Arm lift and nerve involvement -- could it make carpal tunnel worse?

Question

Hello, I am going to discuss this with the surgeon I have selected, of course. I am scheduled for an extended arm lift in the next few months. I've recently discovered that I may have some carpal tunnel (or similar) issues as my fingers in both hands often "go to sleep" if I'm holding my phone too long. This has been going on for years and I didn't realize it was unusual. It goes away when I move my hands around a bit and "wake them up." My question is--will an extended arm lift potentially hit some of the nerves involved here, making the situation worse. OR could it make treatment more difficult later if my symptoms worsen and I need to seek help. In other words, will an extended arm lift involve or come close to the nerves that might be involved in something that makes my fingers go numb?

Yasemin Aydinli, MD · Answer

Your symptoms sound like carpal tunnel syndrome, which is compression of the median nerve at the wrist. An extended arm lift works on the skin and fat of the upper arm and, in the extended version, the side of the chest. It does not go anywhere near the wrist, and the median and ulnar nerves in the upper arm lie deep, well below the plane we operate in. So the surgery would not worsen carpal tunnel and would not complicate later treatment for it. The nerve most relevant to an arm lift is the medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve, a sensory nerve that runs close to the incision line, and injury to it can cause numbness on the inner forearm, which is a different problem. I would still mention your symptoms to your surgeon, and it is worth having the hand issue assessed on its own, since it has been present for years.

Gary M. Horndeski, MD · Answer

Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs from compression of the median nerve at the wrist. The extended arm lift does not extend that far and will have not adverse effect. Depending on your surgeon's experience, it may be possible to do the arm lift and carpal tunnel release at the same time, if desired.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Zoran Potparic, MD · Answer

It would be best to discuss this issue with your surgeon and make him/her aware of your tingling, numbness which may be related to nerve compression in carpal tunnel or even higher, your neck. Arm lift should not change this situation because your symptoms are related to injury of the median nerve, which is not it the way of arm lift dissection. The nerve that may be compromised with arm liposuction or dissections around elbow is ulnar nerve. A discussion about these issues is something that you should plan in your next visit to your plastic surgeon. Good luck.

Luis A. Mejia, MD · Answer

Thank for your question, No, an extended arm lift is highly unlikely to affect your carpal tunnel symptoms or complicate future treatment.
While an arm lift can sometimes cause temporary numbness along the inner forearm due to small superficial skin nerves being stretched, it does not involve the deep nerves that control sensation in your fingers. It is excellent that you are discussing this with your surgeon, as they can evaluate your specific symptoms and explain exactly how they protect deep anatomy during your procedure.
Dr. Luis Mejia
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Arm lift and nerve involvement -- could it make carpal tunnel worse?

Answers (4)

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