Tennis Elbow Repair Overview
Orthopaedic Specialists 502-212-2663
Stacie Grossfeld, M.D. / Bess Fley, PA-C
Tennis Elbow surgery is performed as an outpatient procedure. Upon arrival at the surgicenter you will first meet with the registration person to check you in. You will then be brought back to the pre-op area and meet with your nursing team.
Anesthesia
The next person you will meet is the anesthesia doctor. At this time the anesthesiologist will discuss the process and address any questions or concerns you have about the anesthesia. The anesthesiologist may place a nerve block to numb up your arm or Dr. Grossfeld may inject a local anesthetic at the end of the procedure.
You will go to the operating room where the surgery is performed. The anesthesiologist will then administer a general anesthesia, so you are completely asleep for the procedure. Because it is a general anesthesia you will not hear or see anything going on in the operating room.
Surgical Procedure
Dr. Grossfeld will then perform the tennis elbow surgery. This procedure takes between 30-40 minutes. Keep in mind after you head back to the operating room it takes about 40-60 minutes to go to sleep and get positioned on the operating room bed so your family may not see you for 1.5 to 2 hours depending on how extensive the surgical procedure is and what needs to be fixed.
Dr. Grossfeld will make one incision around the elbow joint. She will debride any unhealthy tendon and repair the torn tendon.
The suture anchors are made out of a synthetic bone so the anchors will actually incorporate into your own bone. The suture anchors are placed into the bone which then “anchors the suture” and those sutures are then sewn through the common extensor tendon to repair the damaged tendon. The incision is closed with 2 layers of sutures that are dissolvable. There will be white sterile strips that are also used to help close the incision site.
Upon leaving the operating room, you will have 4 x 4 gauze placed over the incision sites, followed by ABD pads, which are a larger fluffy dressing, followed by cast padding. A plaster splint will then be applied so you are unable to bend your elbow or wrist. At your first post operative visit the splint will be removed and you will be placed into an elbow brace that allows some elbow motion. You will also be placed in a wrist splint to limit wrist motion.
Night of Surgery
It is very important that you stay on top of the pain.
She recommends that you set your alarm clock and take your pain medication every 4 to 6 hours for the first 24 hours to stay on top of your pain. Adding 800 mg Motrin every 6 hours or Meloxicam 15 mg every 24 hours can help control pain. Do not use either Motrin or Meloxicam if you are on blood thinners or have a history of stomach ulcers or kidney disease.
First Post-Operative Visit
Your first post operative visit will be 10-14 days post-surgery. You will be seen in the office at that time and have the ends of the sutures removed. Dr Grossfeld or Bess Fley, PA-C will answer any other questions.
Physical Therapy
PT will not be started until your 6-7th week after surgery after the braces are discontinued. This is about a three to four month recovery before you are back to your normal activities involving the operative elbow.
Driving
Most people will start driving once they are off all pain medication and the splint has been removed at the first post operative visit: 10-14 days after surgery.
Return to Work
If you work a labor type job, you will most likely not return back to that job until you are released 100%. This could be 3-4 months depending on your job description.
If your employer has light duty options, you will most likely be released anywhere between two to four weeks back to light duty, and typically light duty will not require the use of the surgical side/the side your surgery is performed on, except for simple tasks such as using a computer or answering a phone.
If you have an office type job, you can most likely get back to work between one to four weeks. Return to work also depended on pain level and job description. Some people have a lot of pain after this particular surgery, some people have very little. Pain is very personal and different from person to person.
FMLA and Disability Paperwork
Our office offers the service of completing paperwork for FMLA and/or disability for a fee of $40, per set of paperwork, and is completed in the order that it is received, typically takes 7-10 business days. All requests must originate with your employer, as your eligibility for FMLA and/or disability is based on your benefits with your employer. While each patient is unique, we do our best to estimate the time of recovery and often times over-estimate the amount of time to prevent a lapse in benefits and/or require additional paperwork. Often times disability companies require updates after each appointment. It is the patient’s responsibility to communicate this request with the office. Updates are not automatically completed. Any questions regarding this can be directed to Dorothy.
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