Should i get carpal tunnel surgery

Shults makes a small incision in your wrist. Using surgical instruments, he cuts the carpal ligament and widens the carpal tunnel. After surgery, he closes the incisions and bandages your wrist in a splint to protect it from movement. By cutting the carpal ligament in your wrist, Dr. Shults releases the pressure on the median nerve. This small cut allows swelling in the area to go down over time, effectively relieving pain, numbness, and restricted movement you might be experiencing with carpal tunnel syndrome.

When you leave our office following surgery, your wrist is in a bandage and splint. It needs to stay splinted for a week or two. After Dr. Shults removes your wrist splint, you start a physical therapy program. Recovery time varies, but full recovery can take up to a few months. While some pain following surgery is normal, you should tell Dr.

Shults if you experience unusual symptoms, fever, or increased pain during recovery. Throughout recovery, you move your fingers regularly and follow your physical therapy program to rebuild the strength in your wrist. There are two possible procedures when surgery is considered:. In this procedure, a surgeon makes an incision on the inside of the wrist. This will release pressure on the median nerve, relieving the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. The surgeon will then make an incision on the base of the palm.

This opening allows the surgeon to see and cut the transverse carpal ligament. After cutting the ligament and releasing the underlying pressure, the incision is closed with stitches. The cut ligament gap is left open to be eventually filled up with scar tissue. Open carpal tunnel surgery is performed under local or general anesthesia, depending on the doctor. After surgery, the hand will be wrapped.

Patients are discharged the same day and will return in 2 weeks to have stitches removed. Pain and discomfort should subside within weeks. Invented by Dr. This also means less pain and downtime, plus faster recovery.

During the procedure Dr. Fitzmaurice will use a thin, flexible tube endoscope which comes with an attached tiny camera on one end. Using the same incision or the addition of another small one, cutting tools will be inserted. He will then cut the transverse carpal ligament, release pressure from the median nerve and then close the small incisions. The healing of this type of surgery is typically faster than an open carpal tunnel surgery, which debunks some common myths about carpal tunnel treatment and recovery.

There are over , carpal tunnel surgeries performed each year and the prognosis for usually very positive. Most people who have surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome report to have complete relief from their symptoms.

Do you have enough support and advice from others to make a choice? Author: Healthwise Staff. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use.

Learn how we develop our content. To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. It looks like your browser does not have JavaScript enabled. Please turn on JavaScript and try again. Important Phone Numbers. Get the facts. Your options Have surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome. Don't have surgery. Use rest, ice, medicine, wrist splints, and new ways to do some tasks.

Key points to remember Home treatments may be all you need if you've had mild symptoms for a short time. You may be able to treat carpal tunnel syndrome with rest, ice, medicine, and wrist splints. You also can learn to do some tasks in a way that doesn't hurt your wrist. Surgery may be a better choice if you've had very bad symptoms for a long time.

Surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome may give you only a little relief if your symptoms are caused by other health problems, such as rheumatoid arthritis, hypothyroidism, or diabetes.

Treating these problems often makes carpal tunnel symptoms get better or go away. But in some cases, you still might need surgery. Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome in pregnant women often go away after childbirth.

Unless your symptoms are very bad, you may want to wait and see if your symptoms go away after you have the baby. What is carpal tunnel syndrome? What problems can you have from carpal tunnel syndrome? You may have: Pain. Weak thumb muscles. This makes it hard for you to grip or hold objects. Loss of feeling and ability to use your fingers and hand well. How does surgery fix carpal tunnel syndrome? It can be done in one of two ways: Open surgery : Your doctor makes a small cut incision in the palm of your hand.

Endoscopic surgery : Your doctor makes one small incision in the wrist, or one small incision in the wrist and one in the palm. He or she puts a thin tube with a camera attached endoscope into the incision. Surgical tools are put in along with the scope. How well does surgery work? What can you do other than have surgery? You may try to: Rest your hand for 1 or 2 weeks. Stop activities that hurt. Put ice on the palm of your hand and wrist for 10 to 15 minutes at a time.

Studies haven't shown NSAIDs to be effective for carpal tunnel syndrome, but they may help relieve your symptoms. They can cause side effects. Be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label. Change the way you do certain hand motions. Wear a wrist splint. It's usually worn at night, but you can wear it during the day. Other choices You can work with a physiotherapist to learn how to do activities in a new way.

If these home care treatments don't help, you may be able to take corticosteroid shots or pills to improve your symptoms. You can try yoga. Unless your symptoms are very bad, you may want to put off having surgery and see if your symptoms go away after you have the baby. How well do other treatments help symptoms? Splints are easy and inexpensive, and there is little risk to trying them.

Corticosteroid shots and pills give short-term relief from symptoms. Why might your doctor recommend surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome? Your doctor might recommend surgery if: You've had very bad symptoms for a long time, so you're at risk of having lasting nerve damage. Test show that you have nerve damage. A wrist splint, medicines, and other treatments haven't helped your symptoms.

Compare your options. Compare Option 1 Have surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome Try other treatments. Compare Option 2 Have surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome Try other treatments. Have surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome Have surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome You have local anesthetic, so you are awake but won't have pain.

You go home on the same day. You need to avoid heavy use of your hand for up to 3 months. If you have open surgery on your dominant hand and you do repeated actions at work, you may be able to return to work in 6 to 8 weeks. If the surgery is on the other hand and you do not do repeated actions at work, you may be able to return to work in 7 to 14 days.

If you have endoscopic surgery, you may be able to return to work sooner than with open surgery. Surgery can make symptoms get better or go away for most people. It can prevent lasting nerve damage. Surgery doesn't always help. Your symptoms may come back. Major problems from surgery, such as infection or a problem from anesthesia, are rare. Try other treatments Try other treatments You can try several home treatments to ease symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome, including: Rest.