Medico-Legal Aspects of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
There are certain situations in which someone with carpal tunnel syndrome may be entitled to pursue a claim for negligence.
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome is when the median nerve in the forearm is compressed. This causes symptoms in the arm, hands and thumb, such as:
- Weakness
- A dull ache
- Pin and needles
Often the condition is treated with non-surgical means, including wrist splints worn at night-time, and steroid injections. But if these methods do not relieve a patient's symptoms, surgery may be recommended.
Surgical complications
Like all types of surgery, operations to treat carpal tunnel syndrome do carry risks. The patient must be told about these potential complications before signing a consent form, otherwise he/she will not have given their informed consent. The risks include:
- Infection
- Damage to the median nerve
- Wrist pain
- Recurrent carpal tunnel syndrome
- Complex regional pain syndrome
- Scarring
- Bleeding
- Incomplete division of the carpal tunnel ligament
Carpal tunnel syndrome medical negligence
If the above complications occur but the patient was previously warned about them, it is unlikely that there will be grounds for a medical negligence claim.
However, there are certain situations that could be deemed negligent. If the patient was injured as a result, there could be a case to pursue. Examples include:
- Unnecessary surgery, where medical practitioners have failed to try conservative treatment methods first
- Lack of consent, where the patient was not fully informed about the potential risks
- Infection due to a non-sterile procedure or environment
- Performing open surgery on a patient known to suffer with keloid scarring
- The procedure failed, which will cause decreased power and sensation in the fingers/thumb
Have you been the victim of medical negligence?
If you have been left in pain as a result of carpal tunnel decompression and you believe medical error is to blame, please get in touch with us today. We specialise in medical negligence claims and can advise you whether your care was substandard.
If after talking to you we suspect your carpal tunnel release surgery was negligent, we will begin a claim on your behalf. During the case we will investigate what went wrong and why. We will also work to ensure that you are properly compensated for your injuries, which can be very painful and interfere significantly with everyday life. For some the consequences will be so severe that it becomes difficult to work.
For more information on claiming compensation for carpal tunnel syndrome, get in touch with us at Glynns Solicitors.
Call us free on 0800 234 3300 (or from a mobile 01275 334030) or complete our Online Enquiry Form.
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