Nerve damage possibilities
Posted , 10 users are following.
I'm having THR surgery in four weeks, anterior method. The surgeon is recommended and he has lots of experience. However, I keep reading about people suffering nerve damage following hip surgery, especially with the anterior method. I had asked the surgeon about this and he said that he had a couple of patients with prolonged numbness, but he did not seem to think that it was any big deal. He indicated that those patients were not particularly bothered by the numbness. Well, I think it would bother me! Is this mostly an anterior method problem?
0 likes, 29 replies
staceymaz Anne68156
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Hi Anne, I had my anterior LHR two months ago. My recovery has been relatively easy, pain the first week but I was able to stop taking the strong medication after 4 days, and then was off all RX pain meds four days later. I do still have swelling-which really annoys me- and some numbness on the outside of my thigh. It doesn't really bother me. My doctor tells me not to worry it will go away, I am early in my recovery. I am back to most all activities except running or playing tennis. I have been exercising faithfully and going to physical therapy. I wouldn't mind worry about it.
Anne68156 staceymaz
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ray14428 Anne68156
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Hi Anne
I had LTHR in october of last year, though it was with the posterior method, and with a spinal so I was awake for the procedure. The spinal meant the first few days of my recovery were much better than they would have been if I'd had a gerneral. I've had 3 separate surgeries for unrelated health problems over the past 2.5 years & all have ended with excellent results. Anne, there are risks with everything in life, even crossing the road. With each of my surgeries I trusted the clinicians looking after me & did everything I was advised to do. I will need to have my right hip done in about 3 years time & I will trust the professionals on that occasion too. You really will be in excellent hands. Have the surgery, let family & friends pamper you. Do the exercises you are told to do & take the medicines you are given. I wish you the very best of health and a speedy recovery. When it comes to the aids you will need at home, don't ask what they are going to give you. Ask what you're entitled to. Ray
Anne68156 ray14428
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Ray, thanks for the encouragement. As for aids, I'm in the US and we have to purchase the aids ourselves. The only thing that I think is partially covered is a walker.
Sn0wflakes Anne68156
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I only used a walker for about 4 days and then the cane for a few weeks. Everyone heals differently but you don't need to purchase a walker. I think you can rent one for a week or two from your local VFW. My friend borrowed one from her church for me to use. They are not all that expensive but with all the other medical bills involved, I didn't want to add something I wasn't going to use for very long to the list. I'm 59 and hopefully won't need a walker for another 20 some years. If I bought one now the things on it would probably need to be replaced, rubber breaks down, etc. If you have time, check around for places to rent you one. Check Craig's list, you may be able to find one cheap if you want to own one. I wish you the best. I'm sure you will do fine. Oh, one thing. They pamper you in the hospital. You won't want to go home. I didn't buy my surgeon sent me home the next day because of chance of infection due to visitors bringing in germs. So sadly I went home the next day. LOL
Anne68156 Sn0wflakes
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Yes, the doctor indicated that I would probably be going home the next day. But my husband will pamper me, too! I am thinking that I will need a walker for my other hip. And my husband may need knee surgery at some point. I didn't know that the VFW rents out walkers! I will check Craig's list as you suggested.
peggy15811 Anne68156
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Anne68156 peggy15811
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I have found one slightly used so I'm looking into purchasing it.
auntiebeanie Anne68156
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Sn0wflakes auntiebeanie
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I agree Auntiebeanie, the nerve damage outweighs the benefits. I don't think about the numbness unless I'm massaging my scar to get the tissues to break down so they are not so tight. But I think I'm grateful for that numbness there or I wouldn't be able to massage as hard as I have been doing. If the numbness goes away, great. If not, I'm okay with it because like you, the pain is gone! I can live my life SO much better with some numbness than I can with the pain. I have NO regrets.
Anne68156 auntiebeanie
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Auntie Beanie, I am so glad that your hip replacement has had great results. I'm a bit of a worrier (putting it mildly!) so I hope that the actual experience goes smoothly. I have had two shoulder surgeries and the recovery from them was really painful. I would shut myself in my bedroom to do my physical therapy so that I could cry and yell without disturbing anyone else!
AnnieK Anne68156
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Anne, I had the antero-lateral approach and have had mild numbness around the incision area since the surgery 2 years ago, although it gets a little better all the time, and that's fairly common after THR. I think the worst kinds of nerve damage, though, are the ones that cause things like "foot drop", where you can't lift up your foot, or when there is nerve pain. There are many nerves in the hip area, both front and back, and there is always a small chance of damage. I believe that frequently these issues resolve over time as the nerve heals. These are rare complications but they do happen.
Each surgical approach has it's pros and cons. I have heard there is a somewhat higher risk of femoral nerve damage from the anterior approach. There are different extra risks with the approach that I have, and I had a complication from that.
If you google "nerve damage after total hip replacement", you will see many articles and studies about this subject and the frequency that nerve problems occur, and that might help put the risks into perspective for you.
Anne68156 AnnieK
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Annie, I have Googled for this information. That is why I'm worried! There have not been any real studies done, but it does appear that possible nerve damage incidents do decrease as the surgeon performs more surgeries. Right now if I prod that area it hurts, so perhaps a little numbness wouldn't be so bad. Thank you for your encouragement.
Sn0wflakes Anne68156
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I was informed of the nerve damage too. I have a friend who had the anterior approach several months before me and she has only one spot that is numb but she said it doesn't bother her. My whole side is still numb and it doens't bother me. I was grateful for the numbness because I didn't feel the inscision at all. And if most of it goes away I'll be happy and if it never goes away, I view it as a small price to pay to be able to walk without any pain. I'm not sure if it's mostly with the anterior approach, but there is a chance of numbness in any type of surgery. It was a strange feeling at frist but I'm almost 4 months out now and it is not bothersome at all. I can tell that there is more feeling now between my knee and the end of the numbness "patch". You will be very busy with walking and trying to get those muscles back in shape that have not been used in quite a while, that the numbness will be furtherst from your mind. If I had a choice between it staying numb for the rest of my life or being in pain from the bad hip, I'd take the numbness. I love being able to walk up and down the steps foot over foot instead of baby stepping. I love not using the walker or cane. I love being able to go get groceries and not having pain or feeling tired after. It's great to walk around without the pain. I still have some work to do though, squatting is difficult so I need to work on those muscles. So right now it's just a matter of fine tuning those muscles that have been negected for several years. I'll trade the numbness any day for the ability to live a pain free life in that hip. Something to think about.
Anne68156 Sn0wflakes
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Sn0wflakes Anne68156
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It is very exhusting. The ball of my leg was flat on one side and the leg bone moved slightly up the hip bone. I often wondered if all of that rubbing together could make the bones catch fire!! LOL I didn't have any pain (so odd) until I turned sharply, but I would get extremely exhausted just walking. There is one thing I wish that the ortho dr's or the hospital would provide and that is a list or account of what you will go through before surgery. The week before, no ibuprofen, only Tylenol. OMG, I that is when I felt the pain. Parts hurt that never hurt before. You have to shower the night before and use special cloths to wipe your body with. My surgery was at 7 am, I had to be at the hospital at 5 am, which meant getting up at 3:30 am. Like I was going to get much sleep that night anyway. There's lots of things you have to go through prior to going into the operating room. I had never had surgery before so I was overwhelmed by it all. And then about a half hour before surgery, everyone is done with you and you just lay there in your little room waiting. I was givin meds to keep me calm, so whenever someone came in the room to do something or ask questions, I rolled with it. I was not nervous at all (because of the drugs) and when I walked into that hospital without being on Ibuprofen for 7 days, I really didn't care what they did to me, I just wanted the pain to go away!! You will do fine. Keep a positive attitude. Look up the exercises they do after surgery and if you can, start doing some of them, it will help after. Though I thought the exerciese were very easy to do (with the anterior approach they will be easier). My right hip is a few years out from having surgery. I am comparing it to how the left one was. It's just a matter of time, though this time I won't wait as long to have it taken care of. But with as well as this went and knowing what to expect, I will do it again. I have a great surgeon and I felt I was in good hands and I was. I wish you the very best and I know you will do fine. Hugs to you.
Anne68156 Sn0wflakes
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Yes, I've been reading the booklet that I received with all the information. I will have to stop taking Aleve, flax seed oil and fish oil that I take to help with my dry eye syndrome. I want to send my husband home after he takes me to the hospital and gets me settled. I don't want him hanging around for hours, trying to make conversation. He can come back later when it is all done and I'm back in my room. Am I alone in feeling this way?
Sn0wflakes Anne68156
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Heaven's no, Anne68156, you are not alone in feelign that way. There's nothing for them to do. My hubby wanted to hang around. He was in the room with me after they people were all done doing everything they need to do on and for me. It was about 45 minutes he was in there. I'm drugged up so I'm not making conversation, he's not a great conversationalist. I would have preferred it if he would have just went home. But I think they need to be there (in the waiting room at least) in the event something happens and they need to consult the family. When it was all over and I was brought to my room, I sent him home. He was tired and there was nothing there for him to do. You may want to rethink that, it may be a good idea for a family member to be there during the surgery. But send him home after. You will be bugged every few hours by the staff to check vitals, take meds, etc. There is absolutely nothing for him to do once you are in your room. He can't even help you out of bed to go to the bathroom, staff has to do that. So send him home then.
Anne68156 Sn0wflakes
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When I had my shoulder surgery I had my husband drop me off at the hospital and leave! I'll ask at pre-op if he really has to stay. What if I didn't have any family? I would imagine that he would be hanging around for about four hours with nothing to do.