I was unable to find a hand surgeon in the Chicago area that does endoscopic, but I did find a highly reputable hand surgeon from Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, that does what is referred to as "mini-incision" carpal tunnel release. I booked an appointment for a consult with him on January 9th, so we shall see what he has to say. This doctor has some pretty impressive credentials:

Mark S. Cohen, MD (Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, Chicago). Dr. Cohen is the director of the section of hand and elbow surgery at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and a consultant for the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bulls. He has an expertise in performing minimally invasive surgery, mini-incision carpal tunnel release, wrist and elbow arthroscopy and using bone cement for treating wrist fractures. In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Cohen regularly conducts research on topics such as wrist fractures, elbow trauma and arthritis and wrist ligament tears. He has written more than 80 professional articles and written a text book on hand and wrist injuries. Dr. Cohen has been recognized by the Society for Surgery of the Hand for having the best scientific paper at the 2009 annual meeting. Dr. Cohen earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School in Boston and completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at the University of California San Diego Medical Center. He also completed a hand, upper extremity and microvascular fellowship at the Indiana Hand Center in Indianapolis.