Well I had the surgery today and I would like to 'dispel' some of the 'scaremongering' comments I read on teh interwebz prior to the surgery.

NOTE: NONE of these examples are from this site!

1. When I left surgery the pain was excruciating for anything up to 6 months.

My reply: Are you MENTAL? Where did you get it done? The local butchers? If I didn't use common sense I would think that nothing had been done. There isn't even a tickle let-alone excruciating anything!

2. You will permanently lose all feeling in your forearm as they splice through other nerves to get at the ulnar.

My reply: *cough* (chocks on tea), no lose of feeling here, although granted it could happen... but permanently, I DOUBT IT. General logical consensus is a recovery of about 3-4 months (if it happens)... not really that long if you have been suffering it for years.

3. It is extremely painful picking things up.

My reply: I have been telling myself all day to STOP using my arm as the pain is so non-existent when carrying bags or objects about. (it was my dominant arm that got the surgery) that you forget what it has been through and needs rest!

I am sure that I will think of something more but these are the top ones. So if you are going for this type of surgery, take stuff on 'teh interwebz' with a pinch of salt. I am no super-hero but I have had no need for the painkillers they gave me.

For us Brits, I got it done on the NHS, and I have read ALLOT of great results from former patients. Just because they are not private, does not mean that they do not have the best plastic surgeons.