When Carpal Tunnel Release Surgery Is a Good Idea

Your hands link you to the world around you in a physical way, which is to say that the use of your hands is extremely important. So, when a condition like carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) develops and one of your hands becomes difficult to work with, you want to know the best road back to regaining full use. Not to mention, you want relief from the discomfort and pain that’s often associated with this common condition — CTS affects up to 5% of the general population.

As a board-certified neurosurgeon, Dr. Ali H. Mesiwala and our team excel in nerve entrapment issues like carpal tunnel syndrome, and we offer a wide range of peripheral nerve surgeries, including carpal tunnel release.

Here’s a look at why our patients opt for surgery to relieve their carpal tunnel syndrome to help guide you in your own decision-making.

Behind the carpal tunnel nerve entrapment

Your carpal tunnel is a small opening — about an inch wide — that’s located on the underside of your wrist. This tunnel is created by small carpal bones that form the bottom and sides, while your transverse carpal ligament forms the roof. Despite its small size, your carpal tunnel provides passage for your median nerve and nine flexor tendons. 

CTS occurs when the synovial tissues that surround your flexor tendons swell up and pinch your median nerve. This large nerve is the primary nerve for your hand, allowing sensation in your thumb, second and third fingers, and the thumb side of your fourth finger, but not your pinkie. This large nerve also controls the muscles at the base of your thumb.

So, when your median nerve is compressed inside your carpal tunnel, it can lead to numbness, tingling, pain, and weakness, all of which can make using your hand more challenging.

Freeing up your median nerve through carpal release

If you’re reading this, the odds are good that you’ve been dealing with your carpal tunnel syndrome for some time, and conservative efforts like splinting and corticosteroid injections haven’t resolved the issue. 

This is one of the first indicators that carpal tunnel release surgery may be in your best interest. Also, if the condition is having significant impact on your life and you’re finding it hard to function, this quick, outpatient surgery can get your hand back in business very quickly.

You might also consider that the longer you have CTS, the more your symptoms will worsen and settle in. For example, you can develop constant numbness in your hand, and the muscles around your thumb can start to waste away.

The good news is that carpal tunnel release surgery is a highly effective solution, which explains why it’s one of the most common hand surgeries — between 400,000 and 600,000 carpal tunnel release surgeries are performed each year in the United States.

During this procedure, Dr. Mesiwala releases your median nerve by dividing the transverse carpal ligament, which creates more space for your median nerve and flexor tendons.

The bottom line is that it's impossible for us to say here whether you would benefit from carpal tunnel release surgery. To do that, we’d need to see you for an evaluation of your CTS. To get the ball rolling, please contact one of our offices in Newport Beach, Marina del Rey, or Rancho Cucamonga, California, to schedule an appointment.