Keyhole carpal tunnel hands down preferred treatment
Dr Michael Kalamaras
Carpal tunnel surgery can be life changing and the benefits of keyhole methods are making this procedure even more patient-friendly with less pain, less downtime and lower overall costs.
Gold Coast Private orthopaedic upper limb and hand surgeon, Michael Kalamaras, said he performed keyhole carpal tunnel surgery through a small incision in the wrist, rather than the traditional approach through the palm, making it easier to recover and maintain use of the hand during recovery; and allowing both hands to be done simultaneously.
"It's not about the size of the cut, it's about where it is," he said.
"The reality is, whenever you've got a cut on the palm it's really uncomfortable and slow to heal; but a cut on your wrist has little impact on day-to-day life."
Carpal tunnel syndrome is one of the most common entrapment neuropathies, causing numbness, tingling and sometimes pain in the hands due to a compressed nerve.
Dr Kalamaras said while the surgical treatment of carpal tunnel had good outcomes, there was a point in time where the symptoms became irreversible.
"GPs should refer to an orthopaedic, hand or peripheral nerve surgeon when their patients are not sleeping well or the symptoms are present most of the time or becoming uncomfortable," he said.
"At first symptoms come and go, but once they are there constantly the damage is generally irreversible, so it is important to seek treatment before that time."
Dr Kalamaras said while risk of injury to the motor nerve branch was possible, it remained similar – less than three to four per cent - for both keyhole and open carpal tunnel surgery.
He said he was confident in the procedure and its outcomes and was having the surgery himself on both hands at the same time.
"I'm getting both my hands done via keyhole and I'm planning on driving the next day and back to work within a few days," he said.
"Keyhole carpal tunnel surgery results in less pain, faster recovery and requires very minimal theatre set-up - keeping the costs down for patients.
"It also means people can have both their hands done at once, which happens in more than half my carpal tunnel cases.
"People who have keyhole carpal tunnel are some of my happiest patients with the best outcomes; surpassed only by those who have previously had open carpal tunnel in the past, and have come back for the keyhole procedure and experience the difference."
Dr Kalamaras said he also used keyhole methods for shoulder, elbow, wrist and thumb surgery.
"Keyhole surgery is something that has the best outcomes when the surgeon performs a lot of it," he said.
"It is a skill that has a steep learning curve - particularly for joints like elbows where you're doing it 'back-to-front', and in the carpal tunnel it’s best not to get lost inside the hand."
For more information contact:
Premion Place
High St & Queen St, Southport QLD 4215
T: 07 5532 2721
W: gcupperlimb.com