How much of a settlement is expected for carpal tunnel surgery in both hands??

Question

How much of a settlement is expected for carpal tunnel surgery in both hands??

Answer 1

Carpal Tunnel Surgery is done under twilight anesthesia. The drugs cause amnesia, so it feels like one has been completely knocked out. Through an incision on the wrist, the carpal ligament is severed to relieve the pressure on the median nerve - Hence, the phrase "Carpal Tunnel Release Surgery". The incision is sutured closed with the expectation that the ligament tissue will scar back together over several months leaving more space.

Cost of surgery and rehabilitation is in the range of $5,000 to $10,000 with some improvement achieved in over 70% of cases. Full restoration is achieved in less than 60% of surgeries. Downtime and rehabiliation generally range from six weeks to three months depending on how many lingering symptoms result and the degree of scar tissue formation as the ligament heals back together. Scar tissue formation during recovery from surgery is unpredictable and sometimes results in less space in this narrow anatomical passage of the wrist after the carpal tunnel surgical procedure, causing even more discomfort and numbness after surgery. This complicaton is only reported in less than 15% of surgical procedures.

It is common for people recovering from the surgical procedure to experience some permanent loss of grip strength, a perduring loss of lifting strength in the wrist/forearm and nagging loss of full range of motion of the hand and wrist after surgery. This is due to severing the Transverse Carpal Ligament and then relying on this important ligament at the base of the hand to scar or heal back together. The purpose of the Transverse Carpal Ligament is to wrap around the hand and wrist and hold the many small bones of the hand and wrist securely together. There are over 27 bones in the hand and wrist nested together in a careful combination to enable the miraculous dexterity, movement and strength of the hand, fingers and wrists. Since we are born with this remarkable ability, most of us take it for granted that these bones move and work together seemlessly in full range of motion and without complications. These bones are all held together by fascia tisue, ligaments, and muscle and bound together by the the largest and strongest ligament of the hand, the Transverse Capal Ligament.

It is not uncommon for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Symptoms to return within two years of surgery, even when surgery goes well, if repetitive stress activities continue through routine use of a person's hands at work or at home. When Symptoms return, hand surgeons will consider performing a second surgery.

This is why most medical professionals and insruance companies insist that credible non-invasive therapies are tried before resorting to surgery as a last resort. Carpal Tunnel Surgery is not a permanent fix.



For this reason, most surgeons require that the patient changes their hand use pattern or addresses the work station ergonomics that may be contributing to repetitive stress at work or at home or insist on a career change, before they will perform a second surgery. Due to the scaring of the carpal ligament, it is not considered good practice to perform carpal tunnel surgery more than twice on the same hand.

Most patients do not have the stamina, time, money, resilence or patience to endure multiple surgeries on the same hand. Also, build-up of scar tissue from repeated cutting of this ligament often risk constricting the tight space in this narrow passage further, contributing to worse CTS symptoms, limiting range of motion and further weakening the grip of the hand and the lifting power of the wrist. You can learn more about natural Carpal Tunnel Relief Video options and watch an interview with Dr. Robbin discussing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in a compelling video program hosted on YouTube and viewed on the link, Carpal Tunnel Treatment .

Because of the risks associated with the invasive nature of surgery, most surgeons, neurologists, family physicians, hand therapists, medical insurance companies and healthcare professionals generally advise patients to exhaust clinically documented conservative treatments for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome before considering surgery. Also, people often worry about managing the downtime, the risks of potential complications, lingering symptoms during the recovery from surgery, the likelihood of permanent loss of grip strength in their hand and the loss of range of motion in the hand and wrist after surgery. Rehabilitations can be long, time consuming and painful.

For a chronic condition like CTS which has a high probability of reocurring, most people prefer to find a reliable, convenient, safe and natural therapy that does not involve the risks, downtime, and the potential for complications of a surgical procedure. Repeating the drama of surgery is just not a pleasant experience for a patient with any condition, especially after one has endured the ramifications of CTS. There is no cure for CTS, evern after a successful surgical procedure, the symptoms will likely flare up again in time if you keep doing the same activities.

Also, most insurance companies and surgeons insist on a nerve conductivity study to document inhibition in the response and performance of the Median Nerve, which passes through the Carpal Tunnel before they allow the reimbursement or approve the expensive, invasive severing procedure. Some people report the nerve conductivity study to be painful others do not find it painful. It is a relatively costly procedure that ranges between $800 and $1200 to confirm scientifically that you do have median nerve inhibition, which is the essence of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Some people come away with the impression that they have permanent nerve damage after the nerve conductivity test. It is possible to have permanent irreversible nerve damage from CTS, but reported cases of irreversible nerve damage as a result of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome are rare and it is generally thought that unless a person has been exposed to severe CTS symptoms for many years, it would be unlikely to have irreversible nerve damage.

The fact is you do not necessarily need a nerve conductivity test if you know you have the classic symptoms of Carpal Tunnel, unless you are planning on enduring the risks and potential complications of the surgical procedure. Your family physician, neurologist, or hand therapist should be able to help confirm the diagnosis for you and aid you in identifing any other possible contributing factors while you employ proven therapy to gain control of your condition today. In the long-run is important to identify any other potential contributing factors or causes to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome besides repetitive strain injury, which is usually a contributing factor in all cases of CTS. There can be a number of metabolic conditions that contribute or cause this annoying and frustrating disorder.

You can check out a comprehensive list of the possible contributing factors to CTS on this website at the above link and be prepared to discuss and identify possible metabolic factors with your doctor. You will also find a list of commonly asked questions about Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and get the facts about treating this frustrating condition with natural non-invasive methodologies in the Carpal Tunnel FAQ section. The good news is you do not have to wait to start getting control of your symptoms naturally while you set up an appointment to meet with your doctor. Carpal Solution Therapy allows you to start controlling your symptoms today without fear of complications and get back to your active life, while you wait for professional medical input on other potential contributing metabolic factors