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Cost of ulnar nerve release surgery in Minnesota

The average cash price for ulnar nerve release surgery care in Minnesota is $5,913 at a surgery center versus $9,438 at an outpatient hospital. While a surgery center may offer fewer complimentary services, and may not have the full range of support services that outpatient hospital provides, it may still be worth the (37%) you'd save when comparing the cost of ulnar nerve release surgery performed at an outpatient hospital. Read More

Average cash price in Minnesota

A common ulnar nerve release surgery at surgery center facility in Minnesota includes

  Units Avg Cash price

Provider

Hand surgeon visit provider fee

First time visit Standard
1 $164

Provider fee to release and/or relocate cranial nerve or ulnar (arm) nerve at elbow

Standard Standard
1 $856

Provider fee to remove tissue and/or bone at elbow

Standard Standard
1 $814

Facility

Surgery center fee to remove tissue and/or bone at elbow

Standard Standard
1 $1,910

Surgery center fee to release and/or relocate cranial nerve or ulnar (arm) nerve at elbow

Standard Standard
1 $1,183

Imaging

Radiology fee for ultrasound of leg or arm

Limited Standard
1 $95

Prescriptions

HYDROCODONE-ACETAMINOPHEN

Standard Standard
30 $19

Anesthesia

Anesthesiologist fee to be "put under" for procedure

Level 3 Standard
1 $239

Anesthesiologist time to be "put under" for procedure

Per minute Standard
266 $632
Total average cash price   $5,912.77

A common ulnar nerve release surgery at outpatient hospital facility in Minnesota includes

  Units Avg Cash price

Provider

Hand surgeon visit provider fee

First time visit Standard
1 $164

Provider fee to release and/or relocate cranial nerve or ulnar (arm) nerve at elbow

Standard Standard
1 $856

Provider fee to remove tissue and/or bone at elbow

Standard Standard
1 $814

Facility

Outpatient Hospital fee to remove tissue and/or bone at elbow

level 3 Standard
1 $4,065

Outpatient Hospital fee to release and/or relocate cranial nerve or ulnar (arm) nerve at elbow

level 1 Standard
1 $2,554

Imaging

Radiology fee for ultrasound of leg or arm

Limited Standard
1 $95

Prescriptions

HYDROCODONE-ACETAMINOPHEN

Standard Standard
30 $19

Anesthesia

Anesthesiologist fee to be "put under" for procedure

Level 3 Standard
1 $239

Anesthesiologist time to be "put under" for procedure

Per minute Standard
266 $632
Total average cash price   $9,438.46

Ulnar nerve release surgery is a treatment for “cubital tunnel syndrome.” This syndrome leads to pain both along the inside of the elbow and the fourth and fifth fingers of the hand. In more severe cases, it can be disabling, causing severe cramping in the hand with even light activity. 

Cubital tunnel syndrome is very similar to the more common condition, carpal tunnel syndrome. In both of these conditions, the nerves leading to your hand are compressed by swelling in the body structures that surround them. This compression leads to pain, cramping, and difficulty using the affected hand. This swelling can be caused by overuse of the elbow, certain repetitive motions, and other medical conditions.

An ulnar nerve release surgery for cubital tunnel syndrome will be recommended if you have numbness, tingling, weakness, or muscle breakdown in the hand that a doctor diagnoses as due to cubital nerve compression. Surgery is usually only done after braces, physical therapy, and rest fail to relieve symptoms.

Ulnar nerve release surgery is a minor procedure that causes minimal damage to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments surrounding the elbow. Because of this, the surgery and its recovery are less painful than the hand pain and cramping that leads doctors to refer patients for this surgery.

Any pain after the procedure generally resolves within days, and relief from the symptoms of ulnar nerve compression can be immediate. Pain is typically well controlled with over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Motrin) for one to two days after the procedure.

You will not need to be put to sleep for ulnar nerve release surgery. The ulnar nerve is very close to the skin along the inside of the elbow. This area is extremely easy to numb with local anesthetics, and the surgery is very short. You will be given medication to help you relax before surgery. This medication does not put you to sleep, but it is calming, and it helps reduce any anxiety surrounding the procedure.

An orthopedic surgeon almost always performs an ulnar nerve release. These doctors specialize in surgery on the bones, ligaments, and tendons. An ulnar nerve release involves cutting the ligament that is compressing the ulnar nerve and not cutting the nerve itself. This is why an orthopedic surgeon performs the procedure as opposed to a neurosurgeon, who performs surgery on nerves.

Ulnar nerve release is a very successful surgery with rare complications. Studies show 87% of patients have a permanent improvement in their symptoms with surgery. Only 3% of patients have complications resulting from ulnar nerve release, the most common complication being incomplete release requiring a repeat operation.

The high success rate of ulnar nerve release is due to how many people require it. Around 6% of the US population has symptoms of ulnar nerve compression. A large number of these individuals undergo this surgery every year. Because this surgery is so common, the surgeons that perform it become extremely experienced, leading to safer surgeries with fewer complications.

The vast majority of patients that undergo ulnar nerve release feel that the operation was worthwhile. Almost anyone with symptoms of ulnar nerve compression can benefit from surgery. Unlike more extensive surgeries such as knee and hip replacement, ulnar nerve decompression is much less painful, has fewer complications, and does not require a significant amount of time for recovery.

Sleep after ulnar nerve release surgery is generally unchanged. Your surgeon will recommend avoiding compression over the area for a few weeks after surgery. If you sleep on your side, you will need to change your sleeping position for one to two weeks to avoid compression over the surgical site.

About the ulnar nerve release surgery Average Cash Prices

This procedure is most commonly performed at either a surgery center or an outpatient hospital.

Surgery centers, also known as ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), are independent, licensed medical facilities that are governed by distinct regulatory requirements compared with a hospital. Procedures performed at an ASCs are often less expensive than when they are performed at an outpatient hospital, but they typically offer fewer complimentary services, and may not have the full-range of support services that a hospital provides.

Outpatient facilities are outpatient departments or clinics that may be within or next to a hospital, but is owned and run by the affiliated hospital. These facilities can perform surgical treatments and procedures that do not require an overnight stay. Procedures performed at an outpatient hospital are often more expensive than when they are performed in an ambulatory surgery center, but outpatient hospitals may offer more complimentary and support services for patients because they are connected to the hospital system.

* Savings estimate based on a study of more than 1 billion claims comparing self-pay (or cash pay) prices of a frequency-weighted market basket of procedures to insurer-negotiated rates for the same. Claims were collected between July 2017 and July 2019. R.Lawrence Van Horn, Arthur Laffer, Robert L.Metcalf. 2019. The Transformative Potential for Price Transparency in Healthcare: Benefits for Consumers and Providers. Health Management Policy and Innovation, Volume 4, Issue 3.

Sidecar Health offers and administers a variety of plans including ACA compliant and excepted benefit plans. Coverage and plan options may vary or may not be available in all states.

Your actual costs may be higher or lower than these cost estimates. Check with your provider and health plan details to confirm the costs that you may be charged for a service or procedure.You are responsible for costs that are not covered and for getting any pre-authorizations or referrals required by your health plan. Neither payments nor benefits are guaranteed. Provider data, including price data, provided in part by Turquoise Health.

The site is not a substitute for medical or healthcare advice and does not serve as a recommendation for a particular provider or type of medical or healthcare.