Hand specialist helps local restaurant owner regain her mojo

It’s a cold rainy day as orthopedist Kyle Kokko, M.D., Ph.D., patiently awaits Martha Lou Gadsden at her local restaurant. 

Martha Lou’s Kitchen, located on upper Morrison Drive in downtown Charleston, has become a popular destination for locals and tourists alike. For the 30 years she has been in business, Gadsden has been serving up heartwarming soul food, which ranges from homemade fried chicken to savory southern sides. 

However, Gadsden recently has had troubles pursuing her passion for cooking her soul food. Carpal tunnel syndrome, a condition where numbness and tingling in the hand and arm are caused by a pinched nerve in the wrist, has greatly impacted her ability to cook and maintain her restaurant. 

Gadsden first sought treatment about two years ago from Kokko, a hand-and-wrist specialist at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Kokko says he had to make sure he got her back into the kitchen. “The nice thing about carpal tunnel syndrome is that it’s easily treatable. Often, it can be treated to resolution with splints and NSAIDs. In Martha Lou’s case, she needed surgery.” NSAIDS are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. 

Kokko has helped Gadsden overcome her carpal tunnel over the years. “How long has it been?” she asks Kokko with a smile. 

“Probably two or three years,” he answers as he ponders what he’s going to order off her menu today. Today he picks the fried chicken leg and thigh with lima beans and corn bread.

Gadsden says her problems started about three or four years ago. Since then Kokko has performed two carpal tunnel releases (left and right) that have quickly helped her get back in action. “You did my surgery, and you weren’t even finished. You did three [more] surgeries [after mine]!” she says of Kokko’s busy surgery schedule. Fortunately, hers went well.  

Kokko’s impact on Gadsden’s livelihood reaches further than just her own. Kokko has also treated one of her daughters.

“After carpal tunnel surgery, I had no problems,” Gadsden says.

The dynamic between Kokko and Gadsden is a sight to see, and has quickly evolved into a shared passion for food. 

“She does food for a living,” jokes Kokko as Gadsden takes a seat across the table. “So every time we get together, we just sit there and chat about food most of the time and then hands the other half of the time.” 

There is no doubt that Gadsden has been a staple of Charleston cuisine, and a personal favorite of Kokko as well. 

With a shared appreciation for southern cooking, Kokko also has a culinary reputation under his belt. Every year, cooking competitions take place at the Rutledge Tower Ambulatory Surgery Center where intense cook-offs among doctors and other staff members occur. 

“The nurses are kind of in charge, so they pick the food they’d like to eat. It’s either salsa, chili, barbecue or desserts. I’ve competed in many of those and have won three times, so it’s been a lot of fun. I’ve won the barbecue, the chili, and I won the dessert, with a key lime cheesecake.” 

Kokko enjoys helping all his patients, but their culinary bond gave him particular pleasure in Gadsden’s case. Kokko says the MUSC Health Hand, Wrist and Microvascular Surgery Service has grown significantly over the past few years. 

“In 2012, we were only down to a handful of surgeons, and since then we’ve added two plastic hand surgeons and three hand surgeons in the orthopedic department, including our chairman Dr. Vincent Pellegrini. So from a personnel standpoint, we’ve grown substantially and that has translated to it being a very productive service across the board as well.” 

For Kokko, helping patients such as Gadsden regain their quality of life is important. Kokko also wants others with carpal tunnel syndrome not to be shy about getting treatment so they can continue to pursue their passions in life. Kokko notes that he performs between 10 to 12 carpal tunnel procedures per month.

“It’s really important in what I do to get an immediate response. With carpal tunnel specifically, it is inflammation. Imagine if you’re the last one on a crowded elevator and those doors close. Once those elevator doors open, you can’t wait to get out. It’s kind of what the nerve feels like when you open up that carpal tunnel. You open it, the pressure is relieved and you’re done. The pressure is gone.”

And that fortunately gets Gadsden back into the kitchen. Kokko pauses to take a bite of corn bread and lima beans on his plate. “I don’t even typically like lima beans, but you have to try the ones from here!  Amazing!”