Nerve Surgery IN FAIRFAX, VA & WASHINGTON, D.C.
What Is Peripheral Nerve Surgery?
There are many types of procedures that may be required for nerve reconstruction. Nerves are very specialized structures with very specialized functions and physiology. Patients may need procedures to remove pressure or scar tissue around a nerve. Or, nerves may be cut or crush and need nerve reconstruction.
If you need to see a nerve surgeon in Falls Church, Fairfax, Washington DC, and surrounding areas, contact Dominion Plastic Surgery today to schedule an appointment.
COMMON nerve RECONSTRUCTION PROCEDURES
The most common procedures done for nerve reconstruction by a plastic surgeon are:
Nerve Compression
Nerve compression can lead to a number of different symptoms. Patients may experience pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, or loss of function. Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common form of nerve compression. Patients often wake up feeling the need to shake out their hands.
Compression around the nerve prevents the proper conduction of electrical signals. This is treated by removing whatever is compressing the nerve. For carpal tunnel syndrome, the transverse carpal ligament is divided which releases the pressure on the median nerve.
Sometimes scar tissue from previous surgery or procedures can cause compression around a nerve. In these cases, the nerve is completely separated from the scar tissue and over time heals itself and begins to signal normally again.
Nerve Injuries
Nerves are the wiring system that carries messages from the brain to the rest of the body and from the rest of the body to the brain. An outer layer of tissue, called the sheath or epineurium, forms a cover to protect the nerve itself, which contains millions of individual fibers grouped in bundles within the sheath.
To fix a cut nerve, the insulation around both ends of the nerve is sewn together using micro-surgical techniques by the nerve surgeon. A nerve in a finger is only 1-2 mm thick, thinner than a piece of thin spaghetti, so the stitches have to be very tiny and thin.
The repair will need to be protected for the first 3 weeks to prevent it from stretching apart since it is so delicate. At that point, the scar tissue around the repair should prevent it from breaking apart with normal movement.