What's the Average Cost of Carpal Tunnel Surgery?

From Dr. Z - Carpal tunnel syndrome specialist

What's the Average Cost of Carpal Tunnel Surgery?

As of 2021, the national average cost of carpal tunnel surgery cost is $6,978 in the United States. This figure can change a great deal from patient to patient. It depends on several key factors listed below. The main determinant is whether or not your medical insurance will pay for the operation.

Other factors affecting the cost of surgery are the type of surgery, where it's performed, and how quickly you recover. If you have any complications, it drives up the cost tremendously.

Finally, everybody's recovery is different. The time you spend on physical therapy for hand rehabilitation can range from a couple weeks to many months. Longer recovery and rehabilitation time can more than double the cost of the actual operation.

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Factors affecting the average cost of carpal tunnel surgery in your state

If you already have medical insurance, it's a simple matter to call your carrier and directly ask, "What will my carpal tunnel surgery cost?"

They will enter your appropriate information (doctor and surgical center used, deductible, copay, etc.) and give you the average cost of carpal tunnel surgery for your plan. This price may or may not include the cost of complications - so be sure to ask.

The rest of this discussion is for out-of-pocket patients. In other words, it's the average cost of carpal tunnel surgery for patients who are NOT insured.

Facility type

One of the main factors which impacts the average cost of carpal tunnel surgery is in which facility the procedure is performed.

Hospitals are always more costly than surgical centers. Most surgical centers operate on an outpatient basis, which is cheaper than overnight stays. But the overall reason for the price difference between the two is simple; it just costs more to run a hospital than a smaller surgical center. Therefore, the cost for all procedures is higher.

compare open and endoscopic carpal tunnel surgery

Type of surgery

Another key factor affecting cost is which type of surgery you have. There are two types of carpal tunnel surgeries; endoscopic and open release. The average cost of carpal tunnel surgery using the endoscopic method will be more expensive. That's because it requires special training and specialized equipment. For open release carpal tunnel surgery, the cost is generally lower. But this procedure usually requires more hand rehabilitation time because it's more traumatic. More rehab means more time and more cost. You should know the key differences between these two operations before proceeding.

Geographical location

Most people don't realize how their geographical location affects medical costs. In fact, there are vast differences in the cost of surgery from region to region in the USA. Actually, they vary wildly from state to state. In general, the cost of medical procedures in the eastern part of the United states is higher than the southwestern states.

Use this pricing tool to see what the average carpal tunnel cost is in your state.

The figures below are national averages for both types of operative procedures. Cost averages do not include the fees for surgical or post-surgical complications. Such complications include reaction to anesthesia, nerve damage, excessive bleeding, adhesions, and hand weakness. These problems may double the cost of the original surgery.

Outpatient facility costs

Facility service fee: $1,297
Professional (doctor's) fee: $746
Anesthesiologist (usually a separate bill): $408

Average cost of carpal tunnel surgery (without complications) = $2,451

Hospital facility costs

Facility service fee: $4,200 (with a 2-night stay)
Professional (doctor's) fee: $746
Anesthesiologist (usually a separate bill): $408

Average cost of carpal tunnel surgery (without complications) = $5,354

Rehab and physical therapy fees

Rehabilitation and physical therapy is required in almost all hand surgeries. However, it's almost never calculated the overall average cost of carpal tunnel surgery.

Recovery from carpal tunnel release surgery takes time, no matter which surgical technique is used. The recovery period can vary from a few weeks to a year. In some instances involving complications it can be even longer. Generally, your recovery time depends on your rate of healing and your dedication to hand rehabilitation.

Without considering complications, the average cost of hand rehabilitation ranges between $12,500 and $28,000. Like surgery, regional costs for hand rehabilitation vary greatly as well.

Impacts on your occupation

As discussed above, we can calculate a rough average cost of carpal tunnel surgery INCLUDING hand rehabilitation, if there are no complications. Of course, complications can change the cost by any unknown amount.

But there's another cost of hand surgery that most patients never even think of: lost time on the job.

If your occupation requires extensive hand activity, you must calculate what it will cost to be out of work during your recovery period. That period can last a couple weeks to many months.

It's worth noting that only 10-23% of patients return to their prior profession after they had carpal tunnel release surgery. The rest can no longer perform their former job requirements. In fact, it's likely their job was the cause of the problem to start with. Keep this in mind when calculating overall surgical costs.

Summary

Without insurance, the average cost of carpal tunnel surgery varies from region to region in the USA. But costs mainly depend on which surgical facility you use and which surgical procedure is performed. Barring complications which can drive up those costs, hand rehabilitation time can be either short or long. This also affects your overall cost. Finally, loss of job time should be factored into your final cost equation.