Table of Contents
Physical Therapy. Physical therapy following surgery has not been shown to speed up recovery or affect the final outcome of CTS surgery.
Complications and Long-Term Outcome
Treatment failure and complication rates of CTS surgery vary.
Complications after surgery may include the following:
- Nerve damage with tingling and numbness (usually temporary)
- Infection
- Scarring
- Pain
- Stiffness
- Loss of some wrist strength is a complication that affects 10 - 30% of patients. Some patients who have jobs requiring significant hand and wrist strength may not be able to perform them after surgery. These workers may also have problems in other parts of the upper body, including the elbows and shoulders. These problems do not go away with surgery and can persist. Studies indicate that 10 - 15% of patients change jobs after a CTS operation.
If pain and symptoms return, the release procedure may be repeated.
Reasons for procedure failure include:
- Incomplete release of the ligament
- Extensive scarring
- Recurrence of the disorder due to underlying medical conditions
Patients who had open release surgery appear more likely to require repeat operations compared with those who have had endoscopic surgery.
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Review Date: 02/17/2011
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine,
Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital.
Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M.,
Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
