Elbow Surgery

What is elbow surgery?

Elbow surgery is any operation on the bones or soft tissues in your elbow joint. You might have elbow surgery to treat an injury or condition that doesn’t improve with other treatments. Orthopaedic surgeons perform elbow surgery. In many cases, they can use minimally invasive methods, like arthroscopy.

Types of elbow surgery

The type of elbow surgery you have depends mostly on the reason you’re having it:

• Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive method for operating on joints. An arthroscope is a tiny camera that goes inside your joint. Your surgeon inserts the camera through a small hole. The camera projects to a screen. They operate through other small holes, using long, narrow tools.
• Open surgery is the traditional method. Your surgeon makes a large incision over your joint to open it up. You might be more likely to have open surgery if it’s urgent or if your surgeon needs to access a large area — for example, to treat a traumatic injury or to replace the whole joint.

What happens during elbow surgery?

Elbow surgery is usually an outpatient procedure, meaning you can expect to go home the same day. You’ll have a regional nerve block to numb your arm or general anesthesia to make you sleep, or both. Your surgeon will repair or remove damaged tissues, put parts back in place or replace them if needed.

Elbow procedures

Some of the specific procedures you might have on your elbow include:

• Cubital/radial tunnel release. This procedure frees an entrapped ulnar nerve or radial nerve.
• Debridement. Debridement means removing dead, loose or damaged tissues.
• Elbow bursectomy. Bursectomy treats chronic elbow bursitis by removing the bursae.
• Elbow replacement. This procedure replaces part or all of your joint with prosthetic parts.
• Open reduction and internal fixation. This means repositioning and repairing your bones.
• Osteotomy. This means cutting or reshaping your bones to realign them or to relieve pain.
• Synovectomy. Synovectomy removes the synovial membrane to treat rheumatoid arthritis.
• Tenotomy. This means repairing or releasing tension in a tendon.
• Tommy John surgery. This procedure repairs an injured ulnar collateral ligament.

How long does it take?

Most elbow procedures take one to two hours. After your procedure, you’ll move to a recovery room while your anesthesia wears off. You’ll spend another one to two hours there under observation.

What are the potential risks of elbow surgery?

Elbow surgery is relatively safe, but there’s always a small risk of complications, like:

• Blood clots
• Infection
• Excessive bleeding
• Nerve injuries

Your elbow joint is a small area, with many different types of tissues close together. This makes nerve injuries and infections slightly more common with elbow surgery than with operations on larger joints. An injured nerve might cause temporary symptoms, like numbness and tingling, until it heals.

What are the benefits of the different types of elbow surgery?

Arthroscopy makes the recovery from elbow surgery a little easier. The smaller incisions heal faster and tend to cause less pain and fewer complications during healing. This also means you can start your physical rehabilitation sooner so your elbow won’t be quite so stiff when you start moving it again.

Open surgery gives your surgeon immediate access to your whole elbow area at once. This may be more practical if you have a complicated injury or disease that’s spread throughout the area. It also helps if your surgeon hasn’t found the source of the problem yet or if they need to fix something in a hurry.

What happens after elbow surgery?

After your operation, a healthcare provider will explain how to take care of yourself at home, including:

• Incision and wound care
• Pain control after surgery
• How to wear your sling
• How to shower or bathe
• How to sleep comfortably
• When to start driving again
• When to return to work or chores
• When to come back for a check-in

Once your wounds have healed, a physical therapist will show you how to start gradually exercising your elbow to regain flexibility and strength. Physical therapy will be an important part of your recovery.

How long does it take to recover from elbow surgery?

It will take at least a few weeks for your incisions to heal. After that, you’ll slowly recover your ability to use your elbow as before. How long this takes can vary widely, depending on the procedure you had. You may need to continue with physical therapy for a few months to a year after your operation.

Your surgeon is the best person to consult about what you can personally expect in terms of recovery.

You might want to ask them:

• When will my stitches come out (or dissolve)?
• How long will I feel sor or need pain relief?
• How long will I need physical therapy?
• When will my elbow be ready for sports or physical labor?

When should I call my healthcare provider?

Call your provider right away if you develop:

• A fever
• Abnormal discharge from your wounds
• Numbness or tingling
• Severe bleeding or swelling
• Worsening pain that you can’t relieve