Carpal tunnel surgery releases pressure on your median nerve at the wrist, easing symptoms such as numbness, tingling and pain, and helping your hand feel more comfortable and functional again.
It is a quick, effective treatment for people whose symptoms persist despite splints, injections or activity changes or who have confirmation of the compression with nerve conduction studies.
Procedure Time
15 – 20 minutes.
Anaesthetic
Local anaesthetic (WALANT).
Recovery
Back to light activity in a few days; most people return to driving in 2 – 3 weeks and to manual work within 6 weeks post-surgery.
Full Results
Rapid symptom relief within days; full strength over 6 – 12 weeks.
Most patients notice that the burning or tingling sensations that disturb sleep ease within days.
Decompressing the nerve helps reduce numbness and clumsiness, making daily tasks easier.
Mr Izadi’s unique small palm incision and WALANT technique support early movement and a quicker recovery and return to work.
Timely surgery protects your median nerve, reducing the risk of ongoing weakness or muscle wasting.
Over 70% of patients experience lasting improvement when surgery is performed by an experienced hand surgeon.
We support you through surgery and beyond
Your appointment is a calm opportunity to discuss your symptoms, how long they have been present and how they affect your daily life. Your surgeon will examine your hand and wrist, check for nerve compression or referred pain elsewhere, and review any previous treatments such as splints or injections. If needed, nerve conduction studies or scans will be arranged before planning surgery. Often a diagnostic steroid injection is administered at the time of the consultation, which in half of the patients can fully resolve the carpal tunnel symptoms. You’ll leave with a clear explanation of your options and realistic expectations for recovery.
Carpal tunnel release is carried out through a small palm only access (Mr Izadi’s bespoke minimal access technique) under local anaesthetic using the WALANT technique, keeping you awake but comfortable. A small incision is made in the palm, and the tight ligament compressing the median nerve is gently released. You can move your fingers straight away. The wound is closed with fine sutures, covered with a light dressing, and you can go home shortly afterwards. Most people find the experience straightforward and far less daunting than expected.
ou can begin gentle finger movement immediately after surgery to reduce stiffness and swelling. Keep the dressing clean and dry until your follow-up appointment. Stitches are removed at around two weeks. Light tasks are usually possible within a few days, and most people return to driving or desk work within 2–3 weeks depending on their role. Grip strength improves steadily over 6–12 weeks. Night-time symptoms often improve rapidly, while numbness from long-standing compression may take several months to settle.
At The Antler Clinic, your care is led by Mr David Izadi, a highly experienced Consultant Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgeon and recognised national expert in peripheral nerve surgery. With more than 20 years of specialist experience, he combines advanced surgical expertise with the calm, honest, and patient-centred approach that patients value most.
Mr Izadi treats a wide range of peripheral nerve conditions in both NHS and private practice, including nerve compression syndromes, nerve injuries, painful neuromas, and complex upper limb nerve disorders. He is recognised for his expertise in minimally invasive nerve surgery and has pioneered his own minimal access surgical technique, designed to avoid traditional scars across the wrist, reduce post-operative pain, and promote a faster return to function and recovery.
To develop his specialist expertise, Mr Izadi completed prestigious hand surgery fellowships at two of the world’s leading hand surgery centres: The Pulvertaft Hand Centre, Derby, and Institut de la Main, Paris. He remains actively involved in specialist multidisciplinary care as a core member of the Warwickshire Hand Surgery MDT, ensuring patients benefit from the latest evidence-based treatments and collaborative decision-making.
Whether treating common nerve compression syndromes or complex peripheral nerve conditions, every treatment plan is tailored to the individual. Mr Izadi takes time to understand what matters most to each patient, delivering personalised care with a focus on restoring function, relieving pain, and achieving the best possible outcomes.
A quick guide to the things most people want to know before and after their procedure.
Early symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include numbness, tingling or burning in the thumb, index and middle fingers. Many people notice discomfort at night or when gripping objects.
Wrist position during sleep can increase pressure inside the carpal tunnel, making nerve irritation more noticeable at night.
Mild carpal tunnel symptoms may improve with splints or activity changes, but persistent or worsening symptoms usually means that you’ll need further treatment.
Night-time splints, activity modification and steroid injections can help early carpal tunnel symptoms. Surgery is considered when these measures no longer help.
Squeezing a ball is not good for your carpal tunnel syndrome. Strengthening exercises can increase pressure on the median nerve and may worsen symptoms.
Surgery is advised when your carpal tunnel symptoms disturb your sleep, affect daily hand use, or when nerve tests show significant compression.
Most people feel only mild discomfort for a few days after their carpal tunnel surgery. WALANT keeps the procedure comfortable, and over-the-counter pain relief is usually enough afterwards.
Light activity is possible within days of your carpal tunnel surgery. Most people return to desk work and driving in 2 – 3 weeks, with full grip strength returning over 6 – 12 weeks.
Long-term compression can lead to permanent numbness, weakness or wasting of the thumb muscles, impacting hand function. Surgery prevents this progression.
Night pain and tingling often improve quickly after carpal tunnel surgery, but numbness from more chronic compression may not fully recover or may take months to recover.
As with any surgery, there are risks. For carpal tunnel surgery, these include temporary tenderness, nerve sensitivity, infection, incomplete relief of symptoms or, very rarely, CRPS. Serious complications are uncommon, and we’ll discuss everything with you in your consultation.
Based on clinical examination, if your median nerve is compressed further up the forearm, you may benefit from a pronator tunnel release.
If the ulnar nerve is also symptomatic around the elbow, you may benefit from a cubital tunnel release.
If your thumb function has deteriorated, a tendon transfer to restore thumb function can be considered.
Mr Izadi will assess you in detail at your consultation and advise the post appropriate tailored treatment.
Carpal tunnel surgery will reduce the progress of the nerve damage and stabilise the functional and sensory loss. Mr Izadi will discuss the option of a tendon transfer to strengthen and improve your thumb function, if indicated.
clear and transparent costs
You will receive a clear quotation setting out the cost of your treatment and what is included before you decide whether to proceed.
A new consultation is charged at £200.
Follow-up consultations are charged at £150, unless the appointment forms part of an agreed surgical package or postoperative follow-up pathway.
Consultation fees are payable regardless of whether surgery is subsequently arranged. A consultation provides assessment, advice and discussion of treatment options; it does not guarantee that surgery will be recommended or offered.
Patients are kindly asked to provide at least three working days’ notice if they need to cancel or rearrange an appointment.
Non-attendance, or cancellation with less than three working days’ notice, will incur a fee of £125. This fee reflects the clinical time reserved for the appointment and the difficulty of offering the appointment to another patient at short notice.
For self-pay patients, surgery is usually provided as a fixed-price package. This is intended to give patients clarity and reassurance about the cost of their planned procedure.
Your written quotation will confirm what is included. In most cases, the package price includes:
Hospital fees for the planned procedure
Surgeon’s fee
Anaesthetist’s fee, where applicable
Standard postoperative follow-up appointments relating to the procedure
Routine aftercare directly related to the planned surgery, as specified in your quotation
Package prices are based on the procedure agreed at the time of booking. If the surgical plan changes, if additional procedures are requested, or if further treatment is required outside the agreed package, additional fees may apply.
Self-pay surgical packages usually include a period of cover for the treatment of complications directly related to the procedure. The exact terms, duration and exclusions of this cover are set by the hospital where your surgery is performed.
Depending on the hospital, complication cover may apply for a defined period, which may be 6 or 12 months. Full details will be provided by the relevant hospital before surgery.
Complication cover is not a guarantee that all future treatment, revision surgery or additional procedures will be provided without charge. Cover may not apply to unrelated medical problems, pre-existing conditions, treatment required outside the hospital’s terms, or surgery requested for aesthetic preference rather than a recognised complication.
In an emergency, patients should seek urgent medical attention through the most appropriate service, including NHS emergency care where necessary.
Every effort is made to achieve the best possible outcome, but no surgical procedure can guarantee a specific result, perfect symmetry, invisible scarring or complete satisfaction. Healing, scarring, swelling and final results vary between individuals.
If revision surgery is required because of a complication, eligibility for cover will depend on the hospital’s package terms and the clinical circumstances.
If surgery has been performed to an appropriate clinical standard, but a patient remains dissatisfied with the aesthetic outcome or wishes to pursue further refinement, any revision or additional surgery will usually incur further charges. These may include hospital fees, surgeon’s fees and anaesthetic fees.
Unless specifically included in your written quotation, additional costs may apply for investigations, scans, specialist opinions, extra procedures, further hospital admissions, prescriptions, dressings, garments, travel, accommodation, time off work or treatment unrelated to the planned surgery.
The written quotation and the hospital’s own terms and conditions will take precedence over any general information provided on this website.
Payment terms, deposits, cancellation policies and refund arrangements are determined by the hospital where your procedure is booked. These will be provided to you before surgery.
Surgery can only proceed once all required payments have been received and all relevant consent, preoperative assessment and hospital requirements have been completed.
To help make treatment more affordable, you may choose to spread the cost of your procedure through a personal medical loan with Chrysalis Finance. Subject to eligibility and approval, Chrysalis offers a range of flexible finance options, allowing you to pay for your treatment in manageable monthly instalments rather than a single upfront payment.
The hospitals we work with offer finance options through Chrysalis Finance. Please contact your chosen hospital directly for further information or to discuss any questions.
Mr Izadi is registered with the private medical insurers shown below. Coverage for consultations and treatment is subject to the terms of your policy and insurers approval.
Get in Touch
A consultation at The Antler Clinic is simply a chance to talk – to ask questions, explore your options, and decide what feels right for you.
You’ll leave with clarity, reassurance, and the same calm support that defines everything we do.
