Endoscopic Carpal Tunnel Surgery in Houston
If you have developed debilitating pain, weakness, or other symptoms in your wrist and hand, you may suffer from a common condition known as carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Although this condition can resolve itself through conservative care, sometimes surgery is necessary to release the nerve pressure in the wrist that causes the symptoms. Fortunately, the surgeons at NW Surgery can perform endoscopic carpal tunnel surgery in Houston to help you regain the use of your wrist and hand as quickly and easily as possible.
What Is the Mechanism Behind Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
The human wrist is more than just a joint; it also serves as a conduit for nerves that pass from the cervical spine through the arm to the hand. One such nerve, the median nerve, controls the thumb, first finger, middle finger, and ring finger. Doctors refer to the narrow passageway that accommodates the median nerve as the carpal tunnel.
The carpal tunnel is partly defined by a ligament called the transverse carpal ligament, which spans the width of the wrist. If this ligament gets injured or inflamed, the resulting swelling may pinch the median nerve, disrupting nerve signals. When this happens, you may feel tingling, numbness, or pain in your hand and fingers while also developing muscle weakness and loss of manual dexterity.
Some people are naturally predisposed to this problem because they were born with relatively narrow carpal tunnels. Others develop the problem as a repetitive motion injury by subjecting their wrist to excessive strain at work or playing sports.
What is Endoscopic Surgery?
When rest, ice, medication, and other conservative measures fail to tame carpal tunnel syndrome, surgery is an effective long-term solution. This surgery involves cutting the transverse carpal ligament.
The traditional open carpal tunnel surgery requires the surgeon to make a two-inch incision down the length of the wrist. Today, however, endoscopic surgery permits a much less invasive approach.
In endoscopic surgery, the surgeon makes a few tiny cuts instead of a single larger one. An elongated tool called an endoscope can then be threaded through the incisions. Special surgical instruments make the repairs with the surgeon viewing a feed from a miniature internal camera.
Endoscopic surgery holds some distinct advantages over traditional open surgery. The smaller incisions typically help patients experience less bleeding, less postoperative pain, and speedier recuperation times resulting in a safer operation.
How Does Endoscopic Surgery Treat Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
If you opt for the endoscopic approach, you’ll receive a local anesthetic to numb the wrist and hand. Your surgeon will make at least one small cut along your wrist and another small cut in the palm of your hand. The endoscope fits into the lower incision, while the tube containing the miniaturized cutting tools enters through the upper incision.
Once these tubes are in place, the surgeon will cut into the transverse carpal ligament, severing it vertically. Now that the transverse carpal ligament can no longer pinch the median nerve, your symptoms should disappear and your hand and fingers should receive normal nerve signals again.
Even with your median nerve now functioning normally, you can expect some wrist soreness and discomfort for a few weeks after your surgery. A combination of post-surgical pain medications and gentle physical therapy exercises can reduce discomfort and help you rehabilitate your wrist. You’ll also wear a brace or splint to protect it during the healing process. Your surgeon will advise you on which activities you can resume at different stages of recovery.
Let NW Surgery Help You
If you live in the Houston area, you don’t have to travel far to obtain the finest carpal tunnel surgeons and the most sophisticated surgical techniques. NW Surgery and its surgeons have been sharing their expertise with the Houston community since 1999. We have the most skilled and experienced orthopedic surgery team in Houston, with expertise ranging from extremity and spinal surgery to advanced chronic pain management services. We’re also happy to work with patients regardless of their insurance status.
Need a Hand With Your Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
If you’ve tried everything else to ease your carpal tunnel syndrome but fear you’ll never be able to resume your normal activities, talk to the carpal tunnel specialists provided by NW Surgery. Contact us so we can connect you with a hand and wrist specialist for a consultation about endoscopic carpal tunnel surgery in Houston.
