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Risk and Complications in Endoscopic Carpal Tunnel Release

From the Hand Units, St Luke’s Hospital and Sydney Hospital, New South Wales, Australia

Correspondence: W. Bruce Conolly, Hand Unit, St Luke’s Hospital, 18 Roslyn Street, Potts Point, NSW 2011, Australia.

Single portal endoscopic carpal tunnel release was carried out in 107 hands of 88 patients. There were 11 complications. These included incomplete release (2), post operative scarring around the median and ulnar nerves (2), laceration of the superficial palmar arterial arch (1), reflex sympathetic dystrophy (2), palmar fasciitis (1), and wound inflammation (3).

In two cases there was no relief of symptoms. In one there was incorrect diagnosis and in another, incorrect indication for endoscopic carpal tunnel release. The follow-up was from 3 to 18 months with an average of 6.8 months. The overall results of the patients in this series are being presented in another paper. Of the 107 procedures, 73 were rated as having an excellent, 25 good, three fair, and six poor results.

The case of laceration of the superficial palmar arterial arch is discussed in detail in the paper. The two cases of reflex sympathetic dystrophy and the one case of palmar fasciitis had mild clinical features and resolved within 3 months. The inflammation in three of the wounds at the wrist resolved within 2 days of removal of the percutaneous sutures. These three patients had returned to heavy hand activities within a few days of surgery.

Journal of Hand Surgery (British and European Volume), Vol. 20, No. 2, 222-227 (1995)
DOI: 10.1016/S0266-7681(05)80056-7


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