitor their evolution to avoid any complications. Although this is a fairly safe procedure, there are certain risks that can be associated with it.
In carpal tunnel release surgery, the possible sequelae are:
As in any other type of surgery, the incision made in the release of the carpal tunnel leaves a scar on the palm of the operated hand.
Surgery to decompress carpal tunnel syndrome lasts approximately 20 to 60 minutes, being a relatively simple intervention with minimal complications.
The post-surgery stages are usually the most important, as this period of rest is vital for the tissues of the hand to heal completely. If you want to have a successful outcome, we recommend that you take into consideration the following guidelines:
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