Cubital Tunnel Syndrome Surgery
Overview
You might be experiencing numbness or tingling in the ring and small fingers, pain in the forearm, and weakness in your hand if you have cubital tunnel syndrome. Many have felt a few seconds of this type of pain when they’ve hit their funny bone. You may experience this feeling when you’ve had your arms bent for an extended period of time. If you’ve experienced these symptoms for quite a while, you might be ready to explore cubital tunnel syndrome surgery to correct the issue.
How to Prepare for Cubital Tunnel Syndrome Surgery
You will be asked not to eat or drink after midnight the night before your surgery. Stop taking any medications like blood thinners or aspirins to prepare for your surgery. You may want to get your home ready since you won’t be able to reach very high cabinets or do activities that may require you to pull. Locate loose shirts that button or zip in the front for you to wear as you recover from surgery.
Procedure
The surgery option used to treat cubital tunnel syndrome is outpatient surgery which means you will be able to return home the same day as your surgery. There are two main surgical treatments of this condition:
- The first is a decompression surgical treatment which allows us to use an open incision along the inside of your elbow. We will look to see what is causing pressure on your nerve and then release it.
- The second surgery type is a transposition. During this surgery, we will create a slightly larger incision to remove the nerve from its groove and create a new place for your nerve to rest.
Recovery
Take the first couple of days easy after surgery. After one to two weeks, you may begin physical therapy and at-home exercises. You can expect a full recovery after four to six weeks.
Efficacy
Through surgery, we will relieve the pressure on the nerve. Your ulnar nerve now has room to move either through the bony bump being removed on the inside of your elbow or the creation of a new tunnel for your nerve to move through.
Complications
During the decompression surgery, we may remove what is causing your pinched nerve however, it might also cause instability or a tendency of your nerve to pop in and out of its groove. While this is uncommon, it can cause continual nerve irritation.
Outlook
Surgery will likely correct the problem with the nerve and restore pain-free movement of your elbow.