Carpal Tunnel Surgery Malpractice Lawyers in Pittsburgh, PA
Surgical errors can be very difficult and cause irreparable damage to you or your loved one. These kind of errors can range from a minor mistake that has little to no effect on your recovery, or it can be incredibly serious if they operate on the wrong body part or even maybe leave a surgical item inside you. Your surgeons owe you a duty to provide you the appropriate care when you are being treated by them. The Pittsburgh medical malpractice attorneys at Berger Lagnese & Paul, LLC have been representing surgical error victims for years. We have been representing surgical injury victims for years, and want to provide you the representation you deserve to help you recover on your claim. Contact our offices today to schedule your free consultation for your carpal tunnel syndrome surgical error.
About Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome is one of the most frequently treated conditions in the United States today. Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by many different factors and conditions, including repetitive motion, diabetes, and pregnancy. The symptoms associated with carpal tunnel syndrome vary from person to person. Typically, they include numbness, tingling, pain and weakness in the thumb, index, and middle fingers. The symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome result from pressure on a nerve called the median nerve. The median nerve is one of the main nerves providing sensation and movement to the hand and fingers. The median nerve originates in the shoulder area and travels down the arm, through the wrist, and into the hand.
tunnel is called the carpal tunnel. Like any tunnel, the carpal tunnel has a floor, walls, and a roof. The floor and walls of the carpal tunnel are made of many small bones. These bones are called the carpal bones. The roof of the carpal tunnel is made of a thick and rigid ligament called the transverse carpal ligament.
The median nerve travels through the carpal tunnel on its way to the hand and fingers. Also travelling through the carpal tunnel are nine separate tendons. These are the tendons that enable the fingers to move. All these structures passing through the carpal tunnel make the tunnel a crowded place. Any amount of abnormal swelling in the wrist can cause the median nerve to be pressed up against the roof of the carpal tunnel, the thick and rigid transverse carpal ligament. This pressing of the median nerve against the ligament causes abnormal pressure on the nerve. If the pressure becomes too great, the median nerve begins to malfunction, causing the tingling, numbness, pain, and weakness in the thumb, index, and middle fingers that is carpal tunnel syndrome.
Carpal Tunnel Treatments
If you have been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome, you should know about your treatment options. There are several non-surgical treatment options, including rest, splinting of the wrist, and drug therapy.
Surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome is considered the treatment option of last resort, that is, it is typically considered only after the non-surgical treatment options have been exhausted. Surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome is called “carpal tunnel release” surgery. This surgery involves the cutting or dividing of the transverse carpal ligament. Remember that the thick and rigid transverse carpal ligament forms the roof of the carpal tunnel. By cutting this ligament into two pieces, the carpal tunnel is opened and the pressure on the median nerve is relieved.
Although all carpal tunnel release surgery involves the cutting of the transverse carpal ligament into two pieces, surgeons have developed many different ways to accomplish this cutting. The two main ways of cutting the transverse carpal ligament are called the “open” technique and the “endoscopic” technique. Surgeons who use the open technique will make a longitudinal incision over the transverse carpal ligament and will cut the ligament under direct vision.
Pittsburgh Surgery Injury Lawyers
As with any surgery, carpal tunnel release surgery is not without risks. There are several surgical injuries that can occur during carpal tunnel release, some very serious. One of the most significant surgical injuries that can occur during carpal tunnel release is laceration or severing of the median nerve. A laceration or severing of the median nerve can result in permanent nerve damage and permanent loss of sensation and function of the hand. Click here for more information concerning the surgical injuries that can occur during carpal tunnel release surgery.
If you are considering carpal tunnel release surgery you should find out what technique your surgeon will use to perform the surgery. You should also find out how many times your surgeon has performed carpal tunnel release surgery over his or her career, and how many times per month over the last two years. Most important, you should find out how many times your surgeon has caused a surgical injury during carpal tunnel release. Surgeons typically refer to surgical injuries as “complications”. Ask your surgeon how many times he has experienced complications during or after a carpal tunnel release. Also ask your surgeon what those complications were and what caused them. If your surgeon tells you that he or she has inflicted median or other nerve injury during a carpal tunnel release procedure, you probably should consider looking for another surgeon.
Contact Our Pittsburgh Offices Today to Schedule Your Free Consultation for Your Carpal Tunnel Release Surgical Error Claim
The attorneys at Berger Lagnese & Paul, LLC have a wealth of experience handling medical negligence cases for persons who suffered surgical injury during carpal tunnel release surgery. If you or a loved one have been injured at a local Pittsburgh area hospital such as UPMC Presbyterian Hospital, Jefferson Hospital or St. Clair Hospital, contact our offices to schedule your free consultation today. Our office is located at 310 Grant St #720, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 and consultations can be scheduled either online here or over the phone at (412) 471-4300.