Erbs Palsy Operation

[patrickcarr]

Hi there - our 4 month old son Oscar has been diagnosed with Erbs Palsy. EMG tests show that it is relatively severe C5 and C6 injury and the specialist we have been referred to has recommended an operation to do decompression and possible a nerve transplant.

We are looking for other parents who might have been through this and might be able to give us some perspective on what to expect, and what we can do to get all the information possible about our options.

I would really appreciate it if you could post with any other information you can provide that might help us.

Many thanks!

Patrick

Hi Patrick,

What is it that you want to know?
Typically this operation is carried out by a specialist Paediatric Orthopaedic surgeon who has experience and an interest in hand function.

Post surgery, an intensive programme of Physiotherapy is recommended with Occupational Therapy usually carrying on for the longer term.
You would most likely be carrying out a daily exercise regime with your DS....which would include shoulder, arm and hand exercises and a sensory programme.

While it is a frigtening diagnosis, children with this condition can and do go on to have good hand function....e.g. I can think immediately of a carpenter who has a moderate Erb's and the head of an organisation that I work with has a flail right arm i.e. a severe Erb's

Let me know if you have any specific questions.

Hi. My eldest is 14 now and he has erbs. He had 2 operations as a toddler. He has all the function he's ever going to have now but has reasonable use of it .
I dont know what to tell you really. We were under mr birch at bolsover street in london ( i bet he's long gone now) and he had his ops at stanmore.
If it is support and info you need you should make contact with the erbs palsy group. What they dont know about erbs about the ops the therapies and so on isnt worth knowing!
Their support was invaluable to us in the early years.