OPERATIVE REPORT, RIGHT CARPAL TUNNEL RELEASE PROCEDURE:

The patient was placed in the supine position on the operating roomtable, where her right hand and forearm were prepped with Betadine and draped in asterile fashion. We infiltrated the thenar crease area with 1% Xylocaine, and onceadequate anesthesia had been achieved, we exsanguinated the hand and forearm with anEsmarch bandage. We then created a longitudinal incision just at the ulnar aspect of thethenar crease and carried the dissection down through the subcutaneous tissue. Weidentified the transverse carpal ligament and incised this both proximally and distallyuntil we werecertain that it was completely released. We identified the median nerve and found that itwas free. We did spread the soft tissues surrounding it gently.We then released the tourniquet after 8 minutes of tourniquet time, and bleeding wascontrolled with pressure and also with electrocautery. We thoroughly irrigated the areawith saline. We then closed the skin using 4-0 nylon suture, and a Xeroform dressing wasapplied under a small pressure dressing. She was taken from the operating room in goodcondition. She tolerated this very well.