# Is there a surgery to encase a pinched nerve in a hard case. If so what is it called **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 23, 2014, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-surgery-to-encase-a-pinched-nerve-in-a-hard-case-if-so-what-is-it-called/707975 "2014-12-23T00:36:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-surgery-to-encase-a-pinched-nerve-in-a-hard-case-if-so-what-is-it-called/707975/1 "2014-12-23T00:36:15Z")
I thought I heard of some celebrity getting this surgery due to a pinched nerve. If the nerve is pinched in soft tissue you wrap the pinched section in some kind of hard cylinder and that takes pressure off the nerve. Your nerve glides inside the cylinder What is this surgery called, and is this even a real thing? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-surgery-to-encase-a-pinched-nerve-in-a-hard-case-if-so-what-is-it-called/707975/2 "2014-12-23T03:58:41Z")
I’ve never heard of such a thing and I’ve had several spinal surgeries. Normally, the goal is to touch or manipulate the nerves as little as possible as they’re pretty fragile and don’t take well to being handled. If a nerve is being compressed, the usual surgical repair is to clear space around the nerve. The closest thing to what you describe is probably a disk replacement or fusion with diskectomy or a foraminotomy. There are also some procedures for other areas like decompressing the ulnar nerve at the elbow, and the carpal tunnel. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-surgery-to-encase-a-pinched-nerve-in-a-hard-case-if-so-what-is-it-called/707975/3 "2014-12-23T08:05:07Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > There are also some procedures for other areas like decompressing the ulnar nerve at the elbow, and the carpal tunnel. I just had surgery a few weeks ago to decompress the ulnar nerve at the elbow. Not much improvement yet but there again, it takes time (up to 6 months or more from what I’ve been told). ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-surgery-to-encase-a-pinched-nerve-in-a-hard-case-if-so-what-is-it-called/707975/4 "2014-12-25T11:02:26Z")
Here is a tube for nerve repair. [http://www.ilstraining.com/NTC%20Solutions/brochures/NeuraGen%20Domestic.pdf](http://www.ilstraining.com/NTC%20Solutions/brochures/NeuraGen%20Domestic.pdf) It may be that compression lead to the damage, but the hope is the tube helps the repair process… ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-surgery-to-encase-a-pinched-nerve-in-a-hard-case-if-so-what-is-it-called/707975/5 "2014-12-25T13:54:16Z")
MVD (microvascular decompression - [Google search](https://www.google.com/search?q=microvascular+decompression&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari); known as ‘the Jannetta Procedure’ after pioneering neurosurgeon Peter Jannetta) uses a teflon felt pad as a soft sponge to be like a shock absorber between the affected nerve and the interfering blood vessel. While not encapsulating the nerve, MVD results in a physical barrier surgically inserted to protect it, or block it.