Posted 1/28/2016 6:23 PM (GMT 0)
Hello, I found this forum after doing an internet search on "ulnar nerve decompression surgery" for which I have been given a diagnoses. I am now trying to decide if I should have this surgery or not. I have read a lot on the internet on medical pages describing the condition, but I wanted input from other patients who have been through this type of surgery. As of now I have surgery scheduled for February 15, 2016 and I am still undecided if I should go through with this procedure.
Here is how this all started with me. I play guitar and bass guitar and have been a musician 54 years, I started playing guitar at age 12 and I am now age 66. Several months ago I noticed that I my left hand was losing strength in some of my fingers. I started having trouble picking things up off of the floor with my left hand and I noticed a general weakness in my left hand an a sinking in the skin on my left hand between the thumb and my index finger. It really didn't bother me that much but I did notice this.
My wife and I lived in east Tennessee for the past 11 years and we recently moved back to NW Ohio where we had originally moved from. As I said earlier I have been playing the guitar for many years. The last time I played my guitar and had not trouble playing or making guitar chords was in September of 2015. For the past 8 years I had been playing bass guitar at my home church in Knoxville, TN and I never had any problems with playing my guitar.
In September my wife told me that we would have to move back to Ohio to help take care of her 83 year old mother who can't take good care of herself anymore. We put our home up for sale with a realtor and the first couple that looked at our home made an offer of full asking price. So we sold the home quickly and closed on it on October 2, 2015. We immediately left for NW Ohio and we found a home we liked and purchased it. It wasn't until living in our new home in Ohio for a couple of weeks that I decided to pick my guitar up and play some music. To my amazement I was unable to make hardly any guitar chords. My fingers would not go to the positions on the strings that my hand had automatically gone too for years. I also notice that I was unable to hold my hand straight out and close all of my fingers my moving them horizontal. I had a very difficult time trying to get my fingers to even touch the sides of the other fingers. I had no pain or tingling in my arm because of this condition.
When I found I couldn't make chords on my guitar I made an appointment with a new family doctor in Ohio. I described the problem with my left hand to her and told her that I was unable to make guitar chords after playing guitar for over 50 years. My family doctor made an appointment for me to have an MRI of my brain. I had the MRI done and it came back showing no problems in my brain, so my family doctor sent me to an orthopedic surgeon that specializes in the hand.
I saw the orthopedic surgeon on December 15, 2015. He listened to the description of my problem and noted the muscle atrophy between my thumb and my index finger on my left hand. He had be hold out my hands and perform various hand movements and arm movements. He then said that he thinks that the ulnar nerve in my left arm is compressed or impinged. He then sent me to a neurologist to have a EMG test done. The EMG test is how they test the condition of the nerves in my arm from my shoulder down to my fingers. That test confirmed to the doctor that I have "ulnar nerve compression" in my left arm. He also had me scheduled for an MRI of my left arm but after the EMG test results came back he said the MRI would be cancelled. I was diagnosed with "ulnar nerve compression" and the doctor told me that the only way to fix this was through surgery. He also said that because of the muscle in my hand (between my thumb and index finger) showing signs of atrophy in that muscle, that I needed to have this surgery done ASAP.
I was called by the orthopedic surgeon's office a few days later to set up an appointment for my surgery. I told the office that I couldn't have the surgery right away because my wife and I had just moved and we still hadn't to find places to move our belongings in our new house. We were also having some remodeling done in our new home and because of that I put the surgery off until February.
The doctors office scheduled me for surgery on February 15, 2016.
It has been six weeks since I was diagnosed and I have done a lot of reading on the internet about this type of surgery. From what I have read once a muscle gets atrophied due to ulnar nerve compression, the muscle will not recover even after surgery. That kind of bummed me out, because I didn't see how I would ever be able to play my guitar again with a weak left hand and muscle atrophy in my hand.
After I saw the orthopedic surgeon on December 15, 2015 and made the appointment for surgery for two months later on February 15, 2016. Every week after the December 15, 2015 appointment I would wait a week and try to play my guitar. I did that for about a month and gave up because I was still unable to make guitar chords properly.
It is now a little over six week since I was diagnosed and it has been about three weeks since I tried playing my guitar. Today I woke up and ate breakfast and then afterward I held out my left hand and tried to move my fingers together (horizontally) and to my amazement I was able to move my fingers completely closed which I hadn't been able to do for a couple of months. After seeing that I took my guitar out of it's case and tried making guitar chords. To my amazement I was able to make guitar chords and actually get through a couple of songs!
I am very happy that I was finally able to play my guitar with very minor problems. I noticed a little bit of trouble changing chords but my wife said she didn't notice it at all. Now with only two and one-half weeks left before my surgery, I am torn and I don't know if I should go through this surgery now or not. I am now able to make guitar chords and play my guitar and move my fingers from side to side horizontally without a problem, when just two weeks ago I was unable to do any of this.
For those that have already had this surgery, do you think I should go through with the surgery or not? From what I have read on the internet the surgery for ulnar nerve decompression will not reverse the atrophy of the muscle that I now have between my thumb and index finger.
I do not know whether I should have this surgery or not now especially since I have read that it did not work for some people that had it and caused other problems. What drove me to see a doctor was that I was unable to play my guitar. Now, my hand seems to be recovering on it's own (wishful thinking on my part?) or does anyone think I should call the surgeon and see him again before going through with this surgery? If I am able to play guitar and pick things up now with only a little difficulty, I am wondering if my hand will continue to improve.
Anyone that has been through this surgery I would like to hear your thoughts or advice after you have read my post. I am leaning toward cancelling the surgery but maybe I should make another appointment to see the orthopedic surgeon and see what he says after reexamining me. I don't want to have the surgery if I don't really need it. Maybe I just had a good day today, I hope that isn't it and I hope that my hand keeps improving.