Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker recently underwent emergency nerve surgery to address severe numbness in his arm and hand, sharing the update on Instagram.
Barker explained that the numbness had been affecting his arm, hand, and fingers since a performance last month, leading him to undergo a medical test and subsequent procedure.
“I had surgery yesterday,” Barker said. “My arm, hand and fingers have been numb since a show I played last month. I did a nerve test Monday after my show and turns out I needed a cubital tunnel release to fix the nerve.”
He explained that he wanted to address the issue quickly to ensure he could continue performing in the future.
“I wanted to get ahead of it and get it over with so that I can keep playing the way I play for a long long time,” Barker continued. “Should be good in a few weeks.”
Barker shared the update alongside a photo from the hospital with Kourtney Kardashian.
Barker’s latest procedure is the newest entry in a long medical history that has repeatedly tested both his health and his career. The drummer has dealt with nerve and joint problems in his hands for years, and he has often chosen surgery over waiting, largely to protect his ability to play.
Cubital tunnel syndrome is the compression of the ulnar nerve at the elbow, and it commonly causes numbness or tingling in the arm, hand, ring finger, and pinky finger. A cubital tunnel release is the operation used to relieve that pressure, and Barker said he expects to be fully recovered within a few weeks.
Barker’s medical record includes far more serious episodes. He survived a 2008 plane crash in South Carolina with third-degree burns across about 65 percent of his body and spent three months in the hospital undergoing 26 surgeries.
Additional health issues followed in the years after. Barker developed blood clots in both arms in 2018, was hospitalized with life-threatening pancreatitis in June 2022 after an endoscopy, and had surgery for a torn finger ligament in March 2023.
Those problems have periodically disrupted Blink-182’s touring schedule. Kourtney Kardashian said Barker “canceled four shows” during a past health scare, and blood clots forced the band to postpone its 2018 Las Vegas residency.
Barker has not announced any changes to Blink-182’s upcoming schedule, and his own update suggests a short recovery window rather than an extended break.
