Little League Elbow Surgery
Overview
As the name suggests, this condition is typically seen in little league baseball pitchers under 10 years old. After the repetitive throwing motion, your child’s pain may increase. Little league elbow surgery can remove the pain your child is feeling.
How to Prepare for Little League Elbow Surgery
Refrain from allowing your child to eat or drink after midnight the night before your surgery. Bring a shirt that buttons or zips in the front for ease the day of the surgery.
Procedure
This surgery is an outpatient surgery which means your child can return home the same day as their surgery. This arthroscopy procedure allows us to remove the loose bone fragments. We may also take bone from one location and relocate it to another location to replace diseased or damaged bones or reattach a ligament.
Recovery
We will advise avoiding all movement that may strain their elbow and keeping your child’s elbow elevated. Ice their elbow two to three times a day for the first two days after surgery to reduce the pain and swelling. We may suggest placing a pillow under the injured arm while sleeping to provide support. After two weeks we will suggest a strengthening program. You and your child will be shown exercises to be done at home. After improvements are seen a player can begin a program to begin throwing again. This program may start with short tosses and then move to long tosses which will allow the player to rebuild their strength.
Efficacy
The doctor will remove the loose bone and reattach the ligament. Little league elbow surgery can remove the pain your child is feeling.
Complications
There is a risk of infection, blood loss, and nerve damage as with any surgery. Surgery may not completely cure the pain problem. Your child may still experience pain or the pain has a possibility of returning.
Outlook
Surgery will correct the problem with the bone and ligaments, and restore full movement of your elbow.