{"id":10330,"date":"2021-01-28T16:49:52","date_gmt":"2021-01-28T14:49:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ditri.gr\/services\/camera-guided-endoscopic-carpal-tunnel-release\/"},"modified":"2021-01-28T16:49:52","modified_gmt":"2021-01-28T14:49:52","slug":"camera-guided-endoscopic-carpal-tunnel-release","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ditri.gr\/en\/services\/camera-guided-endoscopic-carpal-tunnel-release\/","title":{"rendered":"Camera-guided endoscopic carpal tunnel release"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Carpal tunnel syndrome<\/strong> is the most frequent nerve entrapment problem that can make a person visit an orthopedic surgeon.<\/p>\n

It affects 1% of the general<\/strong> population.<\/p>\n

Looking down on the palm, the carpal tunnel is a passageway in the wrist, resting on the wrist bones<\/strong> and capped by the transverse carpal ligament.<\/p>\n

Tendons<\/strong> and the median nerve pass through the carpal tunnel.<\/p>\n

The median nerve supplies sensation to the thumb<\/strong>, the index finger, the middle finger and half of the ring finger, as well as movement to the base of the thumb.<\/p>\n

What are the possible causes of carpal tunnel syndrome?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The most common cause of carpal tunnel syndrome is excessive use<\/strong> of the wrist (using tools or lifting loads).<\/p>\n

It is also linked to genetic predisposition<\/strong> (due to the anatomy of the area, in particular the size of the carpal tunnel), injuries and such conditions as pregnancy, diabetes, thyroid issues, and rheumatoid arthritis.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Due to the above conditions, a great amount of pressure<\/strong> may be applied on the median nerve, thus preventing it from functioning properly.<\/p>\n

This results in the patient having such symptoms<\/strong> as numbness, tingling, a burning sensation and pain, which worsen over time.<\/p>\n

A typical symptom is patient waking up in the middle of the night<\/strong> with numb fingers and having to shake their hand or leave it hanging in order to get rid of the numbness.<\/p>\n

At an advanced<\/strong> stage of the condition, after ignoring the symptoms, the muscles at the base of the thumb may waste away, and the patient may lose their grip (they drop things).<\/p>\n

What treatment is appropriate for carpal tunnel syndrome?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Treatment aims to decompress <\/strong>\u00a0the median nerve.<\/p>\n

This can be achieved by the use of conservative methods or surgery<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Conservative<\/strong> treatment methods, whose success rates are low, include administration of pain killers, change of activity or of the equipment used, splinting, local steroid injections and physiotherapy.<\/p>\n

Surgery is clearly more effective<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Under this method, the surgeon<\/strong> cuts the transverse ligament, which restricts the tunnel, thus decompressing the median nerve.<\/p>\n

There are two surgical approaches<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The first one is conventional open<\/strong> surgery and the other one is endoscopic<\/strong> surgery.<\/p>\n

The first one, despite its long and successful record, has a higher incidence of complications<\/strong>, including bleeding, painful hypertrophic scars, persistent symptoms, infections and damages to the median and ulnar nerve, as well as to nearby tissues.<\/p>\n

Even if completely successful, the size of the surgical incision and the prolonged rehabilitation period, ranging from a few weeks to several months, entail increased suffering<\/strong> for patients and higher indirect treatment costs, including the income lost due to the patient\u2019s inability to work.<\/p>\n

What are the advantages of endoscopic carpal tunnel release?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Endoscopic carpal tunnel release has proved to be more efficient<\/strong> in practice as it is a camera-assisted method.<\/p>\n

Where no camera<\/strong> is used, it is considered as open surgery.<\/p>\n

In the context of endoscopic surgery, regional or total anesthesia<\/strong> is administered to the patient and a 2\u00a0cm long incision is made.<\/p>\n

A cutting tool fitted with an HD\u00a04K\u00a0camera<\/strong> is then inserted through the incision.<\/p>\n

Dr Dimitris Triantafyllopoulos uses the most advanced, ergonomic and safe system, which allows for better visibility<\/strong> in the area of the operation.<\/p>\n

This system has better features than other endoscopic release devices and ensures several benefits, as it is able to align<\/strong> the surgeon\u2019s hand with the scalpel, thus reducing the likelihood of mechanical damage and, above all, likely injuries of the median nerve.<\/p>\n

The simple design of the instrumentation and the use of disposable scalpels, including all moving parts, are equally advantageous, thus reducing the duration<\/strong> of the operation.<\/p>\n

Upon completion of the operation, the surgeon will stitch the incision and bandage the wrist or place a splint<\/strong> to protect the incision.<\/p>\n

Most of the patients will stay in hospital<\/strong> for a few hours.<\/p>\n

The wound<\/strong> must be kept clean and dry for 10-14\u00a0days.<\/p>\n

The patient\u2019s activity<\/strong> is limited only in terms of their level of comfort, as there are no restrictions at all.<\/p>\n

The wound is checked 2\u00a0days after the operation, and a final check<\/strong> is carried out 2\u00a0weeks later.<\/p>\n

Proven advantages<\/strong> include resumption of the patient\u2019s day-to-day activities almost twice as fast as with open carpal tunnel release surgery.<\/p>\n

The length of the rehabilitation period depends on how advanced the syndrome is, how intense the preoperative symptoms are and what the patient\u2019s health condition<\/strong> is.<\/p>\n

If the median nerve has been constricted for a longer period of time, thus resulting in significant loss of sensation, recovery<\/strong> will take longer and full rehabilitation may take up to one year.<\/p>\n

For some patients, full<\/strong> recovery may even be impossible.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most frequent nerve entrapment problem that can make a person visit an orthopedic surgeon. It affects 1% of the general population. Looking down on the palm, the carpal tunnel is a passageway in the wrist, resting on the wrist bones and capped by the transverse carpal ligament. Tendons and the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":10309,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ditri.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10330"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ditri.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ditri.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ditri.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ditri.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10330"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ditri.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10330\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10332,"href":"https:\/\/ditri.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10330\/revisions\/10332"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ditri.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10309"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ditri.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10330"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}