Medial epicondyle release or debridement
Content reviewed by✓Mr Andrew Davies, PhD FRCS (Tr & Orth)· Reviewed June 2026Surgery for golfer's elbow is considered only after 6–12 months of appropriate conservative treatment. This guide covers what to expect before and after your operation.
Step 1 - Your pre-operative assessment
ℹ️ Your pre-assessment is usually 2–4 weeks before surgery. Medial epicondyle release is a day-case procedure with a relatively straightforward recovery.
This is a minor procedure. Pre-operative assessment is brief and focuses on fitness for anaesthesia and medication review.
Blood tests
Routine checks to confirm fitness for anaesthesia.
Medication review
Anti-inflammatory medications should be stopped 5–7 days before surgery to reduce bleeding risk.
Nerve conduction review
If cubital tunnel syndrome has also been diagnosed, confirm with your surgeon whether ulnar nerve decompression will be performed at the same operation.
Anaesthetic options
General anaesthesia, regional nerve block, or local anaesthesia with sedation - discuss options with the anaesthetic team at assessment.
Ulnar nerve
If you have numbness or tingling in your ring or little fingers, tell your surgeon. The ulnar nerve runs close to the operative field and must be protected - or may require separate treatment at the same time.
The day of surgery
ℹ️ You will be given a specific arrival time. Have no food from 2am on the day of surgery; you may drink clear water until 6am. Bring your medication list and any documents sent by the hospital.
Arrive at the time given
You will be admitted to the ward or day surgery unit, change into a gown, and be seen by the nursing, anaesthetic, and surgical teams before theatre.
Consent and marking
Your surgeon will confirm the procedure, mark the operative side, and you will sign a consent form before going to theatre.
Anaesthetic
You will meet the anaesthetist in the anaesthetic room. Once anaesthesia is established, the procedure will begin.
Recovery room
After surgery you will wake in the recovery room where nurses monitor your vital signs until you are stable and comfortable.
In hospital
Most patients having arthroscopic or day-case procedures go home on the day of surgery. Those having joint replacement typically stay 1–2 nights. Before discharge, the team will check your pain is controlled, give you wound care instructions, and confirm your follow-up appointment.
Pain control
You will be given oral pain relief before discharge. Take it regularly for the first 48 hours rather than waiting until pain is severe.
Wound check and dressing
A nurse will check the wound before you leave and explain how to keep it clean and dry.
Discharge letter and follow-up
You will receive a letter for your GP and details of your next outpatient appointment - usually at 2 weeks for a wound check.
You must not drive yourself home
Arrange for a family member or friend to collect you. You must not drive on the day of surgery if you have had a general anaesthetic or sedation.
Going home
⚠️ Important: Avoid heavy gripping, wrist flexion against resistance, or lifting more than 0.5kg with the operated arm for the first 6 weeks. Overloading the repair too early risks disrupting the healing tissue and delaying recovery.
Keep the wound clean and dry
Avoid getting the wound wet until it is fully healed - usually 10–14 days. Use a waterproof cover or cling film when showering.
Take your pain relief as prescribed
Do not wait until pain is severe before taking medication. Regular simple analgesia (paracetamol, ibuprofen if appropriate) is more effective.
Attend your wound check appointment
This is usually 2 weeks after surgery. Sutures or clips will be removed if used.
When to contact the hospital
Seek urgent advice if you develop increasing redness, warmth, swelling, discharge from the wound, or a temperature above 38°C - these may indicate infection.
Recovery week by week
Pre-assessment
Blood tests, medication review, confirm surgical plan (nerve involvement).
Day-case procedure
Operation takes 30–45 minutes. You go home the same day.
Wound care and rest
Keep wound clean and dry. Elbow may be tender and swollen. Light activities of daily living only.
Gentle mobilisation
Physiotherapy commences with range-of-movement exercises. Avoid heavy gripping or lifting.
Strengthening and return to activity
Progressive strengthening and return to work and sport. Full recovery takes 3–6 months.
Will I need a sling?
A sling is not usually required. A light dressing or bandage is applied for the first 1–2 weeks.
When can I return to golf?
Most golfers return to putting and chipping at 8–10 weeks, and to full swing at 3–4 months, depending on recovery progress.
When can I return to work?
Desk-based work within 1–2 weeks. Manual work involving gripping or lifting typically requires 6–12 weeks off.
What if I also have cubital tunnel syndrome?
If both conditions are confirmed, your surgeon may address both in the same operation. Recovery is similar but nerve symptoms (tingling, numbness) resolve separately and more slowly than the tendon pain.
Recovery calendar
A week-by-week guide to recovery. Individual timelines vary, always follow your surgical team.
Consent information
Purpose and intended benefits
The aim of surgery is to excise the degenerative tissue at the common flexor-pronator origin, relieving the chronic medial elbow pain that has not responded to 6-12 months of structured non-operative treatment.
What the procedure involves
Through a small incision over the medial epicondyle, the common flexor-pronator origin is exposed. The degenerate tissue is identified and excised. The medial epicondyle bone may be lightly drilled to stimulate a healing response. The ulnar nerve is identified and protected throughout; if cubital tunnel syndrome coexists, nerve decompression or transposition may be performed at the same time. The procedure takes approximately 30-45 minutes under general or regional anaesthetic.
Alternative treatments
Physiotherapy and load management
The first-line treatment. Eccentric and isometric strengthening of the wrist flexors and forearm pronators. Should be tried for at least 3-6 months before surgical referral.
Extracorporeal shockwave therapy
Preferred non-invasive interventional treatment before surgery.
Platelet-rich plasma injection
May be considered before surgical referral.
No treatment
Golfers elbow resolves spontaneously in the majority of patients within 12-18 months. Watchful waiting is reasonable.
Risks of the procedure
The ulnar nerve runs close to the medial epicondyle. Injury causes numbness and tingling in the ring and little fingers and weakness of grip. The risk is higher if the nerve requires transposition.
A sensory nerve crossing the surgical field. Injury causes a patch of numbness or painful neuroma on the medial forearm.
If the medial collateral ligament complex is inadvertently damaged.
Surgery does not guarantee resolution of symptoms. Some patients continue to have medial elbow pain despite technically successful surgery.
Wound infection.
Expected and managed with regular analgesia.
Expected during the recovery period.
The medial elbow scar may be tender for several months.
Usually minor and resolves with physiotherapy.
If you choose not to have surgery
Golfers elbow resolves spontaneously in approximately 80-90% of patients within 12-18 months with non-operative management. There is no significant risk from delaying surgery. Surgery is generally only considered after at least 6-12 months of structured non-operative treatment has failed.
Your questions, answered
Plain-English answers to the things people most often ask, drawn from real patient questions and grounded in published guidance. Tap a question to open it.
About thisWhat is golfer’s elbow?
It is pain on the inner side of the elbow from overload of the tendons that bend the wrist and fingers. Despite the name, most cases are not caused by golf, but by repetitive gripping or lifting.
Your choiceHow is it treated?
Most cases settle with time, adjusting the activities that aggravate it, and a progressive tendon-loading exercise programme. Surgery is rarely needed and is only considered after long-lasting symptoms despite good non-surgical care.
InjectionsDo steroid injections help?
A steroid injection may ease pain in the short term, but the evidence suggests it does not improve longer-term outcomes and may be no better than exercise over time. Many clinicians favour an exercise-based approach first.
Self-careWhat can I do day to day?
Adjust the activities that flare it, check your technique and grip on tools or clubs, and follow a graded strengthening programme. Simple pain relief can help while the tendon settles.
Getting backHow long does it take?
It can be slow, often improving over months. Staying gently active within comfort, rather than resting completely, usually recovers better.
UrgentWhen should I seek review?
Numbness or tingling spreading into the little and ring fingers (which can suggest nerve involvement), significant weakness, or pain that followed a clear injury rather than gradual overuse.
WellbeingIt is frustrating how slow this is.
Tendon problems are often slow to settle, which is normal. Consistency with the exercises and realistic timelines make a real difference.
- Versus Arthritis: elbow pain
- British Elbow & Shoulder Society: exercises for elbow stiffness
- British Elbow & Shoulder Society: patient information
These links are to UK clinical guidance and patient information from recognised organisations. This page is for general information and does not replace personalised advice from your own clinical team.