What's the Average Cost of Carpal Tunnel Surgery?
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.
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
