ooocapn,
Is the numbness different than before your carpal tunnel release (CTR)?
It is not uncommon for patients to have some temporary numbness and tingling, or for the patient's pre-op symptoms of numbness/tingling to persist, after a CTR?
This can be due to a few different reasons. The nerve is manipulated a little during the surgery (more so in an open procedure, than in an endoscopic procedure), and nerves for very finicky. This manipulation can cause a neuropraxia, resulting in temporary numbness/tingling. Swelling from the surgery can put pressure on the nerve. These usually occur right after surgery, and resolve in the following weeks.
If the numbness and tingling develops later, several weeks after the procedure (with an intervening period where the symptoms actually got a lot better), then this can be due to the formation of scar tissue around the nerve. This can be a very difficult problem to treat.
If the numbness/tingling is exactly the same as the pre-op symptoms, and they did not change at all after the surgery, then there is a possibility that the release was not complete. It is possible, even with the open procedure to miss a band of tissue, which continues to compress the nedian nerve.
But, by three weeks, if the release was complete, even if you had some post-op swelling or neuropraxia, it should be resolving. About all you can do it continue to see the surgeon, asking about the numbness and tingling. You may have to have some electrical studies, to see what the status of the nerve is. These are usually not done before around six weeks after the surgery.
Good luck.