How long does hand surgery take, and will it leave a scar?

In short

Yes, there will be a scar, and both the time and the scar depend on the procedure. As one published example, a carpal tunnel release usually takes about 10 to 20 minutes. Dr. Knight tries to keep incisions as small as possible, to keep scarring down and help recovery. He operates at Legent Surgical Hospital in Plano, Texas.

By The Hand and Wrist Institute Medically reviewed by John T. Knight, MD Reviewed November 4, 2026 Updated November 2, 2026How we write and review

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It depends on the procedure

Let's take a look at one procedure to measure by, because a trigger finger release and a wrist fracture repair are very different operations. Carpal tunnel surgery usually takes about 10 to 20 minutes. An open release uses an incision of 2 to 3 cm in the palm, and an endoscopic release uses one of less than 1 cm, which can mean less scar sensitivity afterward.¹

Small incisions where possible

What Dr. Knight can control is the size of the incision. He tries to perform the procedure through incisions as small as possible, to keep overall scarring down and help recovery. He shows what a hand looks like after an endoscopic release in What does a hand look like after an endoscopic carpal tunnel release?.

Where the surgery is done

Dr. Knight operates at Legent Surgical Hospital in Plano, a hospital rather than one of our offices. Office visits with Dr. Knight are in Southlake on weekdays (our Southlake office) and in Plano on Tuesdays (our Plano office). Before any surgery there is a visit with Dr. Knight; his hand surgeon profile is the place to start.

In Dr. Knight's words

"[It] depends on the type of hand surgery as to the type of scar, but usually we try to perform as minimally invasive incisions as possible, to minimize overall scarring and lead to a quicker recovery."

Questions to ask about your procedure

• How long will the procedure itself take?
• Where will the incision be, and how long will it be?
• When do the stitches come out?
• When can I use the hand normally?