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Re:Post Surgical - Week XXX :-) 2 Years, 8 Months ago
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3 Weeks ago I hit the one year mark since undergoing surgery for a Subcutaneous Transposition at the elbow, and full release in my hand for Guyon's syndrome along with the release of both A-1 pulley's of the ring and pinkie finger. Supplemental to these surgeries I also had the C5-6 anterior diskectomy and fusion. All of that in a 3 week period!
Where I am at now is here. The area around the scar on my elbow is starting to turn white, but the "tingles" from the little nerves that are severed with any incision are still present. The only time my elbow (bottom) feels sensitive is if I lean on the elbow portion of my forearm. All the discomfort (I didn't have a lot of pain at the elbow as this developed) in and around the elbow is completely gone.
I do still have residual numbness in my hand. On the palm side above the top joint in my pinkie is still numb. The heal of the hand below Palmer's crease (the first crease below one's fingers)to just above the where the wrist bends is at the "tickle numb" stage. I can feel the area when touched - just tickles. All other numbness (1/2 the hand down to the wrist, top and bottom) is gone. My grip strength is within a pound of my left hand - normal for me as I am almost completely ambidextrous. Full dexterity has now been regained. For the first 4-5 months I couldn't consistently cross my index and middle fingers.
I was told by my surgeon that full healing won't be realized for 1 and a half to 2 years. Personally I don't think there will be much more improvement as I feel that the nerve received some permanent damage in the hand. If it gets a bit better, great, but I am not disappointed with where I am at now. Given the same circumstances, I would undergo or recommend this surgery.
In closing, if there are any major changes (good or bad) I will post an update. 
Brenda
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Mar 08 ACDF with Instrumentation C5/6
April 08 Subcutaneous Ulnar Transposition, Guyon's Release and claw fingers release
Aug 09 ACDF with Instrumentations C6/7
Oct 09 (new) Degenerative disk disease with Osteophytes C7/T1 Degenerative disk disease C2/3, disk bulge, Osteophytes
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Re:Post Surgical - Week XXX :-) 2 Years, 7 Months ago
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Greetings all! As some of you know from my prior posts in March and April of 2008, I had 3 areas to which my Ulnar was trapped - C5/6 (fused), elbow (subcutaneous transposition), and Guyon's release in the hand. The neck result was instant when I woke up, the elbow a few weeks and hand though back with full control of it, still has numbness - I can live with that!
9 weeks ago I was doing a nice comfortable yawn when I turned my head to answer a question my husband had. My C6/7 disk went!! Damn! I was fused only a year and a month prior for issues (Ulnar) in the neck. So much for "possible" issues above or below the fusion in possibly in 5-10 years! At any rate the reason I bring this up is this...EMG 101. I find out next Friday if I get another level fused - 98% on that one based on MRI and EMG findings along with physical exam. When the needle portion of my EMG was conducted, the technician was doing it. She was all happy that it was coming out normal. With my career on the line, I told her to get the Neurologist to "RE" conduct the test. I told her that there is NO WAY I had normal electrical activity with 1/2 my hand gone, no triceps strength and pain in my upper arm. The Neurologist came in and the results were completely different - chronic and directly to the C6/7 level. A stand-up MRI further confirmed the hernia at that location.
I read in here a lot where the EMG and nerve studies come back normal or "unremarkable" and then you either suffer longer, or worse case, end up with permanent damage. My recommendation (just me talking mind you) have the Neurologist conduct the needle portion at a minimum. They are the experts on exactly where to place the needles and how deep, and too how to manipulate your limbs for proper evaluation of the nerve function.
I learned a lot from my prior neurological issues and "patient" - my body decisions. We all know our own bodies and reactions better than any test, doctor etc. If something isn't right, question it or demand answers. We are not built the same, so if it doesn't feel right, keep forcing the issue until you feel all can or has been done. Good luck all!
Brenda
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Mar 08 ACDF with Instrumentation C5/6
April 08 Subcutaneous Ulnar Transposition, Guyon's Release and claw fingers release
Aug 09 ACDF with Instrumentations C6/7
Oct 09 (new) Degenerative disk disease with Osteophytes C7/T1 Degenerative disk disease C2/3, disk bulge, Osteophytes
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Re:Post Surgical - Week XXX :-) 2 Years, 7 Months ago
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Sorry, forgot to add this update. While the Neurologist conducted the EMG/NCV for my weakness and such, I asked him to also check the nerve status from my surgeries for the elbow and hand. This was GOOD news. The elbow is "almost" at normal readings, and the area below the wrist into my hand only shows "slight delay" in reaction. He told me that from what he can see, the surgeries were done very well. I asked him to check because I have seen in here where folks have had to get surgery again for the elbow. Does this mean my Ulnar is forever happy, of course not, but so far it seems that the surgeon I picked did his job well. I know that most don't have these tests after their surgery, so I took advantage of the situation - "Hey Doc, while your checking for my present issue, can you see how my Ulnar is doing? Thanks Doc!" Mentally, this was a "good feeling" of confirmation I needed.
1 year, 3 months since transposition at the elbow and Guyon's release. Thanks for listening.
Brenda
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Mar 08 ACDF with Instrumentation C5/6
April 08 Subcutaneous Ulnar Transposition, Guyon's Release and claw fingers release
Aug 09 ACDF with Instrumentations C6/7
Oct 09 (new) Degenerative disk disease with Osteophytes C7/T1 Degenerative disk disease C2/3, disk bulge, Osteophytes
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Re:Post Surgical - Week XXX :-) 2 Years, 3 Months ago
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I am now a year and a half post op from my Ulnar surgeries. See prior posts in this thread for details. Due to complications from my latest fusion and adjacent levels, most of my hand (palm side) is numb, so no real update help there.
The elbow... All feeling has returned to it. No pain what so ever on or near it. The Tinel sensitivity has not returned. The scar is almost invisible now unless I get really cold! <G> While my hand is numb again, I *highly* doubt it is from a failure of my Ulnar related surgeries as it came about a few weeks after my spinal surgery. Prior to that, I would say 95% of my feeling came back, and I have full dexterity and strength back.
I still do stretches and occasionally use my EMS to keep the Ulnar happy. I really believe that my being conscious of how I treat my hand and arm has gone a LONG way in making the work my surgeon did a success. Chances are the damage in the neck nerve roots is permanent. I will deal with that as I know more, but the Ulnar surgeries (to me) are and continue to be 95% improvement over "pre-surgical" status. I wish you all have the same or similar results. Take care.
Brenda
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Mar 08 ACDF with Instrumentation C5/6
April 08 Subcutaneous Ulnar Transposition, Guyon's Release and claw fingers release
Aug 09 ACDF with Instrumentations C6/7
Oct 09 (new) Degenerative disk disease with Osteophytes C7/T1 Degenerative disk disease C2/3, disk bulge, Osteophytes
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Re:Post Surgical - Week XXX :-) 2 Years, 3 Months ago
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Brenda,
Can you tell me more about your Guyon recovery? I had carpal and Guyon release at the same time as my CuTS and I'm 23 days post op and surprised at how much bruising and swelling I still have in my hand. There's so few people out there with Guyon experience to ask about how their experience was! Everyone's heard of carpal and of course everyone on this site knows cubital but Guyon still seems to throw a lot of people off. I am starting to be able to use my hand more (just started back to work this week) but I'm curious as to how long it took for your swelling and bruising to go down and when you felt like your hand/wrist was getting back to normal?
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Re:Post Surgical - Week XXX :-) 2 Years, 3 Months ago
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KBT0416 wrote:
Brenda,
Can you tell me more about your Guyon recovery? I had carpal and Guyon release at the same time as my CuTS and I'm 23 days post op and surprised at how much bruising and swelling I still have in my hand. There's so few people out there with Guyon experience to ask about how their experience was! Everyone's heard of carpal and of course everyone on this site knows cubital but Guyon still seems to throw a lot of people off. I am starting to be able to use my hand more (just started back to work this week) but I'm curious as to how long it took for your swelling and bruising to go down and when you felt like your hand/wrist was getting back to normal?
Howdy KBT,
If memory serves, my hand was swollen and had a lot of bruising for about 5 weeks! The area above the wrist was also bruised. I think some of the swelling is going to be dependent on how deep they had to go, and too, how long the incision. When my surgeon went into my Guyon's Canal, he found that my Ulnar was too close to the surface of all things! He had to make a bit of a "tunnel" a bit deeper to protect it verses just releasing the ligament band as many have done.
Once the swelling started going down, I could feel the feeling beginning to return! I think at around the 3 month time frame I could finally cross my fingers! I couldn't do that for almost a year and a half! I got back in the neighborhood of 85% of the feeling in my hand and fingers. The very tip of my ring finger and the pinkie from the tip to the fist knuckle stayed numb. After PT (3 months, 3 times a week) I regained most of the strength and dexterity back. PT was started at around week 3 or 4.
One post op possible warning. At around the 3 month mark I started getting pretty aggressive and at times painful cramping of my fingers. I am thinking it is due to the trauma of the surgery and part of the healing. It happened most times when my fingers where gripped on something (like the steering wheel). Now my A-1 pulleys were also released below those two fingers, so that might have played a part in the cramping. But thought I would toss that out there so if you have it do that, don't be too freaked out! It also gets better over time. It might be a nerve healing effect as well. I say that because I am 10 weeks post surgical for a C6/7 fusion, and my index and middle fingers are cramping occasionally now - nerve healing? Just gently bend the fingers straight and message them a bit for relief. Keep us posted on how you are doing. Take care.
Brenda
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Mar 08 ACDF with Instrumentation C5/6
April 08 Subcutaneous Ulnar Transposition, Guyon's Release and claw fingers release
Aug 09 ACDF with Instrumentations C6/7
Oct 09 (new) Degenerative disk disease with Osteophytes C7/T1 Degenerative disk disease C2/3, disk bulge, Osteophytes
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