Carpal tunnel release surgery in Dubai

Where in Dubai

Dr. Subhash Ushakoyala, Specialist Orthopaedic Surgeon, sees patients with numb or tingling hands at Grand Infinity Medical Center in Al Muteena, Deira, Dubai. If you have had a nerve conduction test at another Dubai clinic or hospital, bring the report, as it can save repeating the test. Tell him about your work and hobbies too, because tasks that bend the wrist or grip hard often shape the plan.

What is carpal tunnel release surgery?

The carpal tunnel is a narrow passage on the palm side of the wrist. Its roof is a tough band of tissue called the transverse carpal ligament. The median nerve and nine tendons pass through it. When the tunnel swells, the nerve is squeezed, causing numbness, tingling and pain in the thumb, index, middle and ring fingers. This is carpal tunnel syndrome. Many people improve with a night splint or a steroid injection. When they do not, a carpal tunnel release cuts the ligament to make more room for the nerve. It can be done through a small cut in the palm (open release) or through one or two smaller cuts with a tiny camera (endoscopic release). Both aim for the same result.

Who it can help

• Numbness, tingling or burning in the thumb and first three fingers that wakes you at night.
• Symptoms that come on when holding a phone, driving or reading.
• Symptoms that have not settled with a wrist splint worn at night for several weeks, or that came back after an injection.
• Constant numbness, or weak and wasted muscles at the base of the thumb.
• A nerve test that shows the median nerve is under pressure.

How Dr. Subhash approaches it

Carpal tunnel syndrome treatment is on Dr. Subhash's own list of the problems he treats. For tingling or numb fingers, the first step is to confirm the cause. He examines the hand and wrist and tests feeling and grip in each finger. When the diagnosis is not clear, or to judge how badly the nerve is squeezed, he arranges a nerve conduction test. He explains whether a splint, an injection or surgery suits your hand, starting with the simplest treatment that is likely to work.

What to expect

1. 01

   Consultation

   He asks when the symptoms come on, examines the hand and tests feeling and grip. Bring any nerve test results you already have.

2. 02

   Treatment without surgery first

   A wrist splint at night, changes to activities that bend the wrist or grip hard, and he explains whether an injection is worth considering.

3. 03

   Deciding on surgery

   If symptoms keep coming back or the nerve is losing function, he explains the operation, the risks and the recovery. You decide.

4. 04

   The operation

   It usually takes about 20 minutes, often under a local anaesthetic that numbs the hand, and you normally go home the same day.

5. 05

   Straight after

   You keep the hand raised above the heart and move the fingers often, to reduce swelling and stiffness.

6. 06

   Follow-up

   The wound is checked and the stitches are removed if needed. He follows how the feeling and strength return.

Recovery, in general terms

Every patient is different. These are typical milestones, not a promise; your own plan comes from your consultation.

• Night-time tingling often eases within the first week or so.
• Many people return to normal activities within about a month.
• Soreness in the palm can last several weeks to a few months.
• Grip and pinch strength usually return over two to three months, and over six to twelve months if the nerve was badly squeezed beforehand.

Risks to know about

• Tenderness of the scar and the palm for some weeks.
• Infection or bleeding at the wound.
• Rarely, injury to the nerve or its small branches.
• Symptoms may not settle fully if the nerve was badly damaged before surgery, and they can occasionally return.

When to book a visit

Where to book