Stolen from Reddit
I've been wondering what the deal is with Daniel Bryan needing another surgery and had assumed he was going to be getting a second neck surgery. But the interview he did about his home being robbed indicates otherwise.
He explains his medical situation starting at about 13:00 of the video. The first surgery removed bone spurs from his neck, but this new one, which he says he was told just this week that he'd need, is an elbow surgery.
He describes himself as having an issue with his Ulnar Nerve, which runs from the neck to the hand, as best as I can tell from a bit of Googling. He says he's got a "double crush", which is explained here. Notable bit:
If there are two points of nerve compression, then decompression of both regions may be indicated to optimize recovery. Additionally, if an injured nerve is regenerating down a limb, this regeneration may be slowed at natural points of nerve compression (e.g., elbow, wrist).
He says in the video that he's got about half the strength in his right arm as in his left.
Here's a good NYU article about the surgeries you can get done to deal with Ulnar Nerve compression.
It seems like he's talking about having part of the nerve moved, which I'm thinking is the "transposition" surgery described on the NYU site. Here's what that site says about recovery time:
The operated arm should be only used for occasional light work during the first two weeks after surgery. This is so the wound heals well. For patients who only do light work in an office setting, they can return to work a few days after surgery. Following this initial two-week period, occupational/physical therapy is prescribed by the surgeon or physiatrist, which is performed on a progressive basis for about six weeks. Although you may visit the physical therapist three times per week in the beginning, once the exercises are learned they can often be performed at home. By eight weeks after surgery you should have no restrictions with use of the hand and arm. You will see the surgeon a second time 6-8 weeks after the procedure. Submuscular transposition has a longer recovery with most patients performing physical therapy for about 3 months.
One other good resource for this seems to be this orthopedic association's site which tells you more than you'll ever want to know about ulnar nerve ailments and recovery. This is what it says about recovery after a transposition surgery:
Surgical Recovery Depending on the type of surgery you have, you may need to wear a splint for a few weeks after the operation. A submuscular transposition usually requires a longer time (3 to 6 weeks) in a splint.
Your surgeon may recommend physical therapy exercises to help you regain strength and motion in your arm. He or she will also talk with you about when it will be safe to return to all your normal activities.
Surgical Outcome The results of surgery are generally good. Each method of surgery has a similar success rate for routine cases of nerve compression. If the nerve is very badly compressed or if there is muscle wasting, the nerve may not be able to return to normal and some symptoms may remain even after the surgery. Nerves recover slowly, and it may take a long time to know how well the nerve will do after surgery.
I don't know what that tells us about the likelihood of Daniel Bryan returning to wrestle, but from my non-medical amateur opinion it seems like an elbow surgery is far less worrisome than another neck one. Probably better for his chances for at least living a normal life. For us fans hoping to see him wrestle again soon? It doesn't seem all that bad, huh?
Perhaps he'll be on track to actually be in the Royal Rumble this time!
Subject: Details on D-Bry's medical situation 
