Can Peripheral Nerve Surgery Resolve My Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

For such a seemingly small issue, carpal tunnel syndrome can have a disproportionately large impact on your life as you deal with numbness, pain, and tingling in your hand and wrist.

This nerve entrapment issue is quite common and affects up to 5% of the general population, with women outpacing men by three to one (thanks in large part to anatomy and hormones).

If you find yourself part of this large group, and you’re dealing with carpal tunnel syndrome that isn’t responding to conservative treatments, you’ve come to the right place. 

At our practice, Dr. Ali H. Mesiwala specializes in neurosurgery, which is a medical field that focuses on surgical solutions for nervous system disorders, including peripheral nerve issues like carpal tunnel syndrome. (CTS)

In the following, we take a look at when it might make sense to consider surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome and the goal behind this commonly performed procedure.

Is it time for carpal tunnel surgery?

As we’re sure you’re well aware, when you have CTS, the median nerve that passes through the carpal tunnel on the underside of your wrist is being compressed, which can lead to symptoms that include:

• Pain in your wrist and hand
• Numbness in your hand and fingers (all but your pinkie finger)
• Paresthesias — a pins-and-needles feeling
• Pain that travels back up your forearm

These symptoms can come and go and flare at certain times, such as at night or when you’re using the affected hand and doing something repetitive. Over time, however, these symptoms can get worse — they can become more severe and more constant.

During the early stages of CTS, we prefer to start out with conservative treatments, such as:

• Bracing your wrist to keep it straight
• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Corticosteroid injections
• Nerve gliding exercises

If these avenues fail to deliver results and your symptoms aren’t going away, surgery may make good sense. This is especially true if your symptoms are getting worse. as carpal tunnel syndrome can progress to the point where you can lose function in your hand. Not to mention, if your pain persists, that’s one side effect you’d rather not live with.

Carpal tunnel release surgery

The concept behind carpal tunnel syndrome surgery is simple — Dr. Mesiwala makes more space for your median nerve to relieve the entrapment.

The carpal tunnel space is small — only about an inch wide — but it’s a busy passageway that contains 9 flexor tendons, as well as your median nerve. Three sides of your carpal tunnel are made up of small carpal bones, while your transverse carpal ligament forms the final side. And it’s this side that Dr. Mesiwala targets during a carpal tunnel release surgery.

More specifically, during the procedure, Dr. Mesiwala cuts the transverse carpal ligament to create more room for your median nerve, which should relieve the nerve compression and your symptoms.

The good news is that Dr. Mesiwala performs this peripheral nerve surgery on an outpatient basis, which means you can go home after we’re done. 

The other piece of good news is that carpal tunnel release surgery has a long and successful track record for relieving the uncomfortable symptoms that accompany CTS, often for good.

If you’d like to come in for a carpal tunnel evaluation to see whether surgery makes sense for your peripheral nerve issue, please contact one of our offices in Newport Beach, Marina del Rey, or Rancho Cucamonga, California, to set up an appointment with Dr. Mesiwala.