Brachial Plexus Injuries
Injuries to the brachial plexus
The spinal cord and the nerves found in the armpit are connected by a network of nerves known as the brachial plexus. The brachial plexus may sustain minor to severe damage. Surgery is not necessary for mild injury, but it should still be attended to. If a patient has a significant nerve injury—an avulsion, rupture, or laceration—the doctor will likely advise surgery. The most serious form of brachial plexus damage is called an avulsion, in which the nerve root is severed, leaving the arm partially or completely paralyzed.
Brachial plexus damage signs and symptoms
Depending on the degree of each nerve’s damage, the brachial plexus injury may cause weakness, paralysis, numbness, or pain in the shoulder, arm, hand, or finger.
Diagnosis
The doctor will first perform some tests and exams like EMG, MRI, Nerve Conduction Studies, and Computerized Tomography (CT), which will help in establishing a further better diagnosis of the patient’s damage. These tests and examinations will depend on the type and degree of the injury.
Options for treatment
Depending on the severity of the damage, the patient’s age, and the length of the injury, there are both surgical and non-surgical treatment options for brachial plexus injuries.
Operative Choices
The need for surgery typically arises when the nerves are unable to heal on their own or become so irreparable as to cause a disturbance in their regular function. Following are a few of the typical surgical remedies for brachial plexus injuries.
Muscle transfer: During this technique, the surgeon transfers a less-important muscle or ligament to the arm in order to restore the nerves and blood arteries that supply that muscle.
Nerve transfer: During this operation, the surgeon replaces an injured nerve with a healthy nerve.
In nerve grafting, the surgeon uses surgery to remove less significant nerves from other parts of the body to replace the damaged brachial plexus nerves.
Non-surgical Option: For injuries that heal on their own within a few weeks or months, this type of treatment typically entails a variety of therapies, physical therapies, and therapeutic motion motions.
Amount Spent on Treatment
Brachial plexus damage treatment costs begin at 4800 USD. The type of treatment, such as muscle transfer, nerve transfer, or nerve grafting, affects how it works.
