Ulnar Tendon Subluxation, surgery recommended

Hey all, seeking some medical advice from any climbers that may have been in my shoes in the past. I injured my wrist last August and it seems like whenever i get really into my training and start pushing grades up i end up tweaking it. I got an MRI of my wrist and my Neck. to ensure that this wasn't a traveling issue. Turns out i have a bulging disc in my cervical spine, which i plan on treating with continued yoga/stretching as well as some injections, i'd love your opinions on this, though it is not my primary reason for posting.

What has me most concerned is that the Orthopedic Surgeon/Doc I saw is a seemingly well informed wrist specialist and his recommendation is that I undergo surgery on my wrist. Which scares the shit out of me, especially being as how most of the stories I hear about orthopedic surgery in the wrist are horror stories about how peoples problems got worse and they even had to give up the activities they were involved in which lead them to get the surgery in the first place. I take climbing very seriously and it is a major part of my lifestyle and a primary source of happiness and peace of mind for me, i would be devastated if I had a surgery which lead me to have to give it up. But as of right now, I have had to push off my climbing to about once a week or less, and when I do climb, I feel I cannot trust my wrist to perform in a way that I require it to and have to seek less challenging experiences within this sport... which sucks, because I am drawn to climbing because of the degree in which I can push myself physically and mentally.

The Surgery recommended is; ECU Tendon Stabilization and 6th extensor tendon compartment subsheath reconstruction. Recommended because the injury that i took last August stretched out the sheath that holds the tendon in place, so far that it no longer holds the tendon in place, resulting in the tendon flipping over the top of the ulna and causing me extreme pain and an inability to climb for weeks after a tweak and an inability to climb at my grade for about 3-4 weeks after, as well as an inability to rotate my wrist whatsoever for days following a tweak. Also recommended because my MRI shows that my Ulna actually does not have a groove set in it to hold the ulnar tendon in place(which I am told that most people have), so all of the work of holding that tendon down is placed on my damaged tendon sheath, which is no longer capable of doing so under the stress of climbing and other activities I enjoy like yoga.

The surgery consists as it was explained to me of, cutting a groove into my Ulna so that the ulnar tendon may rest within it as it does in the wrists of most human beings. And then taking a piece of the "retinaculum" (the band which holds all of the tendons in place horizontally across the wrist) and folding it over the top of the tendon to hold it in the newly formed groove. Recover time is 4-6 months which means giving up my entire season as a climber in the midwest, as well as giving up my job as a bartender(probably for the best in regards to my health anyways). Recovery time is not such a concern for me, i just want to be able to push my limits again. 

I have a second opinion scheduled with another wrist specialist at different clinic, though the original surgeon has good reviews from my Dad (who works in the medical field and has coworkers who know this guy). Just hoping to gain some insight from fellow climbers regarding this surgery.

Thanks,
Ben

Look up "ELDOA method" for your cervical spine so like C3-T1 on the internet and youtube and give it a whirl. As always finding someone who is certified to teach is best.

I don't know if I have a bulging disc and not going to have it looked at, but I have had TOS in both arms and the cervical part of my spine is always not happy and this eldoa is one of the few things that helps.

Good luck.

Have you tried just wrapping it when you climb to hold that tendon in place?