• Floriaan G C M De Kleermaeker, Jan Meulstee, Franka Claes, BartelsRonald H M ARHMADepartment of Neurosurgery, Radboud University Medical Centre, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands., and VerhagenWim I MWIMDepartment of Neurology, Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Weg door Jonkerbos 100, 6532 SZ, Nijmegen, the Netherlands..
• Department of Neurology, Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Weg door Jonkerbos 100, 6532 SZ, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. florisdekleermaeker@gmail.com.
• Neurol. Sci. 2019 Sep 1; 40 (9): 1813-1819.

IntroductionIn carpal tunnel release, it is yet unclear whether a learning curve exists among surgeons. The aim of our study was to investigate if outcome after carpal tunnel release is dependent on surgeon's experience and to get an impression of the learning curve for this procedure.MethodsA total of 188 CTS patients underwent carpal tunnel release. Patients completed the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire at baseline and 6-8 months postoperatively together with a six-point scale for perceived improvement.ResultsPatients operated by an experienced resident or certified surgeon reported a favorable outcome more often than patients operated by an inexperienced resident (adjusted OR 3.23 and adjusted OR 3.16, respectively). In addition, a negative association was found between surgeon's years of experience and postoperative Symptom Severity Scale and Functional Status Scale scores.DiscussionOutcome after carpal tunnel release seems to be dependent on surgical experience, and there is a learning curve in residents.

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