Patient’s Perceptions of Carpal Tunnel Surgery

Introduction: Carpal tunnel syndrome is a debilitating medical condition to many patients, and in cases refractory to conservative treatment, carpal tunnel decompressive surgery is indicated. In Latin America, however, little is known about the patient’s perception of the surgical procedure and their experience. Objective: In this study, we analyzed patient’s perception and the overall experience about carpal tunnel decompression in a Brazilian public institution and compared the results with literature from other countries. Methods: We conducted a prospective qualitative study with semi-structured interviews with 20 patients who underwent carpal tunnel release. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed for thematic analysis. Results: Six topics emerged from the analysis: (1) functional restriction and pain are the main reason for seeking surgery; (2) our patients considered CTS as a serious illness, contrarily to previous reports of other countries. (3) patients were satisfied with the overall surgical experience; (4) many patients did not return to work after surgery, despite reporting significant improvement; (5) patients recommend surgical treatment as soon as possible; (6) most patients considered physical therapy important in rehabilitation. Conclusion: perception of CTS surgery is influenced by various socioeconomic and psychocultural variables, and further strategies to improve patient’s outcomes and expectations are still needed. In our community, we need to improve the perception of the severity of the disease and the recovering time before returning to work.