[Surgical treatment of the carpal tunnel syndrome]

The carpal tunnel syndrome was encountered in 2,727 patients, in 71% of them it was bilateral. Operations were conducted on 865 (18.6%) of the 4,663 affected hands. Operations for incision of the flexor retinaculum were conducted under local anesthesia, usually at out-patient hospitals. Additional interventions were performed in some patients: freeing the muscular branch of a nerve, resection of the edges of the flexor retinaculum, freeing the nerve from adhesions, endoneurolysis, resection of the tendon sheaths. Analysis of the results showed that manipulations on the nerve trunk are rarely indicated, while resection of the tendon sheaths is not justified. The working capacity was restored in 89.5% of patients in 25-45 days and in 7.4% - in the first 6 months. Early and late recurrences were observed in 3.1% of patients and called for a second operation.