Are Patient Demographics and Payor Status Associated With Practice Patterns in the Surgical Management of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

BACKGROUND

Open carpal tunnel release (OCTR) and endoscopic carpal tunnel release (ECTR) are the 2 operative approaches used to treat carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). This study aims to identify whether differences between OCTR and ECTR rates exist, and, if so, are these differences associated with patient demographics or hospital characteristics.

METHODS

The 2018 Nationwide Ambulatory Surgery Sample (NASS) was filtered for patient encounters including either OCTR or ECTR operations. All patients undergoing either OCTR or ECTR were included, regardless of surgical specialty. Patient demographics and hospital characteristics data, provided and predefined by the NASS database, were collected and compared between the 2 treatment groups.

RESULTS

A total of 180 740 patient encounters were collected for both procedure types (OCTR: 62.4% women, mean age, 58 years; ECTR: 62.2% women, mean age, 58 years). Patients from lower income zip codes were more likely to undergo OCTR (P < .001). Patients either self-paying (P < .008) or covered by Medicare (P < .001) or Medicaid insurance (P < .001) were also more likely to undergo OCTR. In contrast, patients who received care at academic centers and centers with >300 beds were more likely to undergo ECTR (P < .001). Patients <65 years old were more likely to undergo ECTR (P < .001), and patients > 75 years old were more likely to undergo OCTR (P < .001). In addition, ECTR was found to be more expensive, with average total charges $1568 greater than charges for OCTR (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Significant differences exist in treatment strategies for CTS and are related to patient income, location, and primary payor status. Differences in OCTR and ECTR rates are also present, and are related to the size and academic status of hospitals.