Question:
Has anyone experienced numbness since surgery, and will it ever go away?
I am almost 5 weeks post-op and still have numbness in my right thigh. I told my Dr. my thigh felt asleep and won't wake up after my surgery and he thought it might be from the medication settling in my thigh. I am almost 5 weeks post op and my thigh still feels asleep and numb. Has anyone else had this happen, and if so will it go away? — Maureen G. (posted on September 22, 2003)
September 22, 2003
I experienced this not with my gastric bypass surgeyr, but with my gall
bladder surgery a couple of years ago. My left thigh was numb from hip to
knee, on the outer part. This was almost 3 years ago and it is still there.
Since I have lost weight, it has improved, though. But it's still there.
I'm not sure what causes it. Good luck!
~Alli~ RNY 1/2/03 -131 lbs
— Allison B.
September 22, 2003
I had the same problem right after surgery, I am 6 weeks post-op and when I
saw my surgeon at two weeks, I mentioned the numbness in actually both of
my upper legs, and he said that some of his patient complain about that,
but it will go away. He said that when you are on the OR table, they use
post on the side of the table so that your legs do not fall off of the
table, and sometimes the pressure of your leg(s) cause the soreness or
numbness. I still have it but it is going away and is getting better.
— cindy
September 22, 2003
Did you have an epidural? I did and had numbness in my butt (*blush*) for
well over 2 months. I attributed it to the epidural, and it did eventually
go away.
— Kristen S.
September 22, 2003
This is called meralgia paresthetica.It is similiar to sciatica but it
deals with a different nerve.This is caused by a superficial nerve in your
groin area being compressed. It can be caused by just being overweight or
from how they position you in surgery.I've had it for years from the extra
weight and used it as a comorb for insurance purposes.If the compression is
just from surgery than it should clear up soon.Applying over the counter
capsaicin cream is very helpful.There is alot of info about this online
just type in meralgia paresthetica or parasthetica.
— jennifer A.
September 22, 2003
I haven't had gastric bypass yet but I just had my gallbladder out on
9-15-03. The next day while in the hospital, I noticed my left leg between
my knee and hip was very numb. It didn't hurt at all, just numb. I asked
about it and was told that it was common to have numbness after surgery
because of the way they position you and the length of time you are on the
laying still on the operating table. They told me it would go away with
time. It is now 9-23-03 and I still notice the numbness in my leg, but it
is slowly going away. Hope this helps and good luck to you!!!!
— Roger C.
September 22, 2003
Maureen,
I had this same thing happen to me. It was noticable about a day or so
after I left the hospital and boy was I frightened. I scoured this site and
found somke info on it and that it was quite common. When I spoke to Dr.
Lapschies about it, he pointed out to me that he did mention it as a
possible side effect at the pre-op consultations (and when I reviewed all
my paperwork, I see he indeed did!). He assured me it would go away.
4 1/2 months later it is mildly there but I can sense great improvement.
The first couple weeks, it would actually hurt when I would get up after
laying still for awhile but that soon passed.
SO..... dont worry. It will get better and YES! Its normal.
— Ted D.
September 22, 2003
Girl, you could BRAND me on my left thigh and i wouldnt know til I smelled
the burning skin:( Honest. I had a shot of demerol in my left hip during
my first childs' birth, and thats when it happened. That was 12 years ago
next month and its still there. Hopefully yours wont last that long, but
you get used to it and it doesnt really bother me anymore:)
— kathy B.
September 23, 2003
I not only had numbness in my right thigh, but shooting pains and tingling
that would send me rocketing out of bed at night. I asked my surgeon,
becuase it was so bad. At first he said it was probably a pinched nerve
from lying on my back during the surgery. But, I protested saying that if
it were, it wouldn't be so localized and painful. Besides, my surgery only
took about 90 minutes...and I sleep on my back far longer than that at
home! Then, he said that from what I was describing, it "could"
be that I have some nerve damage from the grounding patch that they used to
ground you to the table during surgery...as in, low voltage electricity.
Apparently, they place the patch on a large muscle group area...thigh, hip
or butt. Nice eh? I asked when it would go away, and he said around six
months. Well, I'm almost 8 months out and it's still on the numb
side...but thankfully no pain. I know I had never heard of such a thing
before. But, it does make sense to me being that after my two previous
surgeries...both even shorter yet, that I had numb spots for months...in a
different spot each time.
— eaamc
September 23, 2003
I first noticed a pins & niddles feeling in my right outter thigh. It's
toward the front on the large musele. Now 7 weeks out, it's not as bad but
still noticable. Feels like it will wear out with time....I hope, for us
both!!
— joe R.
September 23, 2003
MERALGIA PARESTHETICA Nerves must pass over, under, around and through your
joints, bones, and muscles. Usually, there is enough room to permit easy
passage. But swelling, trauma, or pressure can narrow these openings and
squeeze the nerve. When that happens, pain, paralysis, or other dysfunction
may result. A painful, burning sensation on the outer side of the thigh may
mean that one of the large sensory nerves (lateral femoral cutaneous nerve)
to your legs is being compressed. This condition is known as meralgia
paresthetica (me-ral'-gee-a par-es-thet'-i-ka). Signs and Symptoms Pain on
the outer side of the thigh, occasionally extending to the outer side of
the knee A burning sensation, tingling, or numbness in the same area
Occasionally, aching in the groin area or pain spreading across the
buttocks Usually only on one side of the body Usually more sensitive to
light touch than to firm pressure Diagnosis During a physical examination,
your physician will ask about recent surgeries, injury to the hip, or
repetitive activities that could irritate the nerve. He or she will also
check for any sensory differences between the affected leg and your other
leg. To verify the site of the burning pain, the physician will put some
pressure on the nerve to reproduce the sensation. You may need both an
abdominal and a pelvic examination to exclude any problems in those areas.
X-rays will help identify any bone abnormalities that might be putting
pressure on the nerve. If your physician suspects that a growth such as a
tumor is the source of the pressure, you may need to get an MRI or CT
(computed tomography) scan. In rare cases, a nerve conduction study may be
advised. Restrictive clothing, being overweight and how you are positioned
in surgery are common reasons for pressure on a nerve. Your physician may
ask if you wear a heavy tool belt at work or if you consistently wear a
tight corset or girdle. He or she may recommend a weight loss program.
Treatment Treatments will vary, depending on the source of the pressure. It
may take time for the burning pain to stop and, in some cases, numbness
will persist despite treatment. The goal is to remove the cause of the
compression. This may mean resting from an aggravating activity, losing
weight, wearing loose clothing, or using a toolbox instead of wearing a
tool belt. In more severe cases, your physician may give you an injection
of a corticosteroid preparation to reduce inflammation. This generally
relieves the symptoms for some time. In rare cases, surgery is needed to
release the nerve...............over the counter capsaicin cream is helpful
for this condition.
— jennifer A.
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