Carpal tunnel syndrome surgery at Spire Wellesley Hospital

We provide comprehensive private hospital care for our patients across Essex and the South East. Our highly skilled surgeons have wide experience in performing carpal tunnel release surgery. We provide fast access to diagnostic tests, scans and treatment, with expert aftercare that’s designed to help you get back to normal as soon as possible.

At Spire Wellesley Hospital, our consultants have extensive experience of performing carpal tunnel release surgery in our clean, modern facilities.

Our consultants typically offer open release surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome. During surgery, your consultant will make an incision (cut) so they can see inside your wrist and cut the transverse carpal ligament.

We offer minimally invasive techniques, which have been developed to help you heal faster, but may not be suitable for everybody. If your surgeon thinks it’s right for you, they may perform:

• Endoscopic release – a camera is used to see inside your wrist so one or two smaller incisions (cuts) can be used
• Percutaneous release – a minimally invasive technique using ultrasound to guide your consultant instead of a camera

Getting here

Spire Wellesley Hospital is a couple of miles from Southend town centre, just off the A127. We’re a short taxi ride from the train station, which has a fast and regular connection to London Liverpool Street. We also have free on-site parking available for you and your visitors.

Your consultations

One of our experienced surgeons will be able to offer you an initial consultation within a few days of your enquiry. All your consultations will take place in a private room.

Your surgeon will:

• Ask about your medical history and symptoms
• Examine your hand and wrist and advise on any further tests you may need such as a nerve conduction test or an ultrasound scan
• Suggest other treatments to try before surgery such as painkillers or wrist splints
• Explain in more detail about the procedure and anaesthetic – this is usually local anaesthesia, when you’re awake but can’t feel anything in your wrist and hand
• Tell you about potential complications and risks and how they may affect you
• Give you a chance to ask any questions you have about your treatment and aftercare

Carpal tunnel release is a day procedure, meaning you’ll be able to go home on the same day. The operation takes around 20 minutes.

On the day of your surgery:

• There will be a chance to meet your anaesthetist and surgical team
• You’ll be given a local anaesthetic to block any pain in your hand and wrist
• Your surgeon will make an incision to reach the ligament that runs across your wrist – they’ll cut through this using the technique explained during your consultation

Everyone’s different, so how long it takes to recover from your surgery will depend on your general health and how severe your carpal tunnel syndrome is.

Your consultant will be able to tell you more about your expected recovery, but here’s a typical recovery timeline for carpal tunnel surgery: