What is tennis elbow?
Tennis elbow is caused by wear and tear of the tendons on the outside of your elbow, causing pain, stiffness and, sometimes, weakness.
What are the benefits of surgery?
9 in 10 people heal within a year without surgery. The main benefit of surgery is to get relief from the symptoms more quickly.
Are there any alternatives to surgery?
Resting your elbow when you have symptoms and not doing the activities that cause pain will treat the condition but it can take up to 2 years to recover fully.
Physiotherapy can help you to recover more quickly.
Some people may also benefit from wearing a splint.
A steroid injection into your elbow joint can sometimes reduce pain and stiffness for several months.
Injections of blood, taken from a vein in your arm and injected into your elbow, are more effective than other types of injection.
What does the operation involve?
Surgery is usually performed under a Regional Anaesthetic
The operation usually takes about 30 minutes.
The operation is similar but is performed through a 4 to 5 centimetre cut made on the outside of your elbow.
How can I prepare myself for the operation?
If you smoke, stopping smoking now may reduce your risk of developing complications and will improve your long-term health.
Try to maintain a healthy weight. You have a higher risk of developing complications if you are overweight. Regular exercise should help to prepare you for the operation, help you to recover and improve your long-term health. Before you start exercising, ask the healthcare team or your GP for advice.
Speak to the healthcare team about any vaccinations you might need to reduce your risk of serious illness while you recover. When you come into hospital, practise hand washing and wear a face covering when asked.
What complications can happen?
Some complications can be serious and can even cause death.
- Bleeding
- Infection of the surgical site (wound)
- Allergic reaction to the equipment, materials or medication
- Chest infection
- Bleeding into the joint
- Infection in your elbow joint
- Severe pain, stiffness and loss of use of your arm and hand
- Damage to nerves around the joint
- Nerve damage
- Continuing symptoms
- Pain
- Unsightly scarring of your skin
How soon will I recover?
You should be able to go home the same day.
The physiotherapist or occupational therapist may give you exercises and advice to help you to recover from the operation.
It can take a few weeks to get back to normal activities.
Regular exercise should help you to return to normal activities as soon as possible. Before you start exercising, ask the healthcare team or your GP for advice.
Most people have a major improvement and a quicker return to normal activities.
Summary
Tennis elbow is caused by wear and tear of the tendons on the outside of your elbow. The main benefit of surgery is to get relief from the symptoms more quickly.
Keep this information document. Use it to help you if you need to talk to the healthcare team.
Some information, such as risk and complication statistics, is taken from global studies and/or databases. Please ask your surgeon or doctor for more information about the risks that are specific to you, and they may be able to tell you about any other suitable treatments options.
This document is intended for information purposes only and should not replace advice that your relevant healthcare team would give you.
Acknowledgements
Reviewer: Anthony Dunin (MBBS, FRACS, FA, OrthA)
Illustrator: Medical Illustration Copyright © Medical-Artist.com
This document is intended for information purposes only and should not replace advice your healthcare team gives you. This information is published under license from EIDO Healthcare UK and is protected by copyright. Other than for your personal, non-commercial use, you may not copy, print, download or otherwise reproduce it.
Think you have tennis elbow?
Vasudev Shanbhag consults at two locations : St. Joseph’s Hospital at Newport and Nuffield Hereford Hospital at Hereford.