Dolores developed Postherpetic Neuralgia pain after a bad case of Shingles. She tried a variety of medications that eased the pain a little but had horrible side effects. She was at her lowest point when she found Dr. Demetrio Aguila, a pain-focused, peripheral nerve surgeon. Watch how Dr. Aguila helped Dolores overcome Postherpetic Neuralgia. Now she is looking forward to living her life to the fullest.
The purpose of this study was to report the 1-year clinical outcomes of carpal tunnel release using ultrasound guidance (CTR-US) performed in a large, real-world population of patients enrolled in a multicenter registry.
All patients who participated in a postmarket registry study of CTR-US outcomes and provided both preoperative and 1-year postoperative data were included. Main outcomes were the Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand Questionnaire (QDASH), Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire Symptom Severity Scale (BCTQ-SSS), and Boston Carpal Tunnel Functional Status Scale (BCTQ-FSS) scores at 1 year. Subgroup analysis was performed to assess the effect of patient and procedural factors on 1-year outcomes.
A total of 300 patients (341 hands) were treated by 25 different physicians, including 41 (13.7%) treated with simultaneous bilateral procedures. Mean patient age was 54.2 years, 63% were women, 24% had ≥2 comorbidities, and 54% had symptoms for >2 years. Mean QDASH scores decreased from 40.6 ± 20.6 to 12.2 ± 18.3 at 1 year, BCTQ-SSS scores decreased from 3.0 ± 0.7 to 1.5 ± 0.7 at 1 year, and BCTQ-FSS scores decreased from 2.4 ± 0.8 to 1.4 ± 0.6 at 1 year. Women improved more than men at 1 year for QDASH, BCTQ-SSS, and BCTQ-FSS. Patients treated with simultaneous bilateral procedures had similar 1-year outcomes to those treated with unilateral procedures. Multiple other factors including high body mass index, diabetes status, current tobacco use, rheumatoid/inflammatory arthritis, operation in the dominant hand, higher comorbidity burden, and concurrent ipsilateral procedures did not significantly affect 1-year outcomes. Two patients had revision surgeries in addition to one patient with an infection, and one with a suspected small finger tendon injury.
Patients treated with CTR-US in real-world conditions report significant and clinically meaningful improvements in symptoms and function that are maintained at 1 year. The results are consistent across broad patient demographics and are not affected by performing simultaneous bilateral procedures.
Dr. Demetrio Aguila is a pain-focused peripheral nerve surgeon. He is one of only a few in the world trained to help patients overcome chronic pain conditions previously considered untreatable. In this video he explains why surgery is his life’s calling.