Anyone ever get surgery for tendonitis that just would not heal after long term rest and conservative treatment? Did it work? I've been battling tennis elbow for 3 years now. It just will not heal. If I rest, the pain will subside, but it means I have to have zero active lifestyle because you need to use your arms for everything. It also keeps coming back immediately after I rested for weeks on end. Right now it is very painful even to the touch. I am at my wit's end on what to do with conservative treatment. I know you can get outpatient surgery, but I am skeptical that it works. Can surgery fix most tendonitis issues that wont go away? If you've gotten surgery for tennis elbow, how long until you saw relief?