Carpal Tunnel Surgery

I would like to state that I'm not a big fan of surgery. And have never had surgery for Carpal Tunnel, and currently do not have any Carpal Tunnel Symptoms. Thanks due to the Banish Carpal Tunnel Program.

Before we talk about surgery, here is a little stat that I dug up, less than 70 % of surgeries result in full recovery. And in a lot of cases workers still have to alter activities or move to a new job.

WHAT, less than 70% have a full recovery. Not good odds, although that stat is a little old.

Here is something to ask your surgeon,

• 1. What are the statistics for a full recovery.
• 2. What are the chances of re occurance
• 3. What are the risks, EVERY surgery has a risk of some sort

So, just what is Carpal Tunnel Surgery??
Here is a comment from Dr. Anthony J. Viera, a medical doctor specializing in CTS, this comment was about Surgery. "Surgery is done under anesthesia through an incision on the wrist, the carpal ligament is severed to relieve the pressure on the nerve. The incision is sutured closed with the expectation that the ligament tissue scars back together over several months creating more space."

Bit of an issue here with the word "expected".
The surgeon is going to cut me open with an expected outcome!! Combine that with the 70% statistic and it all sounds a bit scary. What about the "non-expected" results????

Here is a short Vid of Carpal Tunnel Surgery, thanks to YouTube

Not sure about yourself, but I'm just a bit scared of someone cutting into me. I have a lot of respect for surgeons and doctors, I do have a degree of skepticism as well. AND SO SHOULD YOU.

Recent experience (unrelated family illness) with doctors and surgeons has led me to always question what they say. So considering Surgery for Carpal Tunnel was WAY WAY down my list.

Does it seem like doctors and surgeons always seem to offer drugs or the knife, when there are other solutions that might be just as effective. Well, that after all is what they know, they have studied for years to learn their trade. If they didn't believe in it they wouldn't do it would they??

You can see how I avoided surgery and got rid of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Symptoms in the Banish Carpal Tunnel program. However, that is for another day. If you are curious about it, then sign up to the newsletter. It contains tips, tricks and exerts from the Banish Carpal Tunnel Program, as well as other useful facts we dig up that can help you. It is Free to join and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Do you need surgery? Are there other options?
There are always other options to surgery.
The question is are the other options best for you?
That is something that only you can answer I'm afraid.
You should take into account one thing. Surgery cannot be UNDONE. Once you are under the knife there is no going back.
Consider all options first.

A BIG concern about surgery is scaring,  scaring in the carpal tunnel.
Guess what happens if you get scar tissue in the carpal tunnel?  You run  the risk of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome occurring due to scar tissue putting pressure back on the median nerve.  So then it may be a case of surgery to fix the problems of surgery.....

I know for chronic sufferers it may be the only solution, but to me that looks like trouble.
What happens if there is a mistake, they cut the median nerve?
Or the Carpal Tunnel starts to heal with some scaring and the scaring adds pressure to the Median Nerve?

In any case, "Symptoms can reoccur within a few years." Quoted from article Management of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome by ANTHONY J. VIERA, LCDR, MC, USNR, Naval Hospital, Jacksonville, Florida in American Family Physician, July 15, 2003 Issue

If they can reoccur in a few years, what do I do then, an endless cycle of surgeries that do not really work. All that does is keep surgeons in jobs, and off the golf course. I much rather play a round of golf with the surgeon (although I bet surgeons play on better courses than I can afford), than both him and me be in hospital, him working and me being worked on. I'm sure there is enough work out there for surgeons without the need for me to be under the knife.

In short yes Surgery is an option. And yes it can work.

You never know, if you try some alternatives and they work, well not only have you saved a heap of $$$'s, pain and time off work. You might have also saved yourself some long term health problems and avoided the risk of surgical complications.

I would like to leave you with a couple of thoughts.

• SURGERY CANNOT BE UNDONE.
• SURGERY CAN WORK, BUT SYMPTOMS CAN ALSO REOCCUR.
• SURGERY SHOULD BE A LAST RESORT, try other things first that can be undone
• THERE ARE ALWAYS OTHER OPTIONS, they may be better or worse, but they do exist.
• ASK QUESTIONS OF YOUR MEDICAL PEOPLE, they are human and do make mistakes.
• ALWAYS GET A SECOND OPINION BEFORE COMMITTING TO SURGERY