Thurman added the WBC strap to his WBA 147-pound title after beating Danny Garcia in Brooklyn on March 4.
However, the 28-year-old fought through severe pain to secure the 12-round unanimous points victory and was forced to undergo surgery to remove calcium deposits and he has now been told he will need six months to recover.
"I had loose bodies in the elbow, similar to what baseball pitchers have. They had to take out the loose bodies and calcium deposits,'' said Thurman (28-0, 22KOs).
"It was getting in the way of the hinging of the elbow and when I threw a punch. It was causing pain and inflammation.
"I noticed it before the Danny Garcia fight and there was no way to get rid of it without the surgery. I'm healing and getting the function back so that I can be pain free.''
The healing process is slow and frustrating one for Florida resident Thurman.
"One thing for sure, the doctor doesn't want me to rush back into action,'' he said. "You can't jump back into the race too soon. It might start to feel good after a month or two, but you don't want to rush it.
"My right elbow's job is to launch punches like a missile. It might feel good, but it might not be able to sustain that. It might cause inflammation to develop, and then you have to wait to let it calm down and feel better.
"I figure a four-month recovery will be quick. The doctor recommended six months of no action before I start training again. I won't rush it.''
Thurman has a special message to his fans who want to see him back in the ring as soon as possible.
"I worked hard to be where I am. We're excited to move forward. This is just the real struggle of an athlete,'' he said.
"It's not always picture perfect. It happens in every sport and that's because we demand a lot from our bodies and ourselves. It has repercussions.
"Cars break down. We get them fixed and put them back on the road. We're looking forward to getting back into the ring and giving you another fight before the year is out.''
In the meantime, Thurman will be closely watching the title match between fellow American Errol Spence Jr and Kell Brook in Sheffield next Saturday evening.
"I'll be tuning in and looking forward to the belt coming back to America and looking forward to seeing what Kell Brook has to offer at 147 pounds," he said.
"I want to see if he wants to make his stand at 147. I like the idea of Spence showing everybody he's the "Truth'' and Kell trying to show everybody how "Special'' he is.''
