Charlotte (N.C.) VA Health Care Center began offering carpal tunnel surgery with local anesthesia Oct. 4, according to an announcement via WBTV.
With awake hand surgery, patients will be able to have procedures done in 10 to 15 minutes and go home the same day. Jeffrey Baker, MD, Salisbury VA section chief of orthopedic surgery had close to 10 surgeries scheduled on the first day the procedure was offered at the healthcare center.
"It’s a very quick procedure," Dr. Baker said. "And that’s because we’ve stripped away all of the operating room procedures. It takes time and additional staff to accommodate operating room patients. I can do three or four of these procedures in the time it would take to do one such surgery in the OR."