Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Surgery
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a painful condition that is characterized by symptoms such as pain, swelling, numbness, tingling, paresthesia (pins and needles) and loss of strength and coordination in the thumb, index, middle and sometimes one-half of the ring finger. Not all of the symptoms or fingers have to be affected simultaneously as symptoms often vary and may move around. (Symptoms present in the ring and little finger are not carpal tunnel syndrome and instead are related to ulnar nerve entrapment in disorders like Guyon’s Syndrome and Cubital Tunnel Syndrome.)
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is the most common nerve entrapment disorder in the past decade and is generally caused by muscle strength and length imbalance that exists between the flexor muscles that close the hand and the extensor muscles that open the hand, resulting in excessive pressure on the median nerve. Surgery is one option for treating this disabling condition; however, it remains a controversial choice and it is important to fully understand the risks and benefits involved.
There are many invasive and non-invasive treatments for carpal tunnel syndrome including medication, exercise, wrist splinting, and corticosteroid nerve injections. Surgery is by far the most invasive procedure and it merits careful forethought as a majority of those undergoing the knife may obtain some relief, long-term relief has a very poor success rate. In contrast, the vast majority of patients fare better with conservative treatment and it is estimated that less than 1/3 require surgical intervention. Indeed, surgery is only recommended when there is persistent, debilitating pain, deteriorated grip or grasping, muscle flattening and all other conservative methods have been tried.
There are multiple forms of surgery for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome including open hand surgery and endoscopic surgery, a less invasive incision through the muscle in the palm. Symptoms such as pain and numbness usually begin to improve in about 18-days with endoscopic release and about 38-days with open release surgery. Muscle coordination, control, and strength may initially worsen following surgery, and a return to pre-operative status may take several months for some people, depending on the procedure performed, age, severity of symptoms and length of injury present prior to surgery. Significant improvement to pre-injury status may take as much as two years to achieve, if it comes at all according to the following carpal tunnel surgery statistics.
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