Carpal tunnel release cost in San Diego, CA
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 5 hospitals list a cash price for carpal tunnel release, open surgery: from $2,499.00 to $9,432.22, with a median of $3,608.80. The lowest listed price is at Paradise Valley Hospital — $1,109.80 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $3,608.80 at 70 hospitals.
Cash prices at 5 facilities across 3 cities for code 64721, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Sep 1, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paradise Valley Hospital lowest National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 Carpal tunnel surgery | $2,499.00 | $11,254.80 | $454.46–$11,254.80 | 78% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA NEUROPLASTY &/TRANSPOS MEDIAN NRV CARPAL TUNNE | $3,608.80 | $6,940.00 | $1,937.00–$5,762.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 NEUROPLASTY &/TRANSPOS MEDIAN NRV CARPAL TUNNE | $3,608.80 | $6,940.00 | $1,937.00–$5,762.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 NEUROPLASTY &/TRANSPOS MEDIAN NRV CARPAL TUNNE | $3,608.80 | $6,940.00 | $1,937.00–$5,762.00 | 48% | — source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Release and/or relocation of median nerve of hand | $9,432.22 | $17,149.49 | $60.00–$10,382.01 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $2,499.00, median $3,608.80, highest $9,432.22 — a 3.8× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $3,608.80. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
Cash or insurance?
At 5 of 5 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
Carpal tunnel release cuts the ligament across the palm side of the wrist to take pressure off the median nerve. It is done for numbness, tingling and weakness in the hand that do not improve with splints or injections.
What the price covers
The facility price usually covers the operating or procedure room and recovery. The surgeon and any anesthesia or sedation are billed separately.