Surgeon Discusses Carpal Tunnel Relief
Orthopedic Surgeon Marc Weiss was introduced as our presentation speaker, on the topic of Endoscopic Carpal Tunnel Release, a procedure that has developed into a clean operation to allow people to recover from the pain of carpal tunnel faster and to expect to be free from recurrence.
Marc's father was in the Marines. He attended MIT and the
Carpal tunnel is when involvement of the hand becomes either numb or painful. The constant pressure on the median nerve at the wrist shares space with 9 tendons. Sufferers wake up to a feeling in the hand that is numb, but there is also sharp pain. In severe cases, the muscle is inflamed, essentially from excess fluids in the body. Marc showed how the tendons worked in the hand's finger and thumb movements. Tests for carpel tunnel syndrome are conducted in the office, a 60-second sensation test or a nerve conduction velocity test, among others.
Causes of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome include repetitive or strenuous use of the hands, trauma fractures leading to sudden swelling in the carpal tunnel, and infections and masses in the tunnel among other neuropathies. Keyboard and/or mouse use is not necessarily a universal cause. Treatment can range from rest, anti-inflammatory medication, night splints for wrists, steroid injections, alternative treatment (such as herbal or holistic remedies), to surgery.
Surgery has advanced from the fear of cutting something that doctors did not want to cut, in an attempt to alleviate the symptoms. With the use of a light-allowing canal insertion device (a Seg-way Endoscopic Slide), that also accommodates a special surgery knife, release of the transverde carpal ligament starts with a small palmar incision. Just as there is arthroscopy of the knee, the surgeon can use the arthroscope for the carpal tunnel surgery.
The doctor shared diagrams of the hand's carpal tunnel and the medical procedure to ease the pressure in the tunnel, as well as the tools used for the procedure. Marc said that the procedure uses a single blade inside the tunnel, and showed a video of that blade cutting the affected area to expand and release the painful tension. A tourniquet above the wrist area is applied so the patient doesn't bleed. The time it takes from the incision to the stitching is 15 minutes. Once the doctor cuts the ligament it is simply left in place.
As we age our bones change and grow. Being familiar with procedures such as the ones Dr Marc Weise does, can only supply information that will lessen out fear of surgery and insert hope for a healthy life as we age.