Endoscopic Carpal Tunnel

Endoscopic carpal tunnel release is a minimally invasive surgery that is performed to treat a painful medical condition of the hand, known as carpal tunnel syndrome.
In endoscopic surgery, a thin tube or an endoscope fitted with a camera at its end is inserted through small ports or incisions. The endoscope allows the surgeon to visualize the structures in the surgical site without surgically opening the area with a longer incision. The surgery is performed using tiny cutting tools that are also inserted through these small incisions.

What is carpal tunnel syndrome?

The muscles and tendons of the forearm and the hand are supplied by the median nerve which also allows movements of the fingers. The median nerve passes through a narrow passageway in the wrist called the carpal tunnel. The wrist bones form the bottom of the carpal tunnel and the transverse carpal ligament forms the top of the tunnel within the wrist. An injury or swelling from inflammation of the tissues within the tunnel can cause a compression of the median nerve. As a result, symptoms like pain, and loss of function, numbness, and tingling appear gradually and may get worse over time. The thumb side of the hand is more severely affected. This condition is called carpal tunnel syndrome.

• Activities that involve forceful or repetitive hand or wrist movement or use of vibrating equipment like driving, working with small instruments, knitting, etc
• Anatomy of the wrist: Some people may have smaller carpal tunnels than others
• Genetic predisposition: There is a higher risk if some of the close, first degree relatives have a history of carpal tunnel syndrome
• An injury like a sprain or fracture
• Pregnancy