Patient Suffers Serious Nerve Damage After Orthopedic Surgery

Case Overview

This case involves a patient who underwent surgery to address carpal tunnel syndrome derived from amyloid polyneuropathy. The physician used a recently developed device to assist with the surgery which failed, at which point another device was employed and the procedure was completed. It was documented that there were no complications during the procedure. Some time later the patient returned to the orthopedic surgeon for a follow-up visit, at which point she was again told that there had been no complications. Despite this, the patient expressed complaints of numbness in some of her fingers. The patient continued to present for follow-up over the next few months, during which time she claimed that the numbness persisted. Eventually, the patient underwent more aggressive testing, which indicated a laceration of a major nerve in her hand. Despite multiple treatments, the patient continued to suffer from ongoing and debilitating numbness in her hand.

Questions to the Orthopedic Surgery expert and their responses

Are you familiar with / do you routinely use this device?

I am familiar with the Manos device - it is a device that is used to perform a percutaneous carpal tunnel release (CTR). I do not use the device because I believe the safety of it is questionable due to the lack of direct visualization.

What are the risks for nerve damage in a carpal tunnel operation performed with this device as opposed to other devices?

In my opinion, the risks associated with this mode of carpal tunnel release is greater than with open or visualization techniques. The potential injuries include injury to the median nerve or the superficial palmar arch (artery).

About the expert

This highly qualified, board certified, extremely well-published expert earned his Bachelor's degree from Stanford University and his medical degree from the University of Vermont. This was followed by an internship and residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at the Boston University Medical Center. This expert then completed his formal medical education by doing a fellowship in Hand, Upper Extremity, and Microvascular Surgery at Duke University. This expert is a member of numerous prestigious medical societies and has earned numerous awards for his excellence as a physician. This expert is extremely well published, having authored 44 peer-reviewed papers and 7 book chapters. This expert's proficiency in research has allowed him to serve as a reviewer 2 medical journals. This expert currently serves as Assistant Professor and Associate Professor in the Division of Hand, Upper Extremity, and Microvascular Surgery in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at a major university hospital center.

E-051736

Specialties:

Orthopedic Surgery