We've made this a procedure so patients can eat breakfast in the morning...they can drive themselves to our facility... and within one hour of the procedure, they're walking out of the door. Most people think they're going to be taking a month to two months off from their activities, but post-operative downtime is anywhere from a couple days to one to two weeks.
Carpal Tunnel Treatment
New minimally-invasive carpal tunnel procedure at MUSC.
Considering carpal tunnel surgery, but concerned about the recovery time or going under anesthesia?
MUSC Health now offers a new carpal tunnel release procedure that allows patients to drive themselves home immediately following the procedure. It removes the use of anesthesia because the treatment is performed as a procedure and not as a surgery. Plus, recovery time is shorter with our minimally-invasive procedure versus when its performed as an open surgery.
Our carpal tunnel patient stories.
Nancy returns to her active lifestyle quickly following carpal tunnel procedure at MUSC Health.
Sous chef credits new procedure with quick return to work.
New Carpal Tunnel Procedure Delivers Big Results for Hair Stylist.
With endoscopic carpal tunnel release performed in an outpatient facility, MUSC patients can get back to their passions more quickly.
FAQs about Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition that causes pain, tingling, numbness, and other problems in your hand due to pressure on the nerves in your wrist. Approximately 15 million people in the U.S. suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome. With early diagnosis, treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome has a high success rate and can help relieve nearly all painful symptoms.
Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome start gradually and include frequent tingling, numbness, and/or burning in the palm of the hand and fingers, especially the thumb, index, and middle fingers. This pain can occur in one or both hands and is frequently worse at night.
The two main options to treat carpal tunnel syndrome are open surgery and endoscopic surgery. Treatment methods should always be based on your individual symptoms and your doctor’s recommendation.
In an endoscopic procedure, your surgeon makes a small, ½ inch incision in the crease of your wrist in the Ulnar Safe Zone. In an open surgical procedure, your surgeon makes an incision (up to 2 inches) down the center of your palm. The location of this scar is important for recovery. A small incision in the crease of the wrist allows for greater mobility, helping you to return to normal activities more quickly. Additional benefits may include: • Reduced recovery time • Minimized scarring • Decreased post-op pain • Typically performed under local anesthetic.
