Femoral nerve damage after THR

Lillie don't know what to say really as surgery doesn't always have the best outcome. I will definitely not go through another operation if I was offered one couldn't cope with the trauma of severe pain post op again.

Sorry to hear of your trauma,  if you read some of the replies on this site about severe pain after thr you will see lots of surgeons won't admit that the op has caused severe nerve damage. It is terrible I know the intention to help us is there but I suppose when they open us up each individual body is different and aren't always straight forward. I think we should be given more information pre op  of how severe nerve damage can be.

Hi Mark I have spoken to a solicitor just as an enquiry. Because we sign a pre op consent form which states nerve damage is a possibility it is difficult to sue. However I think there is some neglect in my case. I originally had plates and screws to repair my hip joint after a traffic accident 22 years ago. My lovely surgeon gave me all my xrays for when I needed a replacement. He said It would help a future surgeon to see original damage and repair xrays. When I showed them he said he didn't need to see them! Also apparently I should also had a scan because of the previous op. I just had the normal xray. 

But did the consent form list nerve damage could be possible?

But I am surprised that your existing surgeon didn't want to look at your past x-rays so he could determine any possible alternatives regarding surgery.

If I was the surgeon I would have wanted to see the x-rays so that I would have seen the changes since your past surgery and before the hip replacement to see the comparison.

Hi Mark, yes it did have nerve damage listed. Surgeon mentioned things that could go wrong in list order as he wrote it. He did not go into any detail of consequences I did not think to ask. I just signed thinking as they are rare I would not be that unlucky!  When I had my original acetabulum reconstructed it was pioneering surgery which my surgeon at the time had recently been to Canada to learn. I was his third patient with that surgery.  He was lovely and did warn me that in the future I would need a THR. He was very insistent that I keep my xrays and scan as they go on microfilm in the hospital and sometimes go missing.  He specifically told me to show the surgeon when the time comes.  So I kept them safe for 22 years! When I took them to my present surgeon he seemed to take no interest which I was surprised.  He said he can see the plates and screws on the current xray and he would not need to go near them. Since the op I have read that I shoyld have had an experienced surgeon who had dealt with patients who have haf previous pelvic surgery. I only askef how many hips he had done, over a thousand

Apparently the odds of nerve damage are a lot higher for someone like me which I didn't know and was not told! mMy walking was difficult before but even more now which was not supposed to be the outcome. I know he wanted to help and not damage me but I am gutted to say the least. I don't let it get me down but I still have the previous groin pain plus the added bonus of strange feelings and numbness in my leg. I console myself byseeing tje good things in life and count my blessings. 

If he performed over 1000 operations then how was he able to cause such nerve damage? With that amount of experience thr should have been child's play for him.

I still can't understand why there is nerve damage unless he cut through the nerve. I know it can be tricky but...well it still don't make sense.

I think I shall ask him again on Wednesday how it is damaged. When he came to see me after the op I told him that half my leg was numb. He said they sometimes get squashed when they have your leg held in place and should get better.  I am sure at that point he thought it was temporary he was surprised at my 6 week check up that it was still numb. He did say he didn't think it was cut. I will ask for another referral for nerve tests.

It would be a good idea as in the long run, it may need another little operation to re configure the nerve and I was a day surgery case and it worked well for me.

I had to have a little operation on my calf to redirect the damaged nerve and now I have feeling and my foot is warm again because at the time my nerve and tendons was almost crushed to almost un-repairable.

I thought they cut thru the nerve for anterior approach...

Yes, but why not repair it afterwards?

It must be the reason why i have numbness on the front thigh, nerve damage, and my understanding is that when this happens you are on your own, they do not fix it.  I have read many comments related to this on different forums and it is apparently common with anterior surgery.

If your surgeon won't refer you to a nerve specialist what about your GP?

Mark, I don't believe there are shoulds or should nots when it comes to surgery and especially the replacements....these are MAJOR traumas and one does not know until it's done.

I came out of hysterectomy in 80's with sciatic nerve damage...so have lived with that 30 yrs or so.

The push that got me to do the hip replacement at 72 was horrific bone on bone groin pain mess.

No groin pain now, but this other mess. It's been lifechanging.

It is a red flag when a doctor says he does not need to see the history of your body and past trauma what ever form it is in!  How horrible for you!  We all need to run when we see this red flag in a doctor, but it is not that easy to do is it?  

I had two THR's last year, four months apart.  The first one went so well that I knew I could use that leg as my strong leg for the next one.  The second one has been a nightmare.  I believe that I too am having nerve pain.  Sciatic, down the back of my leg.  I recognize it because I have had it before after a car crash and fortunately it went away.  I cannot bear weight upon it and now, 10 months out, it hurts down the front all the way to the knee.  Muscle spasms, swelling...well you know.

I am going out of my region for a second opinion.  I have no numbness and I am so sorry you do.  I hope the best for you and will keep up with this thread.

Really?  I thought the Anterior approach was the least invasive and no nerves were touched other than to move them aside a bit.  

The only thing that they may need to do is to move the nerve to get to the hip joint.

Mark, in re-reading my operative report, good grief what is done to our body to perform these replacements...

At the end of my report it is said: "Care was taken to avoid the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve"

I suppose all the care in the world can be taken and STUFF happens, nerves get damaged... Again, I'm talking about the Anterior surgery, I don't now how much nerve damage is done with posterior. I've heard some complain of sciatic nerve issues with their replacements. I had sciatic nerve damage with a hysterectomy 30 yrs ago.....

I "think" I'd be doing pretty good all in all if NOT for this damage including the IT band mess and the leg discrepancy!!!!

My first 5 months were very good, then it all went DOWN......the body settles for a long time just like houses....j

Hope that everything settles down soon and wish you well for the future.

Thanks Mark, I continue to hobble and live on the past memories....maybe that's what a lot of older folks do anyway regardless of replacements, etc.....old age isn't golden....such hogwash...true I don't have to answer to a job anymore, BUT.....and dance in my dreams.....

Hi Dawn and Mark at my previous visit I asked how my nerve was damaged. He explained that the hip is dislocated and has to be pulled over the socket where it is rested while doing the surgery.As I had a lot of scar tissue from my original socket rreconstruction with plates and screws which are still in place .(acetabulum) it could have caused the damage. I also asked had he dealt with similar cases to mine as since my op have read that I should have had a surgeon experienced in that field.  He said he had and cofirmed when I asked that he had tsken my case into consideration.  I didn't have the heart to ask why he didn't look at my previous history of scans and X rays when I showed them He had said if I am looking for someone to blame than it was him. I said I am not looking for blame just needed to know why it happened.  He has sent me for moire physio and further

The anterior is supposed to be less invasive as it's the muscles that are not cut and are moved aside or whatever they do, stretch the muscles...that is the big reason it is a easier recovery etc.....why people can bend more and so on.

I know of some folks who had other surgeries and are left with numbness from other nerve damage. Years later they still have a numbness from their surgeries.

Such high hopes, maybe with more years it will get better....as I sit here typing my thigh is tingling as 11:30 ibuprofen as worn off.....

Debbie, so glad to hear that your doc is willing to hold himeself accountable instead of treating you as if you were mental.  It could be that with more time things will heal.  Sure hope the physio will help!  

Yesterday I braved the warm therapy pool again and there is less pain this morning.  Am trying to be more aware of how I move around with the hope that I can pinpoint the exact movement that sets off the excruciating pain. 

Hello Everyone......I just registered for this forum but have been following it for several weeks since my THR 8 weeks ago.  I'm getting quite disappointed that I have severe numbness in my upper thigh (frontal approach was used).  The skin feels sore to the touch and I am not able to walk w/o a cane. Also have groin pain.  I pray that it gets better and all of you experience improvement.  The Dr. seems to think that the groin pain and femoral nerve involvement are coming from a large spur on my spine.  Will see the surgeon in a couple of weeks.

Sorry to hear you have a complication Eileen could be your nerve. I am 18 months post op now. If I press a part of my inner thigh from groin to knee it feels severely bruised I assume that is the affected femoral nerve. Did you have any of your symptoms prior to your op? Sometimes surgeons don't like to admit that it occurred during op. You may be lucky and numbness might improve however the longer after the op it's less likely. Depends on type of damage to nerve. If the nerves are stretched the inner connections snap and take months to rejoin. Hope you get answers and improvement. If numbness continues ask for nerve conduction tests for confirmation.

I was also told about never damage and death and handed a paper to sign . Not thinking in my wildest dreams I would end up with fermoral nerve damage . If I would know , I would of found a different dr , waited a different day for surgery I would of changed my fate somehow .. You never know ! 

I felt the same exactly way when I sign the paper , I was never thinking in a million years this won't happen to me ,, and it did . I will never underestimate a surgery again " dr reports it as fermoral nerve pasly  "