The answer completely depends on the specific nerve surgery and the severity of the damage. A nerve repair could take a year to reach its maximum benefit. A nerve decompression (like a carpal tunnel release) can start to provide benefits right away, and recover in weeks.

Recovery from carpal tunnel surgery can take up to 6 weeks, but if the pre-surgery damage to the nerve was severe, recovery may not fully occur.

It depends on the type of nerve damage that you have. In general, however, nerves take a long time to recover. Sometimes as long as one year.

Harrison B. Solomon, M.D.