Objective: There is an opportunity for median nerve decompression by open surgery in carpal
tunnel syndrome which is the most common surgical procedure in neurosurgical practice.
The aim of this study is to evaluate the long-term outcomes of carpal tunnel release
with 1.5 cm longitudinal mini-incision technique with regarding the effectiveness
and safety. Methods: For this prospective study, 300 hands for 188 patients with advanced carpal tunnel
syndrome who had indication for neurolysis underwent carpal tunnel release through
a 1.5 cm longitudinal mini-incision between March 2011 and 2015. There were 132 (70%)
females and 56 (30%) males with a mean age of 40 ± 29.5 years (ranging from 24 to
73) and female to male: About 2.56.178 operations were performed for the right hand
and 122 for the left hand. Preoperatively, all patients were evaluated with clinical
examination and nerve conduction studies. The clinical effects of the patients assessed
with the Global Symptom Score (GSS) and Visual Analog Patient Satisfaction Scale.
Results: The mean follow-up period was 18.6 ± 9.3 months (12–30 months). Postoperatively,
2% (six hands) complained of residual mild pain with tenderness of scar and only 1%
(three hands) complained of median nerve damage (neuropraxy) with tingling and numbness
but was temporary which improved after 1 week. Five patients (seven hands) loosed
strength of their wrists, but muscle force of abductor pollicis brevis reinforced
after 1 month. There is no evidence of local infection, stiffness, loss of some wrist
strength, or recurrence of the disorder. Postoperative GSS scoring obviously improved
than preoperative (P < 0.002). There is no patient who underwent reoperation. The
mean time recovery appeared almost 2 weeks. Conclusion: 1.5 cm longitudinal mini-incision method in carpal tunnel syndrome decompression
showed satisfactory pain relief, wound healing, and nontender scar with good functional
outcomes. The technique was performed safely without major complication.
Key-words:
Carpal tunnel syndrome - mini-incision - outcome