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Ulnar nerve transposition surgery in 2 weeks.

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Posted 9/23/2015 7:02 PM (GMT 0)
Hello new friends~

Im scheduled for ulnar nerve transposition surgery in two weeks,
and feeling anxious at not knowing much about the recovery as well as not
knowing anyone else who has had this surgery.
Help???

Im 58 and have already been through many long and painful surgery experiences
with hip fracture, as well as 3 hip replacements. Those surgeries were different in that I was unable to walk and had to be fairly bedridden for some time. Im quite healthy overall, except that my body seems to be falling apart! Hence feeling like a trainwreck.

Would very much appreciate your wisdom and experiences with this particular surgery...
as well as help with thinking through what happens post surgery in terms of healing and mobility
as well as ability to care for oneself.




Thanks much,
appreciate any and all replies.



I have given your post a heading.

Post Edited By Moderator (straydog) : 9/23/2015 7:42:12 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 9/23/2015 8:27 PM (GMT 0)
Hello trainwreck and welcome to the forum. I understand your apprehension. I had my ulnar nerve transposition done back in 1996 after a traumatic injury split the protective sheath and left my nerve moving over my elbow each time I bent and straightened my arm!

Back then, they would put you in a cast for 6 weeks after the surgery. Lately, the folks that have been having this procedure are not casted. Not sure if that's just the way it's done now or the surgeon's choice. You should ask your surgeon about this.

After the cast was removed, I was put in physical therapy, three times a week for about 12 weeks.

I won't lie. Moving the arm after the cast was removed was excruciating! Any joint that has been in the same position for that long and is now being expected to move would be! There was also some muscle atrophy to deal with. The physical therapist did passive range of motion, massage of the scar, ice on the scar and 'points', where a stylus type device is placed along the nerve path and a small charge is sent through to the nerve to help it regenerate. This was uncomfortable but not "painful". They also used ultrasound on the scar to help break up scar tissue and improve healing. After a couple of weeks, I was able to start to rebuild the muscle tissue.

I experienced numbness and then sharp jolts of pain. This is 'normal' when the nerve is getting accustomed to it's new 'home'. Use of the muscles it is now buried under can aggravate these sensations. Resting the area on surfaces can also cause some discomfort, especially if the surface has an edge, like the edge of a table.

Sensations are a bit different too. "Cold" is read by my brain as "Wet". "Hot" is still "Hot" thank goodness! I feel "Itchy" but do not feel "scratched". Take your time to learn how this will be for you. I must be careful not to injure myself by scratching incessantly trying to satisfy the itch and breaking the skin and bleeding as a result. That kind of thing is common.

My forearm would ache so bad in the beginning. I can't say exactly when that stopped, only that for the most part, it has.

Avoiding bumping the arm is important. I slept on the couch with the surgical arm toward the back of the couch, a pillow on my abdomen and the forearm resting on the pillow. Laying flat was impossible for quite a while.

I wish you the best possible outcome from your surgery. Follow the doctors orders and don't do too much too soon! This takes a while! I believe it helps to have realistic expectations. I was able to return to work, light duty, 6 months post op. Three months later I was back at full duty. I worked at an industrial laundry service. Not sure what kind of work you do. Easy does it.
Posted 9/24/2015 2:50 AM (GMT 0)
Hello Trainwreck & welcome to the chronic pain forum. Glad you found us but so sorry you have the need to be here.

Pitmom has given you some good tips from her surgery. Have you had a second opinion, if not I would urge you to get one. We always tell folks to take the time to get a 2nd opinion before having any type of surgery.

People have this surgery & like any other surgery there can be good results or bad. All we can do is hope for the best. Start by having a very experienced dr & like Pitmom she had excellent physical therapist. As she also said follow the post op instructions to the letter. People get in trouble by doing too much too fast. I also suggest getting on the internet & going to a reputable web site like the Mayo Clinic & reading about the surgery. The more you educate yourself the better prepared you will be. I expect if you have someone at home to help you at first that will be great, You will not have much use of your hand/arm for a bit.

We have had others come through the forum that has had this surgery. You can use our search feature above & type in the name of your surgery & you can pull those old threads up to read. We do ask that you don't post on those older threads as there is a very good chance the original poster is no longer active here at HW & we like to keep the older threads off of the main page. You will get a better response by asking your questions here.

Take care.

Keep us posted on how you are doing.
Posted 10/13/2015 3:56 PM (GMT 0)
How did the surgery go? How are you feeling?
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