What is Ulnar Nerve Release?
The Ulnar Nerve goes round the back of the inside of your elbow
and passes through a tight tunnel between the forearm
muscles. The nerve can become compressed resulting in
numbness in your ring and little fingers.
If your symptoms are mild and happen mostly at night, a splint
to hold your elbow straight while you are in bed often helps.
In many cases though, it is best to have an operation to release
the nerve to prevent permanent nerve damage.
What does this involve?
Ulnar Nerve release takes 30-45 minutes to complete and can be
done under local anaesthetic as a day case patient. Your
surgeon will make a cut at the back of you elbow to cut any tight
tissue or remove any bone that is compressing the nerve.
The incision will be closed with stitches and dressed after the
operation.
Top
When will I recover?
The procedure will be carried out as a day case so you should be
able to go home the same day. You will have a bandage on your elbow
and may need to use a sling. In any event you should keep
your arm lifted up for the first couple of days and gently exercise
your fingers, elbow and shoulder to prevent stiffness.
Regular exercise should help you to return to normal activities
as soon as possible. Before you start exercising, you should ask a
member of the healthcare team or your GP for advice Your
symptoms may continue to improve for up to six months.
Top
What risks should I know about?
Ulnar Nerve release is a routinely performed operation and is
very successful. Some complications can occur although they
are uncommon such as continued numbness in your ring and little
fingers and numbness in a patch of skin near your elbow.
Top
Circle care
Hand and wrist surgery is carried out by our specialist
surgeons who have the expertise to get the best possible
results. You can be sure of state of the art facilities and
the best possible care to get you back to normal as soon as
possible.
Top