✦ Reliable Nerve Decompression

Open Carpal Tunnel Release (CTR)

Q: What is the difference between open and endoscopic carpal tunnel release?

Open release uses a small palm incision for direct ligament visualisation. Endoscopic release uses a tiny camera through one or two smaller cuts. Both achieve equivalent decompression — open release provides complete direct visualisation and is the more established technique.

Q: When do symptoms improve after open carpal tunnel release?

Night tingling and numbness frequently begin improving within the first week. Daytime numbness resolves progressively over weeks to months. Grip strength returns fully over 4–6 weeks. Long-standing severe compression may take longer for complete nerve recovery.

Q: Can I use my hand immediately after surgery?

Gentle finger movement is encouraged on the day of surgery. Light daily activities resume within 1–2 weeks. Driving and writing are possible within 1–2 weeks. Heavier gripping and manual work is typically resumed within 4–6 weeks.

Q: Can carpal tunnel syndrome return after open release?

Recurrence is uncommon — under 5%. The ligament is permanently divided and does not regenerate. Symptom return, when it occurs, usually indicates an incomplete initial release or a new nerve compression at a different level requiring further assessment.

A small incision in the palm divides the tight ligament compressing the median nerve at the wrist — providing immediate and permanent relief from the tingling, numbness, and weakness of carpal tunnel syndrome.

15–20 min PROCEDURE

Day Case HOSPITAL STAY

>95% SUCCESS RATE

4–6 Weeks FULL RECOVERY

What is Open Carpal Tunnel Release (CTR)?

Open carpal tunnel release divides the transverse carpal ligament — the fibrous roof of the carpal tunnel — through a small longitudinal incision in the palm. Dividing this ligament immediately expands the tunnel and decompresses the median nerve that passes through it. The procedure addresses the cause of carpal tunnel syndrome directly and permanently under full surgical visualisation. Dr. Sai Kishan performs open CTR at Lux Hospitals under local anaesthesia as a day-case procedure, allowing the patient to go home the same day with the nerve decompression already complete and symptoms already beginning to resolve.

Recommended for patients with confirmed carpal tunnel syndrome — on the basis of characteristic symptoms, clinical findings, and nerve conduction study results — where wrist splinting and steroid injection have not produced sustained improvement, or where nerve conduction testing shows moderate to severe median nerve compromise requiring surgical treatment.

How the Procedure Works

Local Anaesthesia & Tourniquet

Local anaesthetic is injected into the wrist and distal forearm; a tourniquet provides a bloodless operative field for precise dissection.

Palmar Incision

A small longitudinal incision is made along the thenar crease, positioned to protect the palmar cutaneous branch of the median nerve.

Ligament Division

The transverse carpal ligament is identified and divided in full under direct vision from distal to proximal, expanding the carpal tunnel completely.

Nerve Inspection

The decompressed median nerve is inspected to confirm complete release; any epineural scarring or compression from within the tunnel is addressed if present.

Skin Closure & Dressing

The skin is closed with interrupted sutures; a soft bulky dressing is applied and the patient is discharged with wound care instructions.

Outcomes

15–20 minDURATION

Day CaseHOSPITAL STAY

>95%SUCCESS RATE

4–6 WeeksRETURN TO SPORT

Who Needs This Treatment?

→Night tingling and numbness typically improve within the first days after surgery
→Over 95% success rate — among the most reliably effective procedures in hand surgery
→Day-case under local anaesthesia — no general anaesthesia or overnight admission required
→Complete ligament division under direct vision ensures thorough nerve decompression
→Stops further median nerve damage from continued pressure within the tunnel
→Quick, simple, low-risk procedure with rapid restoration of hand function

Open carpal tunnel release is one of the simplest and most effective operations available — and the transformation it produces is immediate. Patients who have had numb, tingling hands for years often notice the difference the same evening.

— — Dr. Sai Kishan Sirasala, Knee and Hip Joint Replacement & Robotic Surgery

Common Questions

Frequently Asked

What is the difference between open and endoscopic carpal tunnel release?+

When do symptoms improve after open carpal tunnel release?+

Can I use my hand immediately after surgery?+

Can carpal tunnel syndrome return after open release?+

Not sure which treatment is right for you?

Book a consultation with Dr. Sai Kishan and get a personalised treatment plan.

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