Hartford, CT – On December 11, watch live surgery on the Internet as orthopaedic hand surgeon Andrew E. Caputo, MD performs a carpal tunnel release.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a very common condition that causes numbness and tingling in the hand. It is due to compression of the median nerve in the carpal (wrist) tunnel. If gone untreated, it can cause serious hand weakness and potentially permanent numbness in the fingers and thumb.
One of the most common symptoms is painful numbness in the thumb, index and middle finger. This can occur during the day or quite commonly during the night causing difficulty with sleep. Patients can get grip weakness and in late stages, atrophy of thumb muscles can also occur and limit hand function.
If caught early, conservative treatments, such as wearing wrist splints while sleeping, can be effective in curing the problem. When conservative treatment fails, operative decompression is quite effective in relieving symptoms. When caught early, operative decompression has the potential of restoring normal hand function. Surgery involves cutting the carpal tunnel roof or transverse carpal ligament. This decompresses the nerve and allows for improved nerve function.
Kevin Burton, MD
Andrew Caputo, MD
Co-Director, Hand Surgery Service