If you have carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands, you don't necessarily need surgery in both hands, according to a 1996 report in the journal Acta Neurochirurgica.
The neurological surgery department at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center followed 33 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands, who had surgery only in the more severely affected hand.
After 14 months, 15 patients stated that symptoms had disappeared in the non-operated hand, and four said that their symptoms had improved in both hands.
Several of the patients did end up requiring surgery on the less affected hand, but sometimes watchful waiting really does do the trick.
