Follow-up after carpal tunnel decompression general practitioner surgery or hand clinic? A randomized prospective study

We prospectively randomized 100 patients following carpal tunnel decompress ion who were having a 2-week postoperative assessment and removal of stitch es to either their local general practitioner (GP) or the hospital outpatie nt department. All patients were seen at hospital 6 weeks postoperatively f or a final assessment. The waiting time for assessment and suture removal was shorter at the GP su rgery than in the outpatient department (mean 13 min and 28 min respectivel y) but significantly more patients were diagnosed as having wound infection s (14% and 0% respectively); most sere given antibiotics, perhaps unnecessa rily.