It is a very common disease that affects a large part of the population and is very annoying because it inhibits the use of the hands. Carpal tunnel syndrome, which is a condition that involves a wrist channel through which the median nerve and nine flexor tendons of the fingers pass, going to the forearm and hand, consists of increasing pressure on the nerve. Its crushing is at the origin of this syndrome, which is made recognizable to the patient through small discharges that lead to tingling. We talked about the new surgical operation thanks to which it is possible to regain control of one’s limbs in just one hour with Dr. Luciana Marzella, of the Orthopaedic Operating Unit expert in Hand Surgery.

Symptoms of carpal tunnel

The symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome are different and above all they change with the worsening of the disease, which initially does not generate a real pain but only a tingling in the wrist that often occurs at night. From the simple discomfort, however, you can get to a real movement deficit that also involves the arm and shoulder. The weakness of the hand and fingers, on the other hand, can reduce the ability to grasp objects firmly. “When the nerve worsens and degenerates, the sensitivity and therefore the strength are progressively lost – explains the specialist -: many patients say that taking a plate falls from their hands. The fingers most affected by numbness and tingling are the thumb, index finger, middle finger and ring finger, but not the little finger.

Diagnosis and surgery

The electromyography, an examination that can assess the state of the muscles and nerves, is the one by which you can diagnose a carpal tunnel syndrome, thanks to the possibility of verifying the state of the median nerve. “When we are faced with an important symptomatology, it is necessary to intervene surgically – explained the doctor – it is possible to perform classical “open” operations, with a real incision of the palm, normally performed with minimally invasive operations in which a small incision of less than 1 cm is made on the wrist. Then the nerve is decompressed. The positive side of these minimally invasive operations is that they allow a much faster recovery: the same day the patient can already move, open and close his fingers and use the hand, just one hour after the operation.