Hi I have had THR last November and sustained femoral nerve damage. I have posted on other discussions but want to ask if anyone else on this site has had the same damage. I am now 8 months post op I have been told by surgeon he thinks my nerve will recover but nerve specialist cant promise. So far I have had no improvement in the feeling of my inner thigh knee and half lower leg. It is still as bad with also electric type shooting pains. I still need 2 crutches when out dometimes I still use leg brace inside if I have grandchildren as not easy to be with them using a crutch. I now see significant muscle wastage in top of thigh and shin. I can't walk up or down stairs normally my leg muscle won't take my weight to lift me up the step. I I am seeing surgeon tjis week and want to ask for more nerve tests to see if nerves are connecting. Has anyone had this and recovered if so what time period? Thanks in anticipation.
Hi Debbie , I have the same numbness in calf and top of left leg and foot. Im 47 just had revised hip replacement In Oct 2013 never dreamed i would be having this much pain now i have severve lower back pain with groin pain its really hard to walk and stand for long period of time, I cant do my job back on disability . Im going to see different doctor in august my doctor basically told me he wouldnt feel bad if i went with aother doctor. Im beside myself , Im also going to doctor to see about nerve damage
Thanks
Jackie
So sorry to hear this . PLZ see a nerve specialist. They can help so much..
CHEERS
HOPE
Hi Debbie not sure but everything I saw on this site. I simular. For me I dont know where to start. My back does not hurt me.My hip is not right.. who do go to for answers.
hi debbie
yes i have the same as yourself and nearly3 months into my post op but my surgon will not listen to me im sure he thinks im lying i cannot feel my feet on the top i also had a lump on my inner thigh wich i told the hospital it was black and blue now its gone down its numb my scar is 12 inches long but parts of it is as numb as though it i will never get the feeling back from the front of my leg from the hip to my knee the muscle will not give so i can't bend the knee
yesterday morning i got out of bed and cant put my right foot back or forward or move any of my toes im at my wits end all i get of him i need more physo i can't bear to try and walk for if my other leg gives way ive not been reffered to any one as he said it will all come back in time he told me ive got femoral nerve damage so i do understand your concern but hes not prepaired to do anything for me
this is my second op in 7 months as the first was not done correctly so i got a second opinion im in the same postion now as the first op was done i am also very thin im sure its eating my skin away you are not alone on this one i have a zimmer frame
im going back in 3 week i will tell him i need to see some one else or i will sue him im sorry i can't help on how long you are going to be like this for but i have more numb points in my leg and hip than normal feelings i have noticed its also going into my other leg.
hope this helps you we are both in the same boat keep us posted.
good luck and hope you too get it sorted.
Hi thank you for your reply Jackie. Having read quite a bit about nerve damage yours sounds more like sciatic nerve damage which causes foot drop. My numbness does not affect my foot at all just numb to the ankle. I am still getting groin pain Ironically my surgeon gave me the Thr to stop this. I was not over confident it would go as I have had this since car accident fractured my hip socket and pelvis 22years ago - I was told I would eventually need a thr. Doctors don't seem to like acknowledging they have made an error, though they don't go into detail pre-op nerve damage is a low risk which we usually have on the consent form.My surgeon has admitted the damage but says dont know why it is as he said he didn't need. to go near the nerve. I since read more care should be taken with a patient that has had previous pelvic reconstruction. I don't think he treated me any different to a normal replacement. As you had a revision the likelihood of nerve damage increases. Based on what I have since read on the net. I hope you also improve but I suppose we may have to c ome to terms with our disability. Depending on the type of nerve damage - cut stretched or squashed will be the likely hood of the nerves repairing. My surgeon said I should decide when I no longer need the support of crutches or leg support. (Knee feels it will give way - I have fallen twice) Well if I didn't use them I would not leave the house! Pain increase walking even on crutches.I will post next week to tell you what surgeon says as I have several questions I need answering.
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.
Hi debbie04463
In my opinion the nerve/s should not be damaged, I know problems may arise but it should be with the joint and not the nerves. I think that you should look for a solicitor that deals with medical negligence for their opinion.
It may not be now but later in life there may be future problems. I am sure that there are plenty of solicitors that that deals with medical negligence cases that would be able to advise you.
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.
I hope you get better I just know i never would of had the revised if i knew i was going to have this much pain. Im waiting for referal for neurologist will see what they say. I do think your right about sciatic nerve damage before i had revised surgery I kept missing work because my back kept going outI thought having surgery would help with the pain.
Im glad i found this site it sure helps to know im not alone please let me know what happens with yiur next doctor appt
Take care
Jackie
Debbie, so sorry to hear about your situation...I hope you get some support here from someone going through the same set back....will be thinking of you!
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.
Sorry for all your problems Debbie, it should not be that way. If it were me i would definitely go back to the surgeon and insist on getting more answers and a possible way out of it. I had my anterior hip done March 2014 and still have swelling and numbness in a large area of the front thigh. My surgeon said it could stay like this permanently.
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.
Thank you , it does help to share the worries. I haven't had an issue with the operated area as I have been unable to sleep on that side since original op it has always been tender. Sorry to hear yours may be permanent does it affect your walking ability?
Hi Debbie, I just had total revised hip replacement I also have nerve damage
Hard to walk long distance, And sleeping i can only sleep on my back to much pain
and throbing if i sleep on my side. I did go back to work april 2014 2 months is all i lasted after four hour shift i could barely walk to my car. So im back on disability and better not working . My job is assistant manager so standing for long period of time lifting pulling etc. To say the least I can not do my job and thats not what i signed up for. So I found another doctor to see that has better bedside manner so we will see what happens. I am very thankful for this site
wish you luck
jackie
No, the numbness and slight swelling (it has come down a bit lately but still have a bump there) do not affect walking at all. It is just annoying, especially that my right hip, done posterior approach, has none of this. No need to say that i regret having done anterior for the left. It may not be as serious as what you go thru but same here, it should not be that way. The doctor, when asked, was very casual about it, like saying 'what are u complaining abt? You got a new hip, be happy'.. I was quite upset then...
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.