I had really bad carpal tunnel in both wrists. The first stop was my GP who gave me a referral to a neurologist. They check your sensory response in your fingers and there is a rating system for how well sensation is received by your brain. Once they establish sensation is below a certain threshold they’ll refer you to the appropriate professional. For some, this means physio, stretching exercises, wrist braces, etc. if it’s bad enough, you’ll be referred to an orthopaedic surgeon. My recovery was relatively easy after my surgery. I couldn’t do anything complicated with my hands for a few weeks but I was back at work the next day since I just use a computer - I just finger pecked for a few days. Pro tip- get a bidet fixture for your toilet that activates with a button turn or press instead of a trigger handle. I did both hands at once and just got it over with. No regrets.