If anyone can help me It would be much appreciated my father had a total hip replacement in August 2014 and after day 2 post op has experienced numbness in foot and toes and at times severe pain in that area and lower part of his leg, this keeps him awake at night. His actual hip is repairing well but has now been left with this awful discomfort.....if anyone has gone through the same or knows of anyone please advise of treatment or next steps....it's obvious nerve damage has occured. Thanks in advance.
Sounds like foot drop. Can he lift his foot up? Surgeon probably cut a nerve. Southern Indiana Orthopedics messed me up for life.
Hello Elizabeth,
What did your dad's doctor say when you reported this? If you are not happy you should get another opinion as you dad does not need to be in pain.
You should get some good advice from this forum, but since we dont know your dad's health history we can only offer what our expereinces have been like.
Wishing you all the best for your dad, Patricia from Toronto
This was exactly my experience in 2007. Despite dozens of tests, procedures and interventions over the intervening years, no medical professional would concede that it was nerve damage as a result of the surgery.
My heart goes out to your father; it's a dreadful condition.
No matter how assertive I was, it got me nowhere. However, I would still advise you to push this as far as you can. You may be luckier than I've been.
My symptoms have, very, very slowly, improved just a little. For the most part, I've just had to learn to live with them.
I do hope your father gets some sort of respite and recognition of the problem. I wish you well
Elaine
NE England
Hi Don, yes he can lift his foot up...yes I think the surgeon has done some nerve damage...wishing you al the best.
Hi Patricia,
The surgeon said the damage may repair itself but everything we have read doesn't sound good, my dad is in good health and has always been very active throughout his life, it just upsets me to see my dad like this...again any advice from anyone would be much appreciated.
Yeah sounds like it. There's nothing worse than tingling numbing sensation with electrical jolts that shoot down the leg
Elaine, many thanks for your response and I feel your pain too, we as a family are going to push for everything we can I am looking at alternative therapies did you try any?
So sorry to hear that your father seems to have sciatic nerve damage. Some surgeons don't seem to admit the damage and fob you off. It is disgraceful that we have to suffer and struggle to get answers. I found out from the internet that my femoral nerve was damaged. Fortunately for me I have had a surgeon admitting my was damaged in surgery. Though he wasn't aware of it during the surgery. You should take a look on the Internet for sciatic nerve damage after THR That way you can be more informed about it. Please ask your father to speak to his surgeon or Dr about his symptoms. Sadly some of us don't end up pain free after THR. All the best Debbie UK Milton Keynes.
I stayed within the bounds of 'conservative' procedures. Had great hopes of physiotherapy but to no avail whatsoever.
I should add that I had so many problems that they did a revision op 2 years later, but that did not help at all; in fact it probably worsened things.
However, 3 weeks ago I had my other hip replaced and despite massive misgivings, it's gone perfectly. Different surgeon, who said he'd looked at X-rays of my other, first, hip and thinks he can help me with the pain, involving a 3rd op on it. Will be great if it works.
I'm more hopeful at the moment than I've been for 7 years.
So, I'd say confidence in your surgeon is paramount and then, if necessary, cause mayhem in order to be heard and have your issues addressed. Don't know where you're from, but here in UK, we PAY for this service and deserve the best possible care!
Hi Elizabeth, it may be something that a doctor has done during the surgery.
My experience: I had my total hip replacement on July 17, 2014, After i woke up, i had therapy but my legs hurted and under pain meds. My upper leg near my knee felt numb but it went away. I would be concerned for blood clots and limited movement of his leg. He should be able to raise his at a minimum remember two days post op wont be able to move like a person with 4 weeks post op.
May also be the anesthesia still working that cause numbness.
Does he still have pain groin/hip area?
It may be something else he is experiencing.
I think it's hard to say EXACTLY what is going on, only about 2 months post op. I am dealing with femoral nerve damage from the Anterior replacement here in the U.S. but it didn't really rear it's ugly head until 5 months post op.
For me I believe it's all from the short leg issue as I have worse arthritic knee and foot/ankle...but the nerve damage is very much with me 4 yrs post op.
So many of us have been left with messes is all I can say, wish it were not so. J
Hi Eliabeth
I think it sounds like hes got what ive got foot drop in june this yr had my op in May after 2 failed hip operations since last October i started with the numbness ECT,then couldn't move my toes put my foot to the floor it went to the right side of my foot till now i can't walk ive got mine in a cast plaster of paris had this on since June kept seeing my surgon he wouldn't tell me why it was like this i wasent seeing him that did the op but his register r
3 weeks ago i had a nerve conduction test that confirmed it was foot drop since having this done 3 weeks ago my other foot as gone the same so now got two casts on saw the surgon last week hes now concerned why i was told the results from the conduction test there is a lot of nerve damage thats been done but i was also told by the physio it can go into both feet but the pain im getting now from my first one is driving me mad
. I have to take ora morph but i do sypmathise with your dad if it is this same sometimes you can move the toe's then you can't im bed bound plus have a 3 inch short leg from the hip op and can't bend my knee getting loads of pain from the hip and back also i was only told by the surgon ive got a titled pelvis im absoultly devestated and all the way up my leg so i have to go see a Nurologist to see whats caused it
. Surgon nows very well whats caused it i just he dosen't want to admit it now he now's ive found out i cannot understand why hes sending me to see the Nurologist its a case of passing the ball from one to another ive had an MRI scan aswell so hes got his answer's why its a case what he can't do not what he can .
The surgon can do an operation but it depends on how much damage as been done they take a bone out of a good foot put it into the ankle to keep it straight if it works its ok in my case with me getting it in both ive no chance hes crippled me good and proper.
So hope your dad dosent have to go through this as they can also use a splint to put in side of his shoe from the orthic's deptment i was waiting for one been made till last week when the other foot as now gone these type of cast's ive got on is a special one its open at the front when you take them of my god dose it hurt to get them back on they nip like mad.
i hope he dosen't get the pain i didn't get the pain till a month later in the first one its now horendous if ive spelt this wrong but if you need any more help i can help you i do hope it isen't this for him but it really dose sound like it.
keep posting
christine
Hi Elizibeth
Your surgon should admit this is foot drop as he told me it happen's 2 to 3 hrs or days after sugury so he cannot get out of it hes damaged the nerves you ask him you want this nerve conduction test doing and a MRI scan this is the only way it can be proved if he won't admit it then see what he come's up with if he finally dose admit it he should be able to sort it out with the bone been transplanted from the other foot.
also the physio is supposed to massage the leg ive not had that done btw my knee was bad but as soon as the first foot went it caused mine to lock and its been like it since.
when i came home i was given exersices to keep twiddling my tose's and keep your ankle moving i did but it still happened.Don't let him con you if need be get the records from when he was in the theatre you are enitled to see them inform the PALS Dept they cannot stop you getting them the DR that told me about this was when i had that conduction test and got the results mine is now giving me some jip up my leg and on the top of my foot it feels like its burning and some one is sticking pin's in it with a bunch of nettles on the top of the foot its really hard to explain but this is the best way i can discribe it with a kind of throb.
another way of telling is if he can't stop the foot dropping to the side when hes laid down this is like mine is i can't lift it back up or move my own foot that was before i had the cast on its worse now youve no control over the foot it gose were it want's
so i just hope its not like mine the leg wouldn't be swollen if its foot drop but the pain from the leg shoots up the side mine gose any were the other one asen't got to that pitch yet but im expecting it any time i thought mine first had gone into like a cramp spasam for 2 days then as i said in my last post it never came back to normal.
the register r new straight away it was foot drop or he wouldn't have had this cast put on but it was only last week i got the second one on in the other foot but i new it was happening i do not want to frighten you but i just hope im wrong with the symptoms what ive got but if i can't get it sorted i will sue this surgon if its the last thing i do
all the best to you and your dad
Christine
This probably won't be helpful but perhpas it will be informative. During my consultation with the anstesiologist in France prior to my surgery he told me that once I was knocked out that he would be giving an injection right next to a nerve, he didn't even name the nerve but I now realize it was the femoral nerve. He said that the injection would kind of freeze that nerve during the THR and that my orthopedic surgeon (and him) were very very careful about that nerve. If I remember right he said that he would be injecting right near that nerve using live x-ray or maybe it was ultrasound.
Out of all the stories here the people with nerve damage seem to have it the worst. I do remember one story about somone who had the nerve damage, they went to a specialist doctor and using tests which weere quite extensive they diagnosed exactly the nerves involved and then they had surgery to more or less cut those nerves and then they got better. So what I am saying is from what I have read here, there is treatment but you must get to a doctor with this exact specilty the nerve damage. I think the pain below the knee is what is definitive of nerve damage. None of us without nerve damamge had any issues below the knee, other than some people reported swelling of thier whole leg. I never had swelling nor bruising, my hip looked just like it did before surgery except for the big scar ;-)
Good Morning Elizabeth, My surgery was about year ago Oct 24 2013. I had THR revised and when i woke up from surgery my foot didnt feel right I told my surgeon he said with time should go back to normal feeling . Well I was sent to neruologist to have EMG test done and I have nerve damage from the surgical site. Im only 47 I have hip Displaysia from birth . I did sign form about possiable nerve damage , But since my first thr went so well I didnt think i would have problem, but I do I dgo to physical therpy 3x week just saw pain management doctor yesterday , i cant work so i lost my job, Anyways I just wish doctors would go more in to detail about what to expect good and bad . Im so sorry your father has to go through this I wish your father the best since hes in good health thats plus .
Jackie
I also have problems since my THR last year. My leg is constantly numb and tingling from my knee down, I can't wriggle my toes and in the area of the scar my hip is painful and is getting worse as time goes on. I have constant burning pain in my groin and also pain in the buttock. I had to wait 4 months to get a second opinion, then 4 weeks for an MRI now I am waiting for the result. The secretary promised to ring me yesterday but didn't so I'll be ringing again on Monday morning.....
This is NHS Britain and I've had about 18 months post THR in constant pain!
Yes, I know so many people have had successful replacements and I'm delighted for them but for people like your father and myself this operation has been a nightmare!
Sorry Elisabeth I know this doesn't helpyou or your father and all I can say is I know what he's going through so be kind to him.
Really feel for you, J!
It's 7 years since they wrecked my right hip. Extensive nerve damage (which they won't admit to) and constant pain. I complained so much and so often that they did a revision in 2009. Failure.
Different surgeon did my left THR 3 weeks ago and has been a total success. He's told me that he's looked carefully at X-rays of my right one and thinks he knows what's causing all the pain. He didn't elaborate much but said he thinks he could improve it - which would mean 3rd op on same hip!
Will be discussing at my 6 week review. This time, I'm going to be asking many, many more questions and taking up a great deal of their time until I'm satisfied to give the go ahead.
It seems to me that this is the only option we have, if we can't actually sue them. Be assertive, let them know that these outcomes, in this day and age, are completely unacceptable. Muster the will and energy to let them know we're not going to go away until they stop 'dismissing' our legitimate concerns.
If necessary, involve the local PALS team.
I soooo v much hope things improve for you and all of us left MAIMED (and we are!) by unprofessional treatment. Good luck x
Elaine
N E England
Hi edarlingb
don't be add by contacting the Pals Dept ive been at them for my first hip replacement last October they are a pure waste of time i got a solictor on a win no fee you don't get the money from them either they take all you get of it themself's all the Pals do is look into it for you the rigmorole you go through is outragious they don't take you serious send letters to you but not the one's that still dosen't tell you no more than you are experiencing.
you have to prove the damage they cause was negligent in the theatre that takes some doing belive me my solicitor wrote to them on my behalf they never new i had them behind me and as still got away with the surgon who made the the mess on my first op................then i got a second opinion while that was going on
the second surgon was from a different hospital miles away he picked upon the mess the first hip replacement had been done i never told him or any one about me reporting the first surgon and load and be hold he did a revision on my second op im May this yr he's done the same made another mess left me maimed completly.
so if you thinking of getting intouch with the Pals i would forget it unless you can get Legal Aid and a good solicitor this is the only way you can get it sorted this no win no fee i got nothing they make sure even though they take an insurance out for you its a right con.
don't be fooled by the Pals they look after there surgon's belive me you can go onto the net now and read about my surgon i was under that did my first hip operation he as boched up a 100 people maimed them and still working for that same hospital hes cost the NHS 2 million and hes still working at that same hospital but the people got Legal Aid to get compansation of the NHS and its still on going this as been going on for over 7yrs with him but with the Legal Aid cutting down this is why i couldn't get it so went for these solicitors on the win no fee but the won't admit he caused so much nerve damage to me so hes got of with it.
So this time im going to see if i can get Legal Aid a new solicitor that can't cheat you all i wanted was my quility of life back i couldn't get that but this surgon is trying to blame othe people EG: physios except him but if you look at my post above what he caused me to go through ive proved it was his fault so im going to get intouch now with the legal Aid board i can't belive 2 can get away with the suffereng im going through i can't walk through this second surgon belive me no one as pushed to get myself sorted out and the stress im going through not to mention the deppression.
ring the Advocy Deptment up dont ring the Pals up they are an indepent body for the hospital's talk to them they put you intouch with the one in your area i did but they will help you they told me to get another solicitor .also they get your records but they can't sue they advice you what to do and they keep intouch with you its all confidential.
i do hope this helps you and any one else in the same postion .
christine x
sorry forgot to tell you im in the N W England