Carpal Tunnel Release Specialist

Alan Dayan, MD, PC, FAAOS

NYU Orthopedic Surgeon in Brooklyn, New York & Staten Island, NY

Hand and wrist pain or tingling sensations in your fingers and arm may indicate a condition called carpal tunnel syndrome. Brooklyn, New York, board-certified orthopedic surgeon Alan J. Dayan, MD, is an expert at diagnosing and treating carpal tunnel syndrome with carpal tunnel release surgery. Get relief from the painful symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome with one of New York’s most knowledgeable, experienced orthopedic surgeons. Call his office or request the next available appointment using the online booking system.

718-232-6348

Carpal Tunnel Release Q & A

What is carpal tunnel syndrome?

When the median nerve that runs through your wrist becomes squeezed or compressed, you experience pain, numbness, or tingling in your hand and arm. Carpal tunnel syndrome gets worse over time, especially if you don’t treat it. It’s the most common form of compression neuropathy — the entrapment of the nerve that extends from your upper arm through your wrist.

Physicians once thought that overuse caused carpal tunnel syndrome, but the medical community now understands that while repetitive motion or injury aggravates symptoms, it’s most likely the result of a narrow carpal tunnel — the passageway through which the median nerve runs.

What are the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome?

The most common symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome, or compression neuropathy of your wrist, include:

Pain and tingling that may travel from your hand to your arm
Burning pain in your thumb, index, and middle fingers
Weakness or difficulty in your hand and fingers, making it hard to button a shirt
Clumsiness holding objects
Shock-like sensations that periodically travel through your arm and hand

Carpal tunnel syndrome doesn’t usually go away on its own, but instead gets worse. Dr. Dayan determines the severity of your symptoms during a thorough examination and through the use of ultrasound or MRI scans that indicate how your tendons may be compressing your median nerve.

What is carpal tunnel release?

Carpal tunnel release surgery alleviates the pressure on the median nerve in your wrist. Dr. Dayan performs carpal tunnel release surgery either as open, traditional surgery or as an endoscopic procedure. Open carpal tunnel release requires a 2- to 3-inch incision along your palm to allow access to your carpal ligament so Dr. Dayan can open the tunnel and make it larger, thus taking the pressure off your median nerve.

Endoscopic carpal tunnel release requires a much smaller incision and the use of an endoscope — a small device with a light and camera lens — that allows Dr. Dayan to see inside your wrist to perform the procedure. He may also use the endoscope in conjunction with a digital imaging system.

If you have hand and wrist pain that continues to get worse or is aggravated by certain activities, such as typing on a keyboard, call the office to make an appointment with one of Brooklyn’s “Physicians of the Year.” You can also request an appointment with Dr. Dayan using the online booking tool.