Nerve Release

What is nerve release?

In severe cases of pain, numbness or weakness, surgery may be needed to relieve pressure on the nerve. The surgery is a 20 minute day case procedure under general or regional anaesthetic while you are awake if preferred.

nerve release procedure

An incision is made, on the inside of the elbow and the soft tissues squashing the nerve are released. Having released these ligaments, the elbow is bent and straightened to ensure that the nerve is stable and does not slip forward out of its groove behind the elbow. If it does the nerve needs to be permanently brought forward, an operation called a transposition. The skin is sutured and a dressing is applied.

What to expect after nerve release surgery?

You can go home soon after the operation. The anaesthetic will wear off after 4-6 hours. Simple pain relief such as paracetamol or ibuprofen (unless contraindicated) will control the pain. Pain relief should be started before the anaesthetic has worn off and the hand should be elevated as much as possible for the first 5 days to prevent the hand and fingers swelling.

The outer bandage should be removed by your nurse after 5 days, and this will be arranged before you leave hospital. The nurse will put a fresh sticky plaster over the wound if necessary, and the wound should be kept dry for 2 weeks. Gently bend and straighten the elbow straight away, this should be increased to full movement once the bulky dressings are removed.

The sticky dressing can be removed at home, the sutures are usually dissolvable and do not need to be removed. You will be seen back in clinic at 6 weeks. You may notice an improvement in symptoms within a week, but the final result may not be seen for a number of months following the procedure.