Overview
Carpal tunnel repair is done while the patient is awake or sleepy and pain-free (local or regional anesthesia) or deep asleep and pain-free (general anesthesia).
Through an incision on the inside of the wrist, the carpal ligament is cut open to relieve the pressure on the nerve. The incision is stitched (sutured) closed.
Review Date 6/13/2021
Updated by: C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, San Francisco, CA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.