Carpal Tunnel Surgery Neaman Plastic Surgery | Salem, Oregon Also Servicing Surrounding Areas

Carpal tunnel syndrome can be a household phrase, but can be a serious problem if left untreated. Salem plastic surgeons, Dr. Keith Neaman and Dr. Dustin Christiansen have extensive training and experience in the relief of carpal tunnel syndrome with hand surgery.

When all other methods of relief prove to be unsuccessful for finding relief of your carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms, it may be time to turn to hand surgery. Dr. Neaman, Dr. Tsai, and Dr. Christiansen have helped patients from Portland, Salem, Corvallis, Eugene and other surrounding areas by performing endoscopic carpal release surgery.

What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Carpal Tunnel syndrome is a medical condition that causes pain, numbness, and stiffness in your hands. Carpal tunnel occurs when the median nerve (which runs from the forearm into the palm of your hand) becomes pressed/pinched or compressed at the wrist.

The median nerve that is being compressed within the wrist passage relies on a bundle of nine tendons in the arm/wrist/hand. Tendons are a connective tissue that link muscle to bone. This nerve travels throughout the hand and forearm. When swelling occurs within this area, carpal tunnel syndrome occurs.

Signs and Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

The symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include chronic aching in your forearms, wrists and hands; tingling or numbness in your hands and fingers; and weakness in your hands. You may have a tendency to drop things as well.

More often than not, these symptoms mostly are felt during the night. However, they can also be noticed during routine activities, with the tingling most often taking place in the thumb, index, middle and ring fingers.

Without treatment, carpal tunnel syndrome may lead to permanent nerve and muscle damage. Dr. Keith Neaman and Dr. Dustin Christiansen are board-certified plastic surgeons with widespread knowledge and experience in a variety of hand conditions and surgery.

Hands typing on a computer

Causes of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

The nerve compression that is carpal tunnel syndrome can happen several ways, some which are:

Rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and hypothyroidism can cause swelling and pressure in the wrist
Any repetitive hand/wrist movement can cause carpal tunnel syndrome, including some sports like ping pong
Fluid build-up during pregnancy
Joint Dislocations
Fractures
Swelling of the lining of the flexor tendons called tenosynovitis

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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treatment Options

Many times, the symptoms of carpal tunnel cannot be relieved without surgery. When changing the patterns of hand use, the use of a wrist splint or steroid injections do not improve, hand surgery may be needed to relieve the pressure on the nerve.

Carpal tunnel surgery is a fairly straightforward surgical procedure and is performed as an outpatient procedure (usually taking less than 1 hour to perform). There are two different types of hand surgery to improve the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome including endoscopic carpal tunnel release and open carpal tunnel release. Surgery is considered the long-term solution as it is highly unlikely that the ligament will regrow. Both options have pros and cons and both involve cutting the transverse carpal ligament to relieve the pressure on the median nerve that is within the wrist. And both approaches have a high success rate, although endoscopic treatment generally results in a faster recovery time.

Endoscopic Carpal Release Surgery

Often the most preferred method, endoscopic carpal tunnel surgery uses tiny incisions, through which a small camera is inserted. This camera provides Dr. Keith Neaman and Dr. Dustin Christiansen with a detailed view of the carpal tunnel as well as access to the transverse carpal ligament, which is freed in order to remove pressure on the median nerve. This option generally also results in a faster recovery time.

Open Release Carpal Tunnel Surgery

This method, like the name says, is an open surgery which requires a longer recovery period and an incision that extends from the palm to the wrist.

Benefits of and Recovery From Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Having endoscopic carpal release surgery with Dr. Keith Neaman to relieve the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome have about a 90% success rating and is considered the long-term solution to carpal tunnel syndrome pain. When other methods of pain relief are not working, then surgery is the best option. If left untreated, carpal tunnel syndrome can leave you with permanent damage to your nerve.

Recovery from carpal tunnel hand surgery can take time. Recovery usually can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months. Depending on how long you have been suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, you can also decipher how long the healing process takes. If your nerve has been compressed for a long period of time, you can expect that recovery may also take longer. Recovery from carpal release surgery requires you to wear a wrist splint to keep it straight and possible physical therapy to help not only the healing process, but also to help strengthen the wrist and hand.