Omaha Carpal Tunnel Surgery

If your carpal tunnel symptoms of pain and numbness do not improve and especially if they interfere with your normal activities and sleep patterns, see your doctor. If you leave the condition untreated, nerve and muscle damage can occur.

Omaha Carpal Tunnel Surgery Eligibility

Your Doctor will do a physical exam and ask about your health and activities. Your doctor will ask if you have any health problems-such as hypothyroidism, or diabetes-or if you are pregnant. He or she will ask if you recently hurt your wrist, arm, or neck. Your doctor will want to know about your daily routine and any recent activities that could have hurt your wrist. During the exam, your doctor will check the feeling, strength, and appearance of your neck, shoulders, arms, wrists, and hands. Your doctor may suggest tests, such as blood tests to see if any health problems might be causing your symptoms. Tests ordered may include: X-ray. Some doctors may recommend an X-ray of the affected wrist to rule out other causes of wrist pain, such as arthritis or a fracture. Electromyogram is a machine that measures the tiny electrical discharges produced in muscles. A thin-needle electrode is inserted into the muscles your doctor wants to study. The electrical activity in the muscle is recorded by the machine. This test can help determine if muscle damage has occurred.

Omaha Carpal Tunnel Surgery Expectations

During the healing process after the carpal tunnel surgery in Omaha, the ligament tissues gradually grow back together while allowing more room for the nerve than existed before. The length of time to recover will depend on the type of surgery and the severity of your condition. Soreness or weakness may take from several weeks to as long as a few months to resolve after surgery. If your symptoms were very severe before surgery, symptoms may not go away completely after surgery. In general, your doctor will encourage you to use your hand after surgery, gradually working back to normal use of your hand while avoiding forceful hand motions or extreme positions of your wrist.

Omaha Carpal Tunnel Surgery Treatments

Splinting and other carpal tunnel non-surgical treatments are more likely to help you if you’ve had only mild to moderate symptoms for less than 10 months. If your carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms are severe or persist after trying nonsurgical therapy, omaha carpal tunnel surgery may be the best option.

The goal of carpal tunnel surgery is to relieve pressure on your median nerve by cutting the ligament pressing on the nerve. The surgery performed is called a “carpal tunnel release”. The transverse carpal tunnel ligament is severed to relive pressure on the median nerve. There are two ways to do this surgery- either by making one incision on the palm side of the wrist, or by making several small incisions.

Endoscopic carpal tunnel surgery can be done using an endoscope, a telescope-like device with a tiny camera attached to it that allows your doctor to see inside your carpal tunnel and perform the surgery through small incisions in your hand or wrist.

Open surgery involves making a larger incision in the palm of your hand over the carpal tunnel and cutting through the ligament to free the nerve. Either technique has risks and benefits that are important to discuss with your surgeon before surgery.