Back to 2025 Abstracts
Comparison of Surgeon Expectations to Patient-Reported Outcomes Following Trigger Finger Release and Open Carpal Tunnel Release
John Hajj, BS
1; Melissa E Cullom, MD
2; Erin L Weber, MD, PhD
1; Ryan J Kozlowski, MD
2; Desai Khusboo, MD
2; Anthony Archual, MD
2; Brian Christie, MD, MPH
21Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN; 2Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN
IntroductionStenosing tenosynovitis and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) are common hand conditions that significantly impact quality of life. When conservative treatments fail, surgical interventions like trigger finger release (TFR) and open carpal tunnel release (OCTR) are often indicated. This study analyzes surgeon expectations and patient-reported outcomes concerning post-operative recovery. By comparing recovery scores, we aim to refine surgeon counseling on post-operative pain and functionality. Materials & MethodsIRB exemption was obtained. CPT codes 64721 and 26055 were queried to identify patients treated by surgeons at a medical center in the U.S. between 2021-2024. Patients > 18 years old, history of TFR or OCTR, and post-operative completion of PROMIS Pain Interference (P-PI) and Upper Extremity (P-UE) surveys at 2-week, 6-week and 3-month intervals were included. These surveys generate scores for pain and functionality, respectively. A higher score in P-PI suggests greater pain, and in P-UE better functionality. Patients with incomplete surveys and/or post-operative complications were excluded. The surgeons completed identical surveys based on their expectations for patients along similar intervals. Recovery scenarios were implemented for variability in patient health and condition status. A retrospective chart review was completed on included patients. Data analysis was conducted using t-tests with unequal variance.ResultsThis study included 62 patients in the OCTR cohort and 35 patients in the TFR cohort. Significant discrepancies between surgeon and patient-reported scores were observed across multiple scenarios and follow-up visits.In the OCTR cohort, disparities were seen in patients with minimal comorbidities and mild CTS at the 3-month visit (P-PI=38.7 vs. 54.3, p=0.004; P-UE=55.5 vs. 35, p=0.006), in patients with multiple comorbidities and mild CTS at 3-months (P-PI=40.7 vs. 52.1, p=0.013; P-UE=53 vs. 40.8, p=0.034), and in patients with severe CTS at 6-weeks (P-PI=45.6 vs. 60.4, p=0.009); P-UE=37.9 vs. 28, p=0.047). In the TFR cohort, disparities were observed in patients with minimal comorbidities and a single digit release at the 6-week (P-PI=42.2 vs. 58.3, p=0.009; P-UE=51.7 vs. 35.6, p=0.022) and 3-month visits (P-PI=38.7 vs. 47.9, p=0.042; P-UE=58.9 vs. 46.6, p=0.007), in patients with multiple comorbidities at 3-months (P-PI=44.6 vs. 56.9, p=0.034; P-UE=52.1 vs. 35.7, p=0.017), and in patients with multiple digit releases at 3-months (P-UE=57.5 vs. 43.8, p=0.015). ConclusionsHand surgeons consistently predicted lower pain scores and higher functionality than actual patient-reported outcomes along TFR and OCTR recovery, suggesting a tendency for surgeon optimism. These findings may enhance surgeon counseling regarding post-operative timelines, thereby improving patient satisfaction and outcomes.
Back to 2025 Abstracts
