March 27, 2026
According to the National Institutes of Health, carpal tunnel syndrome affects up to 10 million Americans annually. When the median nerve in the wrist becomes compressed, simple, everyday tasks like typing or using the keypad on a cell phone can become difficult or painful. Symptoms typically start gradually with frequent numbness or tingling in the fingers and thumb.
Board-certified, fellowship-trained surgeon, Dr. Sam Fuller, says, “Early diagnosis and treatment are essential.” He encourages patients who are experiencing symptoms to come in early for treatment. He explains, “Many patients delay surgery because they fear a long recovery and large scars.” However, there is no large scar and the recovery for an endoscopic carpal tunnel release is fairly quick. Dr. Fuller is one of the few surgeons in our region who performs endoscopic carpal tunnel releases regularly, having completed over 1,650 procedures in our community.
As a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon with an additional subspeciality in Certification in Surgery of the Hand, he performs endoscopic release surgery in just a couple of minutes with a very small, half-inch incision, usually requiring only two stitches. This results in a faster recovery, minimal downtime and an earlier return to work and normal activities, with many people resuming light duty within one to three days. Following the surgery, the ligaments grow back together with more space.
Dr. Fuller’s unique training as both a hand surgeon and a plastic surgeon gives him comprehensive expertise and insight that benefits his patients. As a reconstructive surgeon who is also a fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon, he meticulously connects blood vessels, nerves, tendons, ligaments and bone together. He is not only looking at X-rays, but the tissue type. He is well-equipped to treat soft tissue, tendon injuries, ligaments, as well as bone, having completed both a plastic surgery residency and an orthopaedic fellowship.
Dr. Fuller holds a U.S. patent for a novel tendon repair device he developed during his orthopaedic fellowship at The Curtis National Hand Center in Baltimore. His innovation was inspired by vascular coupler devices used in microsurgery, which connect blood vessels without sutures. He routinely shares his expertise with other physicians and researchers through conferences and publications.