• Osteoarthritis
• Poor outcome from previous elbow surgery
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Badly broken bone in the upper or lower arm near the elbow
• Badly damaged or torn tissues in the elbow
• Tumor in or around the elbow

Always tell your doctor or nurse what drugs you are taking, including drugs, supplements, or herbs you bought without a prescription.

During the 2 weeks before your surgery:

• You may be asked to stop taking drugs that make it harder for your blood to clot. These include aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), and naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve).
• Ask your doctor which drugs you should still take on the day of your surgery.
• If you have diabetes, heart disease, or other medical conditions, your surgeon will ask you to see your doctor who treats you for these conditions.
• Tell your doctor if you have been drinking a lot of alcohol, more than 1 or 2 drinks a day.
• If you smoke, try to stop. Ask your doctor or nurse for help. Smoking can slow down wound healing.
• Tell your doctor if you develop a cold, flu, fever, herpes breakout, or other illness before your surgery.

On the day of your surgery:

• You will usually be asked not to drink or eat anything for 6 to 12 hours before the procedure.
• Take the medicines your doctor told you to take with a small sip of water.
• Arrive at the hospital at the time your health care provider told you to do so.

You may stay in the hospital for up to 2 or 3 days.

You may have a splint on your arm to help stabilize your elbow.

Your doctor will prescribe physical therapy to help you gain strength and use of your arm. Physical therapy will start with gentle flexing exercises. People who have a splint usually start therapy a few weeks later than those who do not have a splint.

Some people may start to have use of their new elbow as soon as 12 weeks after surgery. Complete recovery can take up to a year.

Elbow replacement surgery eases pain for most people. A second elbow replacement surgery is usually not as successful as the first one.

Images

Elbow prosthesis

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Review Date: 07/28/2010
Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of Medicine; C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Assistant Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)