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Bilateral cubital tunnel syndrome --Please advise about surgery

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Posted 11/26/2014 11:59 AM (GMT 0)

hi Guys,

I need you advises on the to go/no go for the surgery for cubital tunnel .My doctor says I will need ulner nerve transposition to front of the elbow.

I am a software engineer and have been facing mild pain in both elbows( right hand is more severe) from last 3 months along with some abnormal sensation/pressure on the little fingures of both hands.Also a mild pain/abnormal feeling on the palm side of little fingure.
One morning I woke up with burning pain on ulnar side of both the hands and tht time I reliased I was having a habbit of sleeping my eblows bent on my chest and thts the reason I was getting numbness sometimes in the ring and pinky fingure.

I have tried the conservative treatment from last 3 months with nerve gliding exercies, making sure not to flex my elbows in night by wraping the towels around elbows.
I feel the ache and pain in elbows very irritating and also the abnormal sensation in pinky fingures.I had done NCV/EMG twise , first one at start of the systems came negative but the one recently done shows some slowing of velocity around both elbows though its not very less 46 m/s.Ultrasound shows some swelling/edema and thickness of ulner nerve around both elbows.
My doctor says I need to go for surgery as things are not improved after conservative treatment and I should get it done for right hand first as I am right handed before getting things worst.
Please note I don't have any numbness and severe pain though whatever I have is irritatiing specially when I work in office in front of computer for 9 hours a day.
I am really afraid of the surgery after reading such a horrible stories around the internet after surgery.
I have already postponed my surgery once. I am really worried about my hand post surgery as I am the only earner in my family and you know the private job sucks.

Could you please advise me based on your experiences?
My doctor has shown me many videos of surgery he ahs done and he claimed all were success.

I have already taken 5-6 openions from various doctors and their responses are mix of yes/no about the surgery.I am confused a lot because of this and always kept on thinking what if I can't use my right hand after surgery since I am a software engineer and will have to use my hand for computer usage.

thanks

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Posted 11/27/2014 5:47 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Ram,
Welcome to the group. It is a shame that you are joining us but so glad you found this place, These folks are great.

I was told Monday that they should do a trans on my ulnar left arm but cant due to other nerve injuries. As you well know, moving a nerve is really delicate. It is very smart of you to do your research. Second opinions are sometimes confusing but its better to have that than just accept one persons view.

I cant tell you go/no go but I will suggest that you find the best dr you can. I have read enough about the situation to know that its a long recovery and having the best dr is heavily encouraged.

There are folks here who are much better informed that I am. I am sure they will give a better perspective. I sure hope you get squared away soon.

Hope you have a nice turkey day.
Posted 11/27/2014 1:59 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, and welcome to the forum. I'm not a doctor and I can't give you specific advice about your situation but I hope you have a medical team you can trust, and don't rush it if possible. Surgery is a big decision, no matter what kind.

If I were you, seeing that you had different advice from different doctors, find the most well-known expert in that field of surgery and see if you can get a consult from him/her or someone he/she can refer you to.

Good luck.
Posted 11/27/2014 4:50 PM (GMT 0)
Hello Ram & welcome to the chronic pain forum. So sorry to read what you have on your plate with your arms.

I know you said you have seen several drs about this surgery but by chance have you seen a dr that specializes in upper extremity problems only? If not, then I would get a referral to one & take copies of my tests with me to the appt.

I wish I could tell you I have seen a lot of successful surgeries for this problem but I haven't. We see lots of people that end up with persistent chronic pain as a result of surgery. The recovery can be a fairly long one, 9-12 months to completely heal & it is not an easy recovery. That time frame seems to be pretty consistent. I was offered this same surgery many years ago & declined. I opted to live with the problems. When dealing with nerve issues there is absolutely no way a dr can guarantee a patient that surgery will fix the problem, its a real hit or miss. I would be concerned if a dr told me what yours did. This is why I say consult with someone that specializes in this area, it can makes a huge difference.

We do have some older threads here at Healing Well that you may or may not want to read where members have had surgery. We do ask if you pull those older posts up to not post on them. There is a very good chance that the original poster is no longer active here & we like to keep the older threads off of the main page.

Keep us posted on what you decide to do. Take care.
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