Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Jul;14(4):471-476.
doi: 10.1177/1558944718765226. Epub 2018 Mar 20.

Rates of Complications and Secondary Surgeries of Mini-Open Carpal Tunnel Release

Dafang Zhang  1   2 , Philip Blazar  1   2 , Brandon E Earp  1   2
Affiliations

Rates of Complications and Secondary Surgeries of Mini-Open Carpal Tunnel Release

Dafang Zhang et al. Hand (N Y). 2019 Jul.

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the rates and types of complications and secondary surgeries after mini-open carpal tunnel release. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed for 1,328 patients who underwent mini-open carpal tunnel release from August 2008 to July 2013. Patients were excluded for acute trauma, the index procedure being revision surgery, neoplasm, age less than 18 years, incomplete records, and postoperative follow-up less than 1 month, which yielded 904 patients who underwent 1,144 surgeries. Results: Of 1,144 carpal tunnel releases performed, 14 (1.2%) were noted to have a complication at final follow-up, with no cases of major nerve or vessel injury. Fourteen patients (1.2%) underwent secondary surgery, including 11 cases for persistent or recurrent carpal tunnel syndrome and 3 cases for infection or hematoma. Chronic kidney disease was associated with an increased risk of complication. Diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, and cervical radiculopathy were associated with an increased risk of secondary surgery. Conclusions: The short-term complication and secondary surgery rates of mini-open carpal tunnel release are low. Patients with diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, and cervical radiculopathy should be counseled regarding risks of complication and secondary surgery.

Keywords: carpal tunnel syndrome; complications; mini-open carpal tunnel release; revision; secondary surgery.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
(a) A representative mini-open incision is shown. (b) The contents of the carpal tunnel are visualized after sharp incision of the transverse carpal ligament.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
The length of follow-up in months is shown for 1,144 cases of mini-open carpal tunnel release.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Aslani HR, Alizadeh K, Eajazi A, et al. Comparison of carpal tunnel release with three different techniques. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2012;114(7):965-968. - PubMed
    1. Atroshi I, Hofer M, Larsson GU, et al. Extended follow-up of a randomized clinical trial of open vs endoscopic release surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome. JAMA. 2015;314(13):1399-1401. - PubMed
    1. Atroshi I, Hofer M, Larsson GU, et al. Open compared with 2-portal endoscopic carpal tunnel release: a 5-year follow-up of a randomized controlled trial. J Hand Surg Am. 2009;34(2):266-272. - PubMed
    1. Atroshi I, Larsson GU, Ornstein E, et al. Outcomes of endoscopic surgery compared with open surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome among employed patients: randomised controlled trial. BMJ. 2006;332(7556):1473-1476. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Boeckstyns ME, Sorensen AI. Does endoscopic carpal tunnel release have a higher rate of complications than open carpal tunnel release? an analysis of published series. J Hand Surg Br. 1999;24(1):9-15. - PubMed

MeSH terms