Safety and Complications of Carpal Tunnel Release in Patients Aged 90 and Older: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Roya Khorram, Kerollos Ibrahim, Zachary Nordelo, Pedro Beredjiklian, Amir R. KachooeiBackground
Clinical practice increasingly observes elderly patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) as life expectancy increases globally. This study aims to investigate the complication rate in patients aged 90 years and older to determine the safety of this procedure.
Methods
This study retrospectively reviewed the charts of patients aged 90 years or older who underwent either open or endoscopic CTR between April 2014 and January 2024. Surgical and medical complications were evaluated.
Results
A total of 223 patients were studied, with a mean age of 92 ± 2 years and a median follow-up time of 2 weeks (range: 2-83 weeks). Monitored anesthesia care (MAC) was used in 123 patients (55%), and local anesthesia in 100 patients (45%). The overall complication rate was 10% (22 patients). Scar pain or tenderness was the most common minor complication, occurring in 9% (20 patients). No cases of infection, hematoma, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), or wound dehiscence were reported. There were no medical complications documented in the available records in the available records after either endoscopic or open CTR.
Conclusion
CTR appears to have a favorable early perioperative safety profile in patients aged 90 years and older, with a low observed incidence of major complications. Most reported postoperative events consisted of transient scar pain or tenderness. Larger prospective studies with longer follow-up are needed to better characterize long-term outcomes and complication rates in this population.