PERIPHERAL NERVE SURGERY

There are three main types of nerves in the body:

• Spinal nerves – control most of the body/trunk and connect within the spinal cord
• Cranial nerves – control parts of the head and connect directly to the brain
• Peripheral nerves – handle the outward areas of the body and are found in enclosed bundles of nerve cable

Damage to nerves in the body can be caused by any sort of physical injury or swelling, autoimmune diseases, infection or blood vessel failure surrounding the nerve.

A pinched nerve occurs when pressure is placed on a nerve usually caused by swelling from an injury or pregnancy. Pinched nerves can result in pain, numbness, weakness or potential paralysis depending on the severity of the injury.

Peripheral nerves have an inherent capacity for healing and regeneration unlike the brain and spinal cord. Even the most badly injured peripheral nerve will recover completely if repair is done at the right time.

The goal of peripheral nerve surgery is to restore your motor and sensory nerve functions with minimal pain and disability. It might be indicated in the following conditions:

• Peripheral nerve injury that has caused severe weakness or numbness and has not improved with 3 months of conservative treatment.
• Peripheral nerve entrapment syndrome which causes pain that is not relieved with conservative methods.
• Peripheral nerve tumors.