Question:
Did anyone ever have pain and numbness in the leg after surgery?

Since my Lap RNy srugery on 3/25 I have had some degree of numbness and pain in my right thigh. I talked to the doctor and his nurse who also had the surgery herself. They said it was from having my legs elevated during the insertion of the tube in my throat. The weight of my abdomen put pressure on a disc or nerve in my back and the pain and numbness would go away after some time. I tend to believe this since I had disc surgery 7 years ago and the pain and numbness is very similar to what I went thru back then. The amount of numbness and pain is a lot less than right after surgery wo I believe its getting better. Anyone els have this problem. Thanks in advance, Don.    — Don A. (posted on May 4, 2002)

May 4, 2002
I too experienced this sort of pain a week or so after surgery. The pain was completely coming from my back and a pinched nerve. It was just aggrivated since I had been sleeping in different positions and in a recliner. Sleeping in a recliner was great for my tummy, but not good for my back. The pain went away in a couple days. I have had past problems with the nerve pain down my leg, so I was not surprised that it happened after surgery when my body was being in positions that it was not used to.
   — Amy T.

May 4, 2002
Hi...I had/have the numbness, but never really had any pain. It is on the outside of my right leg, and runs from just below the knee to just 1/2 way up my thigh. I had LAP RNY on 8/28/01, and my surgeon gave me the same reason as yours did, and said that it would eventually go away. It's been 8 months, and it has diminished, but is still slightly numb to the touch.
   — lily1968

May 4, 2002
Hi. I am post op lap rny 11/02/01. I had that numbness too and forgot all about it until I read your question. I think it lasted a couple of months, I remember asking my surgeon about it at my 3-week follow-up and he said it would go away, and it did. But I did not know that's what it was from. W-O-W.
   — blank first name B.

May 5, 2002
Hi. I didn't have this type of pain but a good friend of mine did. When I asked my Dr. about it she explained that in open surgery if an organ or tissue is in the way, they can use their hands to move it but in Lap surgery moving it with the instruments might damage it so they move the table that you are laying on to shift things out of the way. At one point they had her table nearly vertical with all her weight on her knees (where she was strapped to the table). She also said the pain will diminish and over time go completely away. Good Luck and God Bless.
   — Leah H.

October 19, 2002
I haven't had surgery yet.. but after my 1st pregnancy both my thighs would do that numbness thing. Dr. said it was because the baby was pushing on a nerve, and it would go away eventually... well it's 5yrs later and it hasn't... seems very fesible that it could be a nerve out of wack. hope it gets better!
   — Amber D.

October 19, 2002
I have the same pain - right thigh. My doctor says it's an offshoot of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve where blood flow is being blocked and it will go away as I lose weight.
   — jen41766