After your surgery · Nicholas Genovese, M.D.
Olecranon (elbow tip) fracture surgery
Surgery to repair a break at the tip of the elbow
About your surgery
- The broken tip of the elbow (olecranon) was fixed with a plate, screws or wires so the bone can heal and the elbow can straighten with strength again.
Day of surgery
The first three days
Keep your hand higher than your heart as much as you can. Rest it on pillows when you sit or sleep. This is the most important thing you can do for swelling and pain.
Put ice over the dressing or splint for 15–20 minutes at a time, several times a day. Never put ice directly on the skin, and do not let the dressing get wet.
Move the parts that are not in the dressing or splint: open and close your fingers, and gently move your elbow and shoulder every hour while awake.
Some swelling, bruising and soreness are normal. Bruising can travel down into the fingers.
Use the hand for light tasks only. Do not lift anything heavier than a coffee cup with the operated hand until your surgeon tells you that you can.
Dressing and bathing
Keep the splint and dressing clean, dry and in place until your first follow-up visit. Do not remove, trim or adjust the splint, and do not put anything inside it.
You may shower after 24 hours. Cover the whole splint with a waterproof bag or cast cover. If the splint gets wet, cracks, loosens or shifts, call the office.
If the splint feels too tight, or your fingers become very swollen, cold, blue or numb, you may unwrap and loosely rewrap the outer elastic (ACE) wrap. Do not remove the hard plaster underneath.
Do not soak the arm in a bath, hot tub, pool or the ocean until the stitches are out and the incision is fully closed.
Splint or sling
- Keep the splint on until your first visit.
- At 1–2 weeks the stitches come out and you move to a custom splint.
- At about 6 weeks you begin weaning the splint; it usually comes off by 12 weeks.
If you had a nerve block
A nerve block keeps the arm numb for about 8–24 hours. Protect the arm while it is numb: keep it in the sling or on pillows, and keep it away from heat, cold and sharp edges.
Start your pain medicine before the block wears off, usually the evening of surgery or before bed, so the pain does not catch up with you.
Pain control
Follow the plan your surgeon gave you and the directions on your prescription labels. Unless you were told otherwise, the plan below works well for most patients.
Acetaminophen (Tylenol 8 HR Arthritis Pain, 650 mg): one tablet every 8 hours for the first 3 days, even if your pain is mild, then as needed. Do not take more than 3,000 mg of acetaminophen a day from all sources. Many prescription pain pills also contain acetaminophen, so count them too.
Naproxen 500 mg (or the anti-inflammatory your surgeon prescribed): twice a day with food for the first 3 days, then as needed. Only take it if anti-inflammatory medicine is safe for you. Do not take it if you have kidney disease, a stomach ulcer or stomach bleeding, take a blood thinner, are pregnant, or were told to avoid these medicines.
Stronger prescription medicine for breakthrough pain: take it only as written on the label, and only if you need it, usually at night. It can cause drowsiness and constipation. Drink 6–8 glasses of water a day and use a stool softener such as Colace while you take it. Do not drive, drink alcohol or make important decisions while taking it.
The worst pain is usually in the first 48 hours. Most patients need nothing stronger than acetaminophen and naproxen after 3–5 days.
Prescription refills and changes are handled during business hours only, not at night or on weekends.
Activity and lifting limit
- No pushing up from a chair or bed with the operated arm, and no lifting, until cleared.
Driving
Do not drive while you are taking prescription pain medicine, while your arm is numb from a block, or while a splint or dressing keeps you from controlling the wheel safely.
Exercises to start now
Finger motion (open and close)
Start: day 1
Open your hand fully, then slowly close it into a comfortable full fist. 10 times every 1–2 hours while awake. Move within the splint or dressing; do not force it.
Wrist motion
Start: day 1, if outside the splint
With your forearm resting on a table, gently bend the wrist down, back to straight, and up, then side to side. 10 times each direction, 3 times a day. Only when your surgeon says the wrist may move.
Shoulder motion
Start: day 1
Gently raise the arm, roll the shoulders and move the neck several times a day so the shoulder does not stiffen while the hand or elbow heals.
Your first post-op visit
Your first post-op visit is usually about 2 weeks after surgery. The date and office are on your appointment card. If you cannot make it, call (858) 560-0242.
When to call the office
Call the office at (858) 560-0242 immediately if you have any of the following:
- Fever above 101.0 °F or chills
- Redness, warmth or red streaks spreading from the incision
- Drainage from the incision, especially cloudy or bad-smelling drainage
- Pain that is getting worse or is not controlled by your medicines
- New or worsening numbness, tingling or weakness
- Fingers that turn blue, white or cold, or stay very swollen after elevating your hand for an hour
- A splint or wrap that still feels too tight after you loosen the outer elastic wrap and elevate your hand
- Bleeding that soaks through the dressing
If you cannot reach us and the problem is urgent, go to the nearest emergency room or call 911.
Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room for chest pain, trouble breathing, or new calf pain or swelling.
After your first post-op visit: home exercises
General principles
Start these at or after your first post-op visit, when your surgeon or therapist tells you to.
Exercises by phase
Elbow and forearm motion
Start: about 6 weeks, active and assisted motion as directed
Gently bend and straighten the elbow, then turn the palm up and down. 10–15 times, 3 times a day, when your surgeon says the elbow may move.
Scar massage
Scar massage
Start: after the stitches are out
Start only after the stitches are out and the incision is fully closed, with no scabs or drainage (usually about 2–3 weeks). Use a fragrance-free moisturizer such as Aquaphor. Press firmly enough to move the skin and massage in small circles, then side to side and up and down. 2–3 minutes, 2–4 times a day for 6–8 weeks. Protect the scar from the sun for several months.
Hand therapy
- Therapy guides elbow motion from about 6 weeks.
- About 12 weeks: splint off and strengthening begins.
What not to do yet
- No pushing up from a chair or bed with the operated arm, and no lifting, until cleared.
When to call the office
Call the office at (858) 560-0242 immediately if you have any of the following:
- Fever above 101.0 °F or chills
- Redness, warmth or red streaks spreading from the incision
- Drainage from the incision, especially cloudy or bad-smelling drainage
- Pain that is getting worse or is not controlled by your medicines
- New or worsening numbness, tingling or weakness
- Fingers that turn blue, white or cold, or stay very swollen after elevating your hand for an hour
- A splint or wrap that still feels too tight after you loosen the outer elastic wrap and elevate your hand
- Bleeding that soaks through the dressing
If you cannot reach us and the problem is urgent, go to the nearest emergency room or call 911.
Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room for chest pain, trouble breathing, or new calf pain or swelling.
About these instructions
These instructions are general guidelines for patients of Nicholas Genovese, M.D. Your surgeon may change your plan based on your surgery and how you are healing. If anything here differs from what your surgeon or therapist told you, follow their instructions, and call the office before changing any activity, splint use or therapy.