PATIENT SATISFACTION AND RETURN TO WORK AFTER ENDOSCOPIC CARPAL-TUNNEL SURGERY

One hundred twenty-eight patients with idiopathic carpal tunnel syndro me were evaluated before surgery and 3 and 6 months after unilateral e ndoscopic carpal tunnel release. The variables analyzed included patie nt demographics, symptoms and signs, activities of daily living (ADL), sensibility and strength measurements, preoperative distal motor late ncy of the median nerve, operating surgeon, postoperative palmar pain and tenderness, return to work, and patient satisfaction with the resu lts of surgery. Multivariate statistical analyses were per-formed, wit h patient satisfaction at 6 months after surgery and the time until re turn to work after surgery as the dependent: variables. On stepwise lo gistic regression analysis of all preoperative variables, significant predictors of patient dissatisfaction at 6 months after surgery were h igher age, heavy vibration exposure, worse ADL score, and better dista l motor latency. Analysis of all preoperative and 3-month postoperativ e variables showed heavy vibration exposure, better distal motor laten cy, and worse 3-month postoperative ADL store to have the strongest in dependent correlation with patient dissatisfaction al 6 months. No sig nificant independent association was found between any of the preopera tive variables studied and the length of time until return to work aft er surgery. Copyright (C) 1998 by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.