Symptoms During or Shortly After Isolated Carpal Tunnel Release and Problems Within 24 hours After Surgery

Is there a need for postoperative monitoring after open carpal tunnel release under WALANT?

Open carpal tunnel release (OCTR) under wide-awake local anesthesia with no tourniquet (WALANT) is a common outpatient procedure in hand surgery worldwide. In our clinic, WALANT has replaced intravenous regional anesthesia with a tourniquet (IVRA, or 'Bier block') as standard practice in OCTR. We therefore wondered what the optimal postoperative setting after OCTR under WALANT is. In this study, we compared patient satisfaction in two postoperative settings: immediate discharge (ID) after the operation, or short postoperative monitoring (PM) period in the outpatient clinic. Our hypothesis was that older patients would prefer a brief postoperative surveillance. We retrospectively analyzed patient satisfaction with the two settings using an adjusted questionnaire based on the standard Swiss grading system. We also assessed postoperative pain, satisfaction with the perioperative preparations and the reasons for unscheduled postoperative consultations, as secondary outcomes. One hundred and nine patients (ID, n = 63; PM, n = 46) were included in this single-center retrospective observational study. Patients were highly satisfied with both postoperative settings (Mean: ID 5.1/6; PM 5.5/6; p = 0.07). Even patients aged ≥80 years reported extremely high satisfaction with both settings (ID 5.6/6; PM 6.0/6; p = 0.08). Fifteen patients (ID, n = 11 [17.5%]; PM, n = 4 [8.7%], p = 0.72) unexpectedly consulted a doctor after surgery. OCTR under WALANT as an outpatient procedure with immediate discharge was associated with high patient satisfaction. However, detailed postoperative monitoring could contribute to the patient's well-being and education on how to cope with the postoperative course, and help with any questions.

Timing of Complications following Hand Surgery

Introduction Our purposes were to (1) characterize the timeline of eight postoperative complications following hand surgery, (2) assess complication timing for the procedures that account for the majority of adverse events, and (3) determine any differences in complication timing between outpatient and inpatient procedures.

Materials and Methods Patients undergoing hand, wrist, and forearm procedures from 2005 to 2016 were identified in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Timing of eight adverse events was characterized. Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to compare adverse event timing between inpatient and outpatient procedures.

Results A total of 59,040 patients were included. The median postoperative day of diagnosis for each adverse event was as follows: myocardial infarction 1, pulmonary embolism 2, acute kidney injury 3, pneumonia 8, deep vein thrombosis 9, sepsis 13, urinary tract infection 15, and surgical site infection 16. Amputations, fasciotomies, and distal radius open reduction internal fixation accounted for the majority of adverse events. Complication timing was significantly earlier in inpatients compared with outpatients for myocardial infarction.

Conclusion This study characterizes postoperative adverse event timing following hand surgery. Surgeons should have the lowest threshold for testing for each complication during the time period of greatest risk.

Level of Evidence This is a therapeutic, Level III study.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Making Evidence-Based Treatment Decisions

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders of the upper extremity. Comorbidities associated with the development of CTS include diabetes and obesity. Although a high rate of repetitive hand/wrist motions is a risk factor, there is insufficient evidence to implicate computer use in the development of CTS. Initial treatment generally is nonoperative, with the strongest evidence supporting bracing/splinting. Strong evidence supports operative treatment, regardless of technique, as superior to nonoperative treatment. Complications are infrequent and most are minor and transient.