Traditional hand surgery can lead to a long and disruptive recovery process. Luckily, minimally invasive hand surgery is offered at the Fitzmaurice Hand Institute. This state of the art approach will help you find quick relief from a number of different hand conditions, with less pain and less risk than your typical hand surgery.
What is minimally invasive hand surgery?
The patent-pending EndoTech Nerve Release system was designed in Arizona and is exclusively offered at the Fitzmaurice Hand Institute. The minimally invasive surgery provides advanced visualization for the surgeon, so they are able to see all of the internal anatomies of the hand and wrist with extreme clarity. Through a small incision, a camera is used to navigate affected part of the hand. This is the safest and most effective approach for common hand conditions and injuries. Minimally invasive surgery can treat issues such as carpal tunnel syndrome, trigger finger, cubital tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, thumb arthritis, Dupuytren’s contracture and De Quervain’s disease.
Minimally invasive surgery vs. traditional hand surgery
Traditional hand surgery and minimally invasive surgery may treat the same conditions, but they have a different approach and recovery process. With the EndoTech, only 1-2 small incisions are needed and only a band aid is required to seal the incision. This leaves the surrounding tissue unharmed. With the open surgery attempt, it leaves a much larger incision through the palm, needing a large bandage and suture removal in 12 days. Recovery with minimally invasive surgery is only about 1 week, where recovery takes up to 6-8 weeks with the traditional hand surgery approach. Also, there is less pain and a lower chance of recurrence with the EndoTech approach, where others undergoing traditional hand surgery experienced about 57 percent recurrence. Dr. Fitzmaurice at the Fitzmaurice Hand Institute is proud to have successfully done over 4,000 of these minimally invasive surgeries with zero complications.
Treatment with minimally invasive hand surgery
Minimally invasive hand surgery is known to help patients find relief from a variety of hand conditions and treatments.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Since Dr. Fitzmaurice is the top carpal tunnel doctor in Phoenix , let’s dig a little deeper into the minimally invasive approach for carpal tunnel syndrome, which is the most common hand issue. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a painful and progressive condition caused by the compression of a key wrist nerve and is the most common cause of nerve compression in the arm. It causes pain, numbness and weakness in the hand and wrist. There are many causes of carpal tunnel such as repetitive hand use, incorrect hand and wrist positions during activities and health conditions that include thyroid issues, arthritis and diabetes. Carpal tunnel syndrome treatment with minimally invasive hand surgery leaves only a small 1-centimeter incision, compared to a much larger incision with other surgery options. The minimally invasive surgical approach is less painful and takes only about 1 week to recover. There has been less than 2 percent chance of failure or reoccurrence. Traditional hand surgery is a much more in-depth treatment that is not as effective, leaving a higher chance for recurrence.
Thumb arthritis
Another common cause of hand pain is thumb arthritis. This is a progressive condition caused by the compression of a key wrist nerve. Symptoms of thumb arthritis include pain while gripping things, difficulty opening jars or doors, or an aching pain located at the base of the thumb. Thumb arthritis is more common in women and usually impacts those 40 years or older. The direct visualization offered by minimally invasive hand surgery allows Dr. Fitzmaurice to carefully remove bone spurs that are located within the joint. There are times when a joint reconstruction needs to be performed if there is not enough cushion, known as articular cartilage. The recovery time with minimally invasive surgery is much shorter compared to traditional surgery.
Tennis Elbow
Minimally invasive hand surgery is also an ideal treatment for tennis elbow. Tennis elbow occurs when there is inflammation of the tendons that are attached to the outer part of the elbow. It is a painful condition that is caused by repetitive motion over and over. Symptoms of tennis elbow include pain, tenderness and a burning sensation on the outside of the elbow. A weak grip is also a sign. Severe symptoms that last more than 6 to 12 months with no relief will need to undergo minimally invasive hand surgery. This approach uses a very small incision to debride the inflamed tissue. For more effective results, Dr. Fitzmaurice might also suggest Platelet Rich plasma treatment along with the EndoTech Release treatment. The approach consists of removing a small amount of blood to spin down in a centrifuge machine, providing a concentrated source of PRP that is injected into the inflamed area. This supplies the tissues with growth factors that speed up the healing process of the tendons.
Why the Fitzmaurice Hand Institute?
The staff at the Fitzmaurice Hand Institute is compassionate, caring and available to provide you with a thorough examination to find the proper diagnosis. The Fitzmaurice Hand Institute also has the Hand & Wrist Urgent Care which is available for anyone experiencing a hand emergency. It’s conveniently located within the Fitzmaurice Hand Institute where patients can expect exceptional patient care. Both facilities have onsite diagnostics and same day surgery available. It is easy to schedule and most insurances are accepted.
