Chennai :
Doctors from the department of plastic surgery at Apollo Speciality Hospital have introduced a new endoscopic technique of carpal tunnel release for treating carpal tunnel syndrome.
This is an improvisation of the existing option of open surgery, performed under local anaesthesia, which results in a 5-6cm longitudinal scar running across the wrist on to the palmar skin (patterns that appear on the palms).
The new endoscopic technique by Dr G B Rajan ensures reduced scarring and hospital stay. The patient can return to work in eight days or even less.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a medical condition wherein people suffer from numbness, pain and discomfort on the hand accompanied by tingling, burning, numbness, weakness of hand grip or simply pain.
The symptoms are usually felt over the thumb, index and middle finger, though the pain may extend up to the shoulders.
One in every five people suffering from such symptoms can be expected to have CTS following a thorough clinical examination, imaging and electrophysiologic (nerve conduction) studies. If untreated, it may result in permanent nerve damage causing constant numbness, wasting of the muscles of the hand involved in thumb movements.
“This condition may affect both hands, though symptoms may predominate on one side. The symptoms are intermittent in early stages, usually occurring at night times. This could be due to the flexed position of the wrist joint during sleep. However, the numbness can be intense enough to wake one from sleep,” said Dr Rajan.
Non-surgical treatment includes the use of night splints, steroid injection, oral anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs. However, for acute cases, surgery is the only option.
“In this new procedure, with the aid of an optically linked video monitor, without cutting open the entire palmar skin, the surgeon precisely cuts the transverse carpal ligament from underneath, using a retractable blade within the smart release device. Once done, the blade retracts and the endoscopic instrument is withdrawn,” said the doctor.
Usually, the procedure itself doesn’t last more than half an hour, though mild sedation of the patient does help in making it quicker.
The less than 1cm skin incision is closed with absorbable sutures.
“The resultant cosmetically acceptable scar is small and concealed within the wrist skin crease,” said Dr Rajan.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai / by Janani Sampath / December 05th, 2014