nerve damage after hip replacement revision surgery numbness

I am 48 years old and had a total hip implant 3 months ago but ended up w footdrop n numbness from the knee down. the doctor said this is because prior to the knee replacement, i had L5/S1 spondylolysis. Can some expert in this field please tell me if this is common and does anyone ever recover from footdrop? My condition hasn't improved the slightest in the 3 months

I too have suffered from "drop foot from a "rubbing of my sciatic nerve" & the dr's gave me 1/2 year to 3 yr prognosis & also said "there is no telling if i will get ANY feeling at all back. Well the surgery was Feb 20,2008 & it is now Nov 4, 08 & to this day I have INCREASING pain every day & the drop foot seems like it has gotten worse???? I was given the "NORMAL" pain meds 4 awhile but now for OVER 1 week have been given nothing for pain. I take LYRICA religiously but it seems that is doing absolutely nothing as well..... I am losing all belief that it will ever be "BETTER" (?whatever that is?) just recently i stopped using the crutch.. I went down to 1 after i had some "EPISODES" with some stairs a couple times & now i threw that beast away & i walk with an extreme limp & i use that HUGE brace (prolly will the rest of my life...??) But, my family is with me & they give me hope every day..& i am thankful of that So, all of u out there i want to hear from you & please email my myspace if u want the username is my email @ yahoo . com I will answer all email (in time) LOL & i want to connect with those of you out there who have suffered the same problems.. Sincerly Spc. Darren R Riley US ARMY

After surgery for total hip replacement, I have suffered foot drop and nerve damage. Surgery was 18 months ago. I have been in a lot of pain have taken Lyrica, but that only seems to take the edge of the pain. I still walk with a crutch and by the end of the day my ankle is so swollen I have to lie in bed to relieve the pain. Most nights I need a sleeping tablet to be able to sleep. The top of my foot and the left hand side of my leg is numb, my foot slaps to the floor when I walk, I would like to talk to anyone with the same condition cheers Colleen

I had hip resurfaced 16 weeks ago. Soon after surgery became clear -- I had nerve damage causing numb foot & toes and pain in back of leg. Also , tautness along sciatic nerve down back of leg.

Good news is, It is improving. Burning sensation has faded. Only numbness remains. The numbness seems less noticable and area that is numb is getting smaller very slowly. The taut painful sensation along sciatic nerve also eases up -- remains taut but pain is nearly gone.

I have forced myself to be active, been receiving massages. I got very depressed but as I've regained some muscles strength and control and noted minor subsiding of neurological symptoms I have continued to increase activity. Seems more stimulus helps the nerve probelm.

There is improvement but it is slow. I wish you all the best. I feel I am on the mend. I feel time and activity will continue to heal me.

I had a total left hip replacement in 1987, and had nerve damage as well which left me with a foot drop and unbearable pain for about 6 months to the point I wish I had died. The surgeon kept telling me work at it and it will come back...but till this date, I still have a foot drop. I've had pain on and off for 22 years now and need a hip revision but can't get myself to schedule surgery. I had a total left knee replacement in 1999 which was a success and a total right knee 2008 which didn't turn out like my lfet knee but acceptable. I was scheduled for a total right hip this month, but I couldn't go ahead with it right now...just don't feel ready for another. I've had Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis since the age of 13 and i'm now 45. Reading these posts brought back memories and not good ones. Please keep in mind that everyone case is different, it all depends on the experience of the surgeon, on how bad hip was too begin with, and age I guess.

I wish you all luck and really hope things will get better for you all.

Im 32 years old i had a hip replacement in september my nerves got damaged and i have got numbness from my knee down i also have a foot drop i suffer from the most terrible pain ive ever experienced in my life i wish i never had it done now im left permanantely disabled my doctor said he can fix my foot drop but he cant fix the numbness most days im suicidle because i have 3 young boys and i now need helo to look after them i didnt amagine things would end up this way i really thought i would be better but look on the bright side there are worser people out there than ourselves :'(

Wow, I wish I'd found this site 3 years ago! My hip surgery was in Feb 2006, and I experienced foot drop, with severe nerve damage, too. I could not move my foot for one full year. The first anniversary of my surgery, I saw movement-between 1/16th-1/8th of an inch, I was able to flex my foot that much. The following anniversary I could move my toes that much-barely visible. This year, I can flex my toes all in a row, and rotate my foot. I still have foot drop, but it is very slowly making progress.
Immediately after my surgery, I could feel nothing from the knee down. Now, it is half-way down my calf. If I scratch the muscle at the curve in my calf, I feel sensation moving down my leg, and out to the end of my toes. I am still praying for total healing.
The pain is still there. I have been taking Norco (hydorcodone) for the nerve pain, Flexeril for muscle cramping, and Gabapentin (Neurontin) for seizures (in that lower leg only, mostly when I am very stressed emotionally, or have overdone it physically.). I have taken all of these since the surgery.
My kids really pressured me to try water therapy, and I resisted, because I don't like the water, after a near drowning in my teen years. After 6 months, I decided to try it. For 3 months, I did aquatherapy 3 times a week. I did exercises in the pool, and then walked on an underwater treadmill. This was really scary for me to start, but when I finished, I was doing 20 minutes on the treadmill each time. They start you very slow, for 5 minutes, then gradually increase as you progress.
The biggest problem was that this therapy was an hour drive for me each way, and only 20-30 minutes in the pool. And winter was on it's way. I talked to my husband about the possiblilty of a hot tub at home, to continue my therapy, without all that time on the road. Not to mention the price of gas, would make the hot tub payment. (Around $200 per month). We started searching, and got the biggest and deepest one we could afford. It had enough foot space to allow me to walk in place, plus a lounge seat with very powerful jets on the lower leg portion.
It was delivered in early November-8months after my surgery. In February, I had my first movement of my foot. What I didn't realize was that in using those jets to ease the pain in my lower leg, it was massage and stimulating those muscles and nerves, and healing the damage, very slowly. I cannot stress to you enough how important I believe it is to relieve your pain, and help you to heal.
We keep the temperature at 100 degrees, and many nights when I first get in, I just start crying, because it relaxes the tight muscles, and eases the pain.
I do lots of exersize, too. Many sets of standing on tiptoe (10-15 reps), alternating with the same number of calf stretching(like a runner before and after a race). Just sitting on the seat, and kicking your legs strengthens them, too.
I also use a recumbent bike (it has an office chair type of seat, and your legs are out in front, not below you). I started at 1/2 a mile a day. My goal was 10 miles, so I worked at it over a period of 6 months, adding 1/2 to 1 mile every 2 weeks. I now do 10 miles a day.
I still have a long way to go, my foot still turns purple and gets freezing cold if I sit too long. My husband does 1/2 hour of massage on my leg and foot every morning, to help relieve the cramping.
I have battled the depression, and anger (and yes, RAGE) over this situation. My doctor ended up doing 2 total hip replacements on me in one day, because he dislocated the first one in recovery! I had to have a transfusion the next day, due to loss of blood. I found out in September, when we finally got my records to start a lawsuit, that he broke my thigh bone during the second surgery, just wrapped it with wire, and sewed me shut-never told us it was broken, and sent me home walking on it!
Two nurses told me during the night shift (at the risk of losing their careers) to get a lawyer, because this guy has more repeat surgeries than any other doctor. When we contacted malpractice lawyers, they told us we couldn't win a case against him. I found out over a period of weeks that there were 15 people in my county, that I personally knew, that had been permanantly damaged by surgeries from this same doctor. My sister broke her arm that fall, and her doctor was going to refer her to this guy, and she refused to go. The receptionist from her doctor said, "Oh, just request another doctor in that office, they're used to it down there!" They were knowingly still referring patients to an unfit doctor!!!!!!!!!!
Has anyone won any cases like this? If the risks had been fully explained, I would never have had the surgery. I was born with only a partial hip socket, and also had scoliosis as a child, but none of the pain that I experienced before my surgery can even begin to compare. The one lawyer asked me to explain the level of pain. I told him it felt like a dog was knawing on my leg, every time the pain meds wore off. NO other way to explain it. A scale of 1-10? At least a 25!
I hope this has somehow offered hope to at least one person. Do not give up. We don't know why we are going through this, but you can be sure that people are watching, to see how we handle it. My pastor said that we don't always go through something just for us-it is to give hope to those who come behind us. When they see us not only surviving, but thriving, they have hope that if WE can make it through this great trial, then THEY can survive something similar, or with equal testing. I spent a long time being mad at God, but He never left me, I walked away from Him. He has been calling me back, and I have renewed my Love for Him, and my dedication to serving Him. My co-worker in my ministries of Food Pantry and Clothing Room, has MS. We have 2 more people in church who also have MS (they all lived in different areas when they were diagnosed with it.) We have 3 married couples who have had cancer-both husbands and wives! We lost 2 of the husbands within months of each other. But we are all so much closer because of it.
Don't give up hope. YOur children will grow up to be more compassionate for those with handicaps, and hopefully, so will their friends; and other family members. YOu can still have a very meaningful life. My friend and I are opening a center to help families in need, withing the next few weeks, and we are calling it Hope House. Anyone in need will be able to come in and get clothing and food for free. We will have one section just for helping those with work and interview clothes, and will teach resume writing, interview skills. Also we will be working to teach gardening skills, freezing , canning, cooking, sewing. Ask God to show you what you CAN still do, and share it with someone who doesn't know how. Keep moving forward! You are loved.

I had a THR over 13 months ago. It was a disaster. My wife figures that "they retracted on my femoral nerve" (she is an OR nurse and knows a fair bit). The pre-op interview goes over the risks... anaesthetic dangers, not getting the length perfect, etc. The only warning regards nerve damage was a cursory... "you might get numbness in you leg".

The femoral neuropathy resulted in my entire thigh INCLUDING MY QUADRECIPT MUSCLE losing function. I could not even move my foot off the ground. Your 'quad' is the most important muscle in keeping you standing. As soon as I got out of my bed after surgery, I fell 100% on my knee. It was the most painful thing I have experienced this side of passing a kidney stone!

When your surgeon tells you in an offhand way that 'you may lose some feeling in your leg due to nerve damage'... remember, this could end up as a much more severe outcome. I was in a wheelchair for several months in a rehab hospital, thence to a walker, 2 canes, and finally 1 cane. I still don't see a successful outcome after 13 months... it pains me to walk, not in the hip, but in my knee.

THR is not a foolproof procedure!

I Had total left hip replacement in Nov of 2009. Immediately after surgery I had severe heavy numbness from my knee down thru my toes.PT gave me very little relief until February when the PT personnel started to work on my back with stimuli and massages. Major change came in March when my PT therapist learned a new rocking technique for opening up the nerve root in my lower back. I have had daily and weekly gains to the point that, while a numbness feel is still in my leg, my foot function has improved greatly. I actually have a normal gait now and my leg has a normal feel as well. The doctor also told me to start rubbing biofreeze where I have numbness. This has also helped. After almost 6 months , I feel like am finally make major strides in a numbness that was overwhelming in the begiinning. Hope this helps those who are suffering from nerve damage after hip surgery. PS my thereapist learned the rocking technique from a clinician that is with a major therapy clinic in Iowa. Sorry I don't recall the name.

It's been one year since my THR, March 2009 and just went for my yearly check-up to find out that my numbness & needles & pins feeling in my foot will NOT go away! Yes, was told that I will probably have to live with this feeling for the rest of my life due to the stretching of the sciatic nerve, which I unfortunately had major back surgery in 2005 and that same nerve was severed twice! So am just trying to reason that in that this numbness, funny feeling will never go away. The only good thing that I have to feel blessed about is that after reading everyone elses situations, I don't have any pain anymore and I don't have any weakness in my foot or leg. I am able to drive and have enough strength in the foot to control anything, except for that tingling feeling always and when I sit for a long period of time and upon lying down at night, the numbness does get worse and just hate feeling that very uncomfortable sensation. But at least I am not in that pain in the hip that dropped me down to my knees before the surgery. So, if I had to say anything to any person thinking about a hip replacement....just do your homework with the surgeon you use, I am very pleased with mine. I aside from this numbness am very content with my hip, am able to move and walk around pretty good without any cane or assistance.....and my leg movements feel pretty normal. 8)

all

I'm hoping my story may offer some of you some hope. I'm 22 years old and have had 9 hip operations so far in total, mainly TPO's to correct the displacia in both Hips. I am now having a hip resurface on my left side in May.

My main concern is the effect this new operation may have on my nerve. The last operation i had at 18 left me with severe numbness on my left side below the knee. This cause a foot drop that resembled a dead fish, i had no movement what so ever and suffered sharp pin and needle pain.

I had to use a plastic splint that went under my foot and strapped up my calf holding my foot flat. I felt and was more disabled than prior to any of my surgeries and as an 18 year old girl struggled with the depression that goes with it.

The reason i am writing this is having read alot of your messages i just wanted to say that it gets better, with a positive attitude and pain tolerance to put up with massages to the foot and ankle area and using a rubber pully to force the foot upward several times a day and mainly being determined for the feeling to come back works. Acupuncture is also good.

The past few years the only effects the nerve has had on my life is that i have to drive an automatic car as it gets tired using a clutch and when it gets really, really cold the numbness returns and sometimes i will get pins and needles in the top of foot and ankle, nothing unbearable though.

I have been told by my surgeon that i will probably get the drop foot again after the surgery in May as the surgery will set it off again, i know it is going to be hard work to get back on my feet but i will be walking about without a stirrup by my sisters wedding in September (and in a nice heeled shoe!) this i know because i will not let it beat me, i will believe it will come back and make it come back.

Believe in yoursleves, push yoursleves and do any exercises that your physio gives you (if you can more than they say to!) it works : )

Good luck to you all

this is the same thing that happend to me i fell off of a pendulum swing after school i am only a 14 year old lad i too have footdrop which they gave me a splint for and also i stretched the main nerve of the leg there for it is painful putting presure on my leg i have been finding it hard coping with this but i think it will be worse wen i turn 15-16 because they said i would then need to hve a hip replacement my uncles friends mum has had a hip replacement when she was my age and she said if i ever need any help just ask her but the main thing is that i have anger managment so i get really stressed out but i gusse all i need to do is wait and give it time to heal

I had a hip resurfacing last August 25th and ended up with a foot drop.  I was so distraught as the doctors didn't seem to be a lot of help.  However I am scheduled for a tendon transfer and may postpone it as I am able to walk with these neumatic type tennis shoes.  They lift up in the front and at the heal so one walks with a walking motion.  They work at exercising the muscles in the back on one's leg and on the side.  I ordered them from Lady foot locker, $39.  Not bad for one who shows no response on the Nerve Conduction Test.  They appear to be much better then using the brace which merely atempts to keep one's foot flat on the floor.  If anyone want's more information, send me a note.  Thank you for all being out there.  Jan

 

hi friends,

Hey,

My name is marc and i feel like you. I had a left hip resurfacing in july 2010, it didn't work out well, surgeon didn't put it in on the right angle. So this oct. 2011 i had it removed and in it's place a total hip replacement. now i am almost 4 months after the surgery and my hip is constantly swollen, major pain in my glute, incision , quad pain and also hamstring pain. I can't go back to work. I am 36 years old with a wife and 2 young beautiful daughters. I'm a former athlete and a high school phys.ed teacher. I am six foot seven and 235 pounds. To say that life has been diffucult for the last six years is an understatement. I am gettting the wait and see from my surgeons as well. That's their answer when they are too busy or don't know the answer or don't have the time to devote to you. I live in ottawa canada and i'm presently looking into going to syracuse or boston . I would send all of my info, tests, xrays etc down and then have a team of doctors consisting of a rheaumatologist, ortho surgeon and a back specialist or surgeon take a look at it and form a plan of action. Maybe that's something for you too.