Carpal tunnel surgery
What is carpal tunnel surgery? 1
Carpal tunnel surgery is used to treat carpal tunnel syndrome. The surgery is a quick hospital procedure that can be done under local anaesthetic (you’ll be awake), or general anaesthetic (you’ll be asleep). The surgeon makes a small cut on the palm of your hand, then treats any ligaments that are causing carpal tunnel syndrome.
Surgery can relieve pain and numbness – but it’s usually recommended only for severe cases.2
Carpal tunnel surgery is performed by an orthopaedic surgeon.
The medical term for carpal tunnel surgery is ‘carpal tunnel release’.
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Public and private hospital options
It’s important to understand how getting your procedure in a public or private hospital differs.
| Question | Public system (Without health insurance) | Private system (With health insurance) |
|---|---|---|
| Will I avoid public hospital waiting lists? |
No. |
Yes. |
| Will I be able to choose my hospital? |
No. |
Yes. |
| Will I be able to choose my doctor or surgeon? |
No. |
Yes. |
| Will I have out-of-pocket costs? |
No. |
Yes. |
What’s covered in a public hospital?
In a public hospital, carpal tunnel surgery is covered by Medicare for eligible residents.
Once you are discharged from hospital, you may still need to pay out-of-pocket for things like medicines and health services (like physiotherapy or occupational therapy).
What’s covered in a private hospital?
In a private hospital, private health insurance can cover some costs of carpal tunnel surgery.
You may have an out-of-pocket cost if you use private hospital cover when you get treatment. You can minimise some of these costs by choosing a hospital and specialist that have agreements with your health insurer.
If you have an excess on your cover, you will have to pay for that out of pocket.
What is hospital excess?
Hospital excess is the amount of money you contribute upfront (out of your own pocket) before you can claim a benefit on hospital treatment. With HBF hospital cover, you choose a set excess option when you first get hospital cover, but you can change your excess at any time.
With HBF, you only pay hospital excess once per person, per calendar year (to a maximum of twice on a family policy) when you’re admitted to hospital.
Are you an HBF member? You can check your excess in myHBF or the HBF App. This is the set amount you’ll pay when you’re admitted.
What is an out-of-pocket cost?
A hospital out-of-pocket cost is the portion of a hospital bill that you pay from your own pocket for which you won’t be reimbursed – by either health insurance or Medicare.
How to find health cover for carpal tunnel surgery
If you want private health insurance cover for carpal tunnel surgery, look for HBF hospital cover (not extras cover) that includes a category called ‘Bone, joint and muscle’.
You need to hold hospital cover that includes 'Bone, joint and muscle' for two months before you can claim for carpal tunnel surgery (or 12 months if you need carpal tunnel surgery due to a pre-existing condition).
Ask your GP for an open referral
Your GP is the one who’ll most likely refer you to a specialist – but you may want the option to choose your own specialist.
Asking for an open referral can let you:
- Choose your own specialist.
- Find a specialist with good availability who can perform treatment at the hospital you prefer.
- Find a specialist that you trust to perform your surgery.
- Find a specialist with minimum out-of-pocket expenses for you.
Find a surgeon with minimum out-of-pocket costs
To find orthopaedic surgeons who have an agreement with HBF, just search for ‘orthopaedic surgeon’ in our find a provider tool.
- Look for the “Full Cover” tick mark or “Access Gap Cover” tick mark.
- These specialists will help minimise your out-of-pocket cost.
If you’ve already started working with a specialist
If you’ve already got a specialist, ask them these questions:
- Do you have a Full Cover or No Gap agreement with HBF?
If they don’t, you may need to consider if their fees work with your budget. - What hospital(s) do you operate in?
You can then check if the hospital has a Full Cover or No Gap agreement with HBF.
Carpal tunnel surgery recovery2
Most patients can go home the same day after carpal tunnel surgery, but it can take up to 6 months for the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome to slowly improve.
- Your wrist may be quite painful or uncomfortable for a couple of days, and your doctor may prescribe analgesia (pain-relieving medication).
- Keep your hand raised and bandaged for two days.
- Gently exercising your fingers, elbow and shoulder may prevent stiffness.
- Talk to your surgeon about what rehab exercises you should be doing after your surgery.
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Further reading
