What is Carpal Tunnel Release?
Beneath the base of the palm is a tunnel through which all the
tendons that bend the fingers pass from the forearm into the hand,
together with one major nerve. The median nerve is a mixed nerve,
meaning that it carries fibres conveying sensation and motor fibres
which supply muscle, causing movement. The carpal tunnel has
fixed volume, and normally the structures within it fit snugly. Any
increase in size of the contents, or reduction in size of the
tunnel, leads to a rise in pressure, and the nerve is the structure
most sensitive to this change. This results in tingling,
numbness or pain in your hand wrist or forearm.
Surgery called a Carpal Tunnel Release is needed if medicines or
wrist splints have failed to relieve pain, or if your symptoms
continue to get worse.
After the operation your symptoms should improve and permanent
nerve damage will have been prevented.
What does this involve?
Carpal Tunnel Release is usually carried out under local
anaesthetic and takes around 20 minutes using either open or
keyhole surgery. Your surgeon will advise the best approach
for your particular situation.
A single cut will be made just above or in the front of your
wrist and the tight ligament, called the flexor retinaculum, will
be cut to stop the nerve being compressed. After surgery, the
skin cut is usually closed with dissolvable stitches
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When will I recover?
You will be able to go home the same day and your hand and
wrist will be bandaged for a week or two but some
function can be quite quickly resumed, avoiding heavy tasks which
may induce pain and provided the arm and hand are mostly
elevated.
Full recovery takes one or two months since the scar is often
tender at first and strength gradually returns. Function should
eventually be normal provided complete release has been carried
out.
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What risks should I know about?
Carpal Tunnel release is a routinely performed operation and is
very successful. Some complications can occur although they
are uncommon.
- Continued numbness in your thumb, index and middle fingers
- Tenderness of the scar
- Aching in the wrist
- Return of numbness and pain
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Circle care
Hand and wrist surgery is carried out by our specialist surgeons
who have the expertise to get the best possible results. You
can be sure of state of the art facilities and the best possible
care to get you back to normal as soon as possible.
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