Nerve damage post hip replacement surgery

I can't believe how common this is! I just had my 6th surgery on my left hip for an injury I sustained in 92. I have never had problems after a surgery but this time right after I woke up the top of my foot and the last three toes felt like they had been wrapped in cellophane. They felt crunchy and painful. Now it feels like I am wearing a heavy cold wet sock. I am 5 weeks out. It isn't as bad as some of you, discribe so obvisouly there are various degrees of this I have no foot drop, but after I am in the shower for a minute my foot turns dead person purple. Most of the day it is red. Weird. I have a spot in my calf that is incredibly painful to touch too but they have ruled out clot so I guess it is nerve damage....Any suggestions on what I can ask my ortho when I follow up with him in two weeks? He had told me if there is nerve damage we are pretty much screwed.... (he is a funny guy) well it seemed funny before this happened! :-) Thanks for all of you who posted. It helps to know I am not crazy, or alone....
good luck to all of you.

I had a total hip replacement a year and a half ago. Initially I was doing quite
well into my recovery....hoping to get back to an active lifestyle. About
3 months into my recovery something horrible happened and I have been
quite disabled and in pain ever since.

I am 44 years old and had hip displasia as an infant. The left hip did not form
correctly and as a result I my left leg was 3/4 inch shorter and I had very
limited external hip rotation.

My surgeon lengthened my leg, so that now my legs are the same length and i also now have normal external hip rotation.

I was beginning to train 3 months into my recovery, hoping to
get back to some competitive cycling. During this time i noticed some pain in
the area of my ischial tuberosity as well as some numbness in my heal
and outer toes.

I went back to teaching full time at the 3 month mark and began to
experience increasingly severe pain mostly in the left buttock. It was, and still is, a burning,
numbing, aching pain that gets progressively worse with standing, walking or any other physical activity.

Since then, I have only been able to work part time, and sometimes the pain
gets so severe I have to take time off.

The doctors here are stumped. X-rays are text book perfect. I have had
nerve conduction studies, tried active release therapy, acupuncture, physiotherapy, massage therapy, a Botox injection into the piriformis muscle,
and a cortisone injection into the ischial tuberosity area where the pain seems
to radiate from, MRI and ultra sound imaging show no notable abnormalities.

I have also tried Lyrica, which seemed to help, however, with the decreased pain, i found that i stayed on my feet longer, and then the symptoms got worse and began to show through the medidation..thus not really helping the healing process, only masking the pain. Anit-inflamitories such as Celebrex and Arthrotec have had little affect.

The pain seems to radiate from the area of the ischial tuberosity. There is
actually a palpable mobile mass in the area. When I sit on a hard surface it
moves and is quite uncomfortable. The pain can radiate there and/or move to
other areas around my left buttock and to the outside of my leg where the incision is.

The chronic pain is driving me crazy. At the moment, I have had another flair
up. It is painful to stand, walk and sit. Any physical
activity seems to worsen the symptoms. Heat and rest are the only treatment
options that seem to give me some relief, and healing. However it takes so
very long.

If you have any insight, please let me know. I am at the end of my rope.

Thanks so much,
Tanya

**edited by moderator**

Here it is the week before Memorial Day Weekend, almost a year and a half since my surgery and almost a year since my last post. The nerve damage still persists. Somedays not too bad, other days like yesterday it was pretty bad. My primary physcian made the comment that he had never seen a case as bad as mine so he suggested I see an orthopedic surgeon in Santa Monica, CA. Unforutunately, I would not be covered under my insurance and so I suppose I'd have to pay an arm and a leg (preferably the bad one :-D ) to see him. I'm waiting until my school lets out for the summer to contact him to see if he will see me. Until then, I do what I can to cope with the pain. I'm seeing an acupuncterist, with limited results and started bicycling again to take my mind off the pain. I take a hydrocdone once in a while, but try to limit it to one or two a week.
I feel for those of you who are going through this pain. I wonder if the type of surgery being done for hip replacements is the cause of the nerve damage. It seems people who have minimally invasive surgery seem to suffer this kind of damage more often than those who go through the normal procedure. If you haven't already checked it out, try the Totally Hip web site. It's a really great site. I wish there was something more I could add.

erfette

I had total hip replacement on my left hip on Dec. 29. 2006. I woke up with terrible pain in my left foot that radiated up my calve, never had any hip pain. The pain in my foot and calf was excrutiating and depressing. I had numbness on the outside of the calf and over the top of my foot. I was diagnosed with foot drop and given a stiff afo while in the hospital. Recovery was difficult. I went and had a better afo made when I was out fo the hospital and went to Foot Solutions to find some good supportive shoes to help with my walking. I am 44 years old. I had both hips pinned for slipped epiphysis at 12 years old and the pins removed a year later. I went to Houston on May 1st to have a nerve transfer with Dr. Nath. He performs the surgery behind the knee and cuts until he finds a sufficient nerve branch to use for the transfer. I just got off of being on crutches for 3 weeks. I am having to regain a lot that was lost from being out of physical therapy for a month. I tire easily, have pain every day, stiffness and my unoperated leg/hip is getting a lot of abuse and will need to be replaced. My entire family is suffering along with me. I am not sure if it is the "new" techniques they are using or if the doctors are too sure of themselves and just treat every patient the same, go in and cut and try to stick to their schedule. I pray daily that the nerve transfer will work. It will take up to a year to know if it will reverse the damage.

I had total hip replacement surgery (no cement) 4 months ago. Nerve damage caused my left foot to have strange feelings and Lyrica helped that problem, although at night it still feels like a block of ice! I progressed from walker to cane and was doing quite well until all of a sudden I began to have pain in my left thigh bone (right where I think the prothesis ends). The doctor just dismisses it with "still healing" and says I should get away from the cane. Without the cane to lean on and take the weight off that side, I walk (more hobble) like an old lady - 69 is not an old lady! I walked fine before this. Has anyone had any experiece with pain in the thigh? Mary

I had a total left hip replacement 4 months ago. I had left foot problems due to nerve damage and Lyrica helped that, although it still feels like a block of ice at night! A few weeks ago I began to experiece pain in my left thigh bone when walking. The doctor dismisses it as "healing" and said I should get away from using the cane. Without the cane to help take pressure off that side, I walk (hobble) like an old lady - 68 is not old! The pain is right where I assume the prothesis ends. Has anyone had thigh bone pain? Mary

Monday night on July 2nd. I sing in a chorus that rehearses every Monday night for 3 hours and after two hours I had to leave because the pain due to the nerve damage suffered during hip replacement was just to intense. This is the nerve damage that, as mentioned in my first post, that exists only in my mind according to the doctor who performed the surgery. I had hoped that the pain would decrease over time, but it seems to either have stayed the same or at times even feels worse, like tonight. On top of that I'm also feeling pain in my hip where the replacement is. I know I should see my doctor about it, but he's already suggested that I go outside my HMO and see a doctor he thinks my be able to help. I don't think I'll be able to afford it, but I guess if it gets to the point where I can't stand the pain anymore, then I'll have to find the money somehow. I've read that some of you have had success with Lyrica, I tried it but I experienced bad side effects with it. I just don't know.............

I am 51 yr old male. 15 months since THR ON RIGHT hip. Dislocated hip 6 days after release from hospital, cup in acetabulum came out, OUCH. It is now screwed in. 5 months later, I was walking with no cane, and one night it felt like my leg blew up. finally an MRI last month revealed herniated disk, in L3 L4 area. Nuero surgeon still stated I should be able to put pressure on leg without cane, I cannot . I had the Wright large head hip replacement "garunteed" not to dislocate,"right". I am on Lyrica, it helps, I am on Kadian, time released morphine, it helps, and several other very strong pain meds for severe breakthru pain. I am scheduled for a micro diskectomy in two to three wweks. I took orthopedic doctor almost 6 months to figure out what mightr be wrong. If the disectomy does not work, he thinks I might be allergic to the cast chrome colbalt metal hip relacement. any body ever heard of this? Oh yea, I am a california workmans comp case, hurt in 1999, and this is my 4th surgery, and 100 hoops I have had to jump thru

I had a total hip replacement, 8 weeks ago.
I had all the usual pain and discomfort,I was able to cope,
until 2 weeks ago. Now I can only sleep for about 2 hours then the pain from my hip to my knee keeps me awake for the rest of the night.
So i am very tired from no sleep and all this pain.
The Doctor told me ,my hip is (non cemented) good in the long term ,but painful in the short term.
She said it will eventually get better. has anyone had these symptons?
My bone was donated to the Bone Bank and they did tests on it to make sure it was suitable for donation.
Then I get a letter to go to an Oncologist at the Hospital.
They inform me I have Leukaemia Chronic lymphoma. That was akick in the butt.When I thought hopefully not too long to go to be out of pain.
Oh well I will take one day at a time
Hope every one has a great Xmas :?

I had hip resurfacing surgery 6 weeks ago. After about 3 days when I got out of bad I had severe pain in my shin and then the "needle pricks "began over my foot ankle and sometimes shin and calf. There was numbnes on the side of my calf. At first mention the surgeon just put another pillow under my leg. 2 weeks after surgery I was still having the pain in my shin and the prickles, especially when sitting. He prescribed Gabapentin and it seems to be better, mostly during the day, but returns at night. I wear a surgical stocking which helps. I sure hope it is temporary. My PT though it would go away after about 3 month when everyting is healed. I have read a study that says that it may be related to having been given anticoagulants during surgery. Which is true for me.

I had a hemisurface hip replacement on Feb. 19, 2007. During the surgery the doctor bruised the sciatic nerve prying the hip out of the socket. After the surgery my foot was numb for about 2 months. Then I developed hypersensitivity from the knee down in that leg. It is now a little over a year since the surgery and I am still having to take 800 mg of neurontin for nerve pain pulses down the back of the leg and into the foot. I walk around almost like a zombie all day. Anybody got any idea how long this will last from your experience.

I had my right hip replaced around 14 years ago. No problems. Back to work in 2 weeks. Then I had my left hip replaced in April 2006. Woke up paralyzed from the knee down. Doctor said it was just "a little" nerve damage. Well, the feeling came back with a vengeance in about 2 weeks. Let me tell you this, my pain tolerance is high because I have had 13 surgeries throughout my 49 years. When someone tells you they have sciatic nerve damage, they are in pain almost 24/7. Anyway, it will be 2 years in April 2008 and I am still taking 3600mg Neurontin a day and Ultram. The Ultram is for pain and it is like taking an aspirin, but I don't want to get addicted to anything. I am working and I am thankful for that and that I have a sit-down job. What I don’t' understand is that I pretty much had to be my own physician after the damage because my doctor would not talk to me about it and any other doctor I went to was scared I was going to involve them in a lawsuit when all I wanted was to get well. I did the Physical Therapy for a while but they were just milking my insurance and me so I quit that. Some days are good, (good meaning that my foot and calf is still stinking but I am able to walk). I have foot drop so I watch every step I take and after the surgery, I was 3/4 inch longer on that leg than the other so I have to get a lift on my right shoe(which is $25.00). I spend around $900.00 a year for medication that is what the insurance doesn't pay. It sucks but there is always someone worse off than me so I hate to complain. I just wish the physicians would have tried to help me get well instead of shunning me. I wish everyone the best and if I can help someone I will be honored to do so. Keep the faith.

I am 7+ weeks out of a 4th hip revision. I suffered from a slight drop foot after the 3rd revision, plus the incredible nerve pain that many have written about on this site. Each time I got out of my car I would involuntarily scream from the pain. After about 1+ years, the nerve pain did calm down. I never got off one cane, and was told I never would due to the ligament damage from the cage (this was 9 years ago). They have now put in a new larger cage (apparently better), and lengthened my leg to match my right. Since surgery I cannot move my ankle, or my toes, and the top of my foot is completely numb and always freezing cold. I only have a little feeling along the inner side of the foot. I have been feeling very scared, alone with problem and worried will I lose my leg or my foot at some point from the lack of circulation? It has been great relief ( in a sad way) for me to find others with these problems, but of course it is a great worry that this seems so 'normal'. I have to wear a brace at night and still have drop foot. I am supposed to be able to fully weight bear in 4 weeks, but the foot is so swollen that I cannot put on a shoe. This is by far the most challenging hip replacement of my life, this is my fifth in total. Who can one go to for help? Val

hiya iam 20 years old and had a left hip replacment, in surgery my doctor said he had streched my nerves. As this happened i could not feel all my left leg on the first day. Now the pain is in my foot, at first it felt like pins and needles now it feels like it is burning all the time i have been to the doctors and had no joy. it is really affecting me as i can not sleep at night.

had hip replacemernt 6/3/08, now have numb foot, very painful, pins & needles, burning. Am wearing a brace to prevent footdrop, take lyrica 75mg 3 times a day but need another one one at bedtiime a pain wore at nite.have appt on 7/9 for nerve test