Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Surgery

The carpal tunnel is a tunnel in the wrist that protects the median nerve, which is responsible for all of the nerve connections and feeling in the fingers, hand, and wrist. When the tendons and ligaments surrounding the tunnel become irritated or inflamed, the result is a feeling of pressure, numbness, and swelling in the fingers and wrist. This is carpal tunnel syndrome. Most cases of carpal tunnel syndrome are not serious and can be treated with fairly simple, at home, remedies. However, there are cases serious enough that warrant carpal tunnel syndrome surgery.

You may need carpal tunnel syndrome surgery if:

All avenues of treatment have been exhausted and you are still experiencing pain
You have a vocation that will involve repeated motions that will continue to irritate the wrist
Your wrists are considerably smaller than what is considered typical, and there is an abnormally small amount of space between the median nerve and the surrounding tunnel.

Carpal tunnel syndrome surgery is a fairly simple outpatient procedure that may not even require the use of general anesthesia, depending on the severity of the condition. In carpal tunnel syndrome surgery, your doctor will make a small incision into your wrist in order to release the ligament surrounding the carpal tunnel. The goal of carpal tunnel syndrome surgery is to alleviate the pressure on the median nerve.

Recovery from carpal tunnel syndrome surgery is generally very minimal. You may require some pain medication for a short period of time, about two weeks, following the surgery. Your physician may also advise you to wear a wrist splint while you are sleeping or doing any of the physical activities that may cause irritation to your wrist. You should also avoid lifting anything heavy for a few weeks following the surgery, in order to let the wrist heal. Once the healing is complete you should not have any reoccurrence of your symptoms.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Surgery: The Last Resort