Carpal Tunnel Surgery
Are your wrists killing you after a long day at the computer? Do you have a constant tingling in your hands and do they fall asleep on you periodically throughout the day? If so then chances are you need carpal tunnel surgery. Because the wrist is a complex joint containing eight small bones and lots of connecting ligaments, arthroscopy is used for this surgery. This allows the surgeon to make small incisions into the muscle and tissue to view the anatomic parts and their movements.
The benefits of using an arthroscope are for a more accurate diagnosis and to correct the problems in the joint at the same time. You will have fewer problems and will recover much quicker than with regular surgery. It is also an outpatient procedure; you should be home in your own bed within a couple of hours.
The Surgery
When the surgeon begins, he will make small incisions through your skin, in specific locations around the joint. The incision measure less than a half inch long, the arthroscope is the size of a pencil and is inserted into the incision. The arthroscope has a small lens, a miniature camera, and a lighting system.
Your joint will be projected from the camera onto a television screen in a three-dimensional image. Your surgeon will watch the monitor as he moves the instrument around the joint. If your surgeon finds problems, there are probes, forceps, knives, and shavers at the ends of the arthroscope to correct the problem.
If your surgeon is unsure of what is causing your wrist pain, he may use diagnostic arthroscopy to find out what is causing wrist pain. It can also be used if your wrist pain continues for any length of time despite nonsurgical treatment.
What happens before arthroscopic surgery?
• You will need a physical exam of the hand and wrist
• Provide a medical history
• Your surgeon will need to do tests that will replicate the pain and discomfort that you are feeling so he has a better understanding of where the pain is generating from.
• You will need X-rays or arthorgram of your wrist
For your surgery a regional anesthesia will be used numbing only the hand and arm. You can have a sedative for relaxation if need be. After surgery, your incision will be closed with a small stitch and a dressing will be applied. Rarely, but sometimes a splint is used.
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