Back to 2015 Annual Meeting Program
Is Specialist Outpatient Follow-Up for Carpal Tunnel Decompression Necessary - A Patient Satisfaction Survey
Satish Babu BSc, MBBS, MRCS
4; Piyush Mahapatra, MA, MB, BS, MRCS
1; Edmund Ieong, BSc, MB, BS, MRCS
2; Harry Belcher, MS, FRCS
3
1Trauma & Orthopaedics, Kingston Hospital, Kingson, United Kingdom;
2Trauma & Orthopaedics, St Mary's Hospital, London, United Kingdom;
3Plastic Surgery, Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, East Grinstead;
4St George's University Hospital, London, UK
Introduction: There is no consensus as to what is the optimum follow up period for carpal tunnel. This study aims to identify an optimum follow up regimen.
Materials & Methods: 2 follow up regimens were instigated: ad-hoc (no routine follow up) vs planned (routine follow up). Questionnaires were sent out to patients 4 months post operatively. The following subjective parameters were recorded: Details of Follow up, Complications, Satisfaction (with surgery and service), Functional Score, Pain and Tenderness, Appearance.
Results: 58 questionnaires (40 ad-hoc vs 18 planned) were sent. No significant differences found in complication rates or patient questionnaire results (Table 1).
Ad Hoc Planned p values
Conclusions: With these findings, we propose a system of open appointments to empower patients post carpal tunnel decompression to arrange their own follow-up, on an ad-hoc basis. The obvious advantages include reduced waiting times, less pressure on hospital resources and lower costs.
Back to 2015 Annual Meeting Program
