United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Hi all!

Just hoping to hear from people who have had surgery as adults and was wondering what type if injuries you had in the first place....

I have a right sided C5 rupture (nerve torn but not near the spine) and C7 avulsion (nerve torn at base of the spine) and my local neuro has advised that there's nothing to be done about the C7 - basically surgery would be a waste of time. He's not a brachial plexus specialist though and this was not the answer I was looking for.

Hoping to hear if anyone here has had surgery on avulsed nerves?

Thanks

Lacey
27yo, ROBPI

Hi Lacey,
I have had 5 bpi related surgeries and two were as an adult, one at age 18 to improve me hand function again and one 6 months ago at age 20 to relieve pain in my back in improve my function. Both have been successful and I am happy that I had an option.

I do not know where there were avulsions and other injuries but I do now there was a avulsion and other damage from the emg that I had last month.

My injury is also to my right side. It had affected my hand more than anything but I am working hard and still making progress.

Good luck finding a doctor to help you!
Hugs,
Amy 20 years old ROBPI from MN

Lacey,

It's pretty typical in obstetric BPI for surgeons to not do anything with C7 if it avulsed. That is because most of what is covered by C7 is redundant with other nerve roots - at least in infants - and kids seem to recover equally well whether or not C7 is "reconnected" to another nerve source. If C7 is avulsed, the surgeon would need to graft in another nerve source to the C7 root, and the consensus usually is that it isn't worth diluting another nerve source for minimal improvement.

However, I think this might *only* apply to obstetric injuries, where there appears to be a lot of cross-innervation with the C7 nerve root in an infant which often provides decent recovery even if C7 is avulsed. I don't know if the same philosophy applies to traumatic injuries in an adult or not. This is one reason why it is critical that you talk to a surgeon who is not only experienced with BPI but traumatic injuries specifically.

Kate