What is Tennis Elbow Operation and Do You Really Need One?
What is tennis elbow operation?
Should we really need to undergo surgery when we suffer this kind of injury? Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, is one of the common elbow disorders. It involves one of a number of extensor muscles that stems from the humerus bone. The cause of this injury is unsatisfactorily understood. Yet, it is thought that it is due to a micro-tear or degeneration of the muscle. Though it is not completely proven, excessive exertion is mostly the cause among manual laborers, sports participants or any other person who engage activities that carries out work in repetitive manner. When this injury occurs, it is really a bother in manual labors and sports activities.
The symptoms of this injury includes pain on the outer part of the elbow that often radiates to the forearm and pain in doing simple tasks such as lifting a cup of coffee or twisting a door knob. It is occasionally due to an acute traumatic event but it set forth more often due to repetitive extension of the hand and wrist against resistance. Many treatments have been defined either alone or combination where some happens to be very useful but some can cause harm. Conventional treatments for this injury may be in the form of first aid home remedies such as cold or hot compress, anti-inflammatory drugs, steroid injections, splints and physiotherapy. Other treatments include acupuncture, radiotherapy and vitamins. Surgery is only considered among patients who have chronic tennis elbow or if they’re injury have little response to other non-surgical treatments. Patients should have undergone conventional treatments for six months but with no ceasing of the tennis elbow pain.
The operation is frequently performed under a general anaesthesia as a day-case. The elbow is dressed with a supportive dressing that allows you to move lightly. The stitches are removed two weeks after the operation. You can go on usual non-aggravating activities as long as you’re comfortable and have a full finger movement. When you want to go back to work immediately, it can be discussed with your doctor. There are some short-term effects after the tennis elbow operation like nerve damage, infection, scar, and the gradual recovery of the symptoms that can last up to six months.
