Providing Relief Regardless of Age or Comorbidities
Dr. Bilal Islam of Emerald Coast Sports Medicine in Panama City, Florida, recently achieved a significant milestone for his combined rheumatology and sports medicine clinic: he has treated over 1,000 patients suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome with ultrasound-guided carpal tunnel release (UGCTR).
With a practice that sees a majority of patients who have complex autoimmune conditions and comorbidities that preclude them from open carpal tunnel release (CTR) surgery, Dr. Islam knows the importance of minimally invasive procedures. It was the key factor in his decision to begin offering UGCTR back in 2020.
“Many of our patients have already seen neurologists and pain management doctors, but due to their advanced age, comorbidities, or complex autoimmune disease, they’ve run out of options,” says Dr. Islam. “Now they come to us, and we can perform UGCTR while they’re awake through the whole thing.” Most physicians perform UGCTR on patients using local anesthesia, allowing their patients to participate in their treatment.
A Focus on Quick Recovery
Getting patients back to their normal lives as quickly as possible — particularly those with autoimmune diseases — is a priority for Dr. Islam. “We treat them at our clinic, and within the week they’re able to get back to work and activity without having any kind of flare-ups or significant side effects from having the procedure.”
“One of my favorite parts of the UGCTR technique is explaining to patients what recovery will be like during our initial evaluation and seeing the relief on their faces when they realize how quick it is,” says Dr. Islam. “It’s the simple things we take for granted — like being able to sleep normally, go to work, or pick up coffee cups again — that means the most to our patients,” he adds.
Dr. Islam recalls a patient from Jamaica who, as a barber, relied heavily on his hands for his livelihood. After discovering the clinic’s website, the patient came in to be evaluated, was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome, and booked for the procedure using the UGCTR approach the following day. “He flew home the day after the procedure and sent a thank-you message along with a photo of him back at work,” Dr. Islam says with pride.
Growing Demand Through Patient Word-of-Mouth
Word of Dr. Islam’s positive outcomes and quick recovery times with the UGCTR technique has spread, drawing in patients from across the city, throughout the state, and beyond. “Everyone now knows this as the carpal tunnel clinic,” he says. “My patients are so impressed with the minimal discomfort and short recovery time that they tell everyone in their families.”
Looking back on the five years since he began offering UGCTR, Dr. Islam reflects on the lives it has changed. “The one-thousand-patient mark is a milestone and a motivator. It means we’ve significantly improved one thousand lives, and I’m excited about how many patients we’re going to help moving forward.”
Learn more about The Institute of Advanced Ultrasound Guided Procedures and our training programs to begin your MSK ultrasound training today.