Nerve compression

What is nerve compression?

Think of the nerves in your arm like lanes on a highway, carrying continuous messages between your brain to your muscles and skin. These nerves have to travel through several tight "tunnels" of bone and soft tissue. Nerve compression occurs when the tissues surrounding one of these tunnels become swollen or thickened, essentially "blocking" the nerve from transmitting signal. This results in numbness, tingling, burning pain, and eventually, muscle wasting and weakness. Nerve decompression therefore serves to release the compression points, re-opening the lanes on the highway to improve signal transmission. The most common nerves to be affected include the median nerve (carpal tunnel syndrome) and the ulnar nerve (cubital tunnel syndrome).

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Before & After Photos

Before

After

Patient 01

Patient Number

142039

Description

Timeline Timeline Surgeon Surgeon

Before

After

Patient 02

Patient Number

142040

Description

Timeline Timeline Surgeon Surgeon

Before

After

Patient 03

Patient Number

142041

Description

Timeline Timeline Surgeon Surgeon

Before

After

Patient 04

Patient Number

142042

Description

Timeline Timeline Surgeon Surgeon

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What to expect

Pre-op

Before Surgery

Click here to learn more about what to expect during consultation.

Who is a good candidate?

• Healthy
• Individuals experiencing numbness, tingling, and/or muscle wasting or weakness
• Individuals with positive ultrasound and/or findings on electromyography or nerve conduction studies
• Realistic expectations and goals

How to Prepare for Surgery

• You may need to do bloodwork and additional investigations
• Stop smoking for 4-6 weeks
• Avoid herbal supplements for 2 weeks
• Avoid aspirin and anti-inflammatories for 1 week
• Ask whether you need to hold certain medications before surgery

Risk & Complications

Procedure

On the Day of Surgery

Click here to learn what to expect on the day of your operation.

Anesthesia

• General
• Local with sedation or local only (typically for carpal tunnel syndrome)

Duration of Surgery

• Varies depending on the areas being decompressed (carpal and cubital tunnels typically take 20 minutes)

Incisions

• Carpal tunnel - palm
• Cubital tunnel - inner elbow
• Other incisions depend on the areas being decompressed

Please bring all your home medications.

Post-op

After Surgery

Click here to learn what to expect with your recovery and long-term results.

Wound care

• A compression garment (and/or splint depending on surgery) will be placed for the first 2 weeks of your recovery

Sutures

• Removed within 2 weeks

Return to light work

• 3-4 weeks

Return to regular activity or exercise

• 6 weeks

Please follow all of the specific instructions given to you and attend your follow-up appointment as arranged.

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What is the average cost of nerve decompression surgery?

OHIP Covered (If applicable)

Costs may include:

Pre-op Investigations

Anesthesia

Equipment & Facility

Nursing Fee

Surgical Fee

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What are my Financing Options?

Every patient should have access to flexible financing options when considering a procedure. At Elevate Plastic Surgery, we partner with leading Canadian financing providers to help make your journey more accessible. Please contact us to learn more.

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Frequently Asked Questions.

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Nerves heal incredibly slowly (about 1 millimeter per day). While the deep, aching pain and nighttime tingling often disappear on the very first night after surgery, long-standing numbness takes much longer to resolve. If your nerve has been compressed for years, it may take months to years for the sensation to fully "wake up" and reach your fingertips.

We actually want you to use your hand immediately for light daily activities, such as eating, holding a phone, or buttoning a shirt, as this prevents stiffness. Most patients can comfortably return to light typing and activities within 5 to 7 days.You must strictly avoid heavy gripping, lifting, or repetitive power tools for about 3-4 weeks to allow the deep tissues to heal securely.

If the nerve was compressed badly and long enough to cause visible muscle shrinking (atrophy), strength recovery is a slow process. Surgery stops the damage from getting worse immediately, but rebuilding that wasted muscle requires time and dedicated hand therapy. Most patients see a significant, continuous improvement in grip strength over the first 2 years following surgery.

A true surgical recurrence (e.g. where the ligament heals back together so tightly that it re-compresses the nerve) is exceedingly rare, occurring in less than 5% of patients. A surgical decompression is widely considered a permanent, lifelong fix for carpal and cubital tunnel syndrome.

For most nerve releases (especially Carpal Tunnel), we use a highly modern technique that does not require general anesthesia. The procedure is typically performed in our minor procedure clinic using local anesthesia. This means no fasting, no grogginess, and you can walk out shortly after the procedure is finished. However, for those who are a little more anxious, we do offer light sedation with local anesthetic to help keep you perfectly relaxed during the surgery.