Peripheral nerve surgery for tibial nerve damage - usual recovery scenario?

Back in 2007, I cut my index finger. I had surgery on my hand for a lacerated nerve in 2008. The nerve was cut, a synthetic tube put in and the nerve had to regrow through the tube to the end of the finger (I was told 3 to 6 months tops). The nerve grows about 1 mm per day. Very painful as it grows back. I had every kind of nerve pain imaginable: shooting, stabbing, burning, numbness - changed minute by minute. The pain was worse after sugery as the nerve was growing back. I am about 7 months post op and the pain is about 1/2 of what it was before surgery. It has mostly settled down to a continuous burning pain. Unfortunately, I think I redamaged the nerve the 2nd month post-op doing physical therapy and may require a 2nd surgery. I will know in about 7 weeks what the surgeon thinks.

From what I understand, when the nerve is done growing and finds the end (for example, of your finger) the nerve pain should settle down.

If I did damage the nerve again, and have another neuroma, my next option is to bury the nerve into a bone in my hand. The nerve will then think it found the end and should stop sending pain signals.

I hope this helps. Hang in there.

I noticed you had surgery back in December and I am curious to know if you had complete recovery by now - 4 months later?

I had tibial tendon repair 11/08. I continued to have numbness in my foot that progressed over a period of more than six months. I had some tingling, but not badly.

In mid May of 09, I had surgery again to help the entraped nerve and help the tarsal tunnel syndrome. The operation was a success, but the patient... I am now suffering from numbness almost entirely in my foot. My heel feels like a piece of wood when I try to walk on it. I continue to have shooting pain often like electrical shocks.

I am being treated with Lyrica, but it does not help much. The pain is constantly with me. I've been told it may take up to a year for it to go away.

Rose, I too, would like to hear from someone who is further along their recovery time than I am.

An update: I was the one who had surgery on the finger. I had the second surgery to bury the nerve in the bone. It has been two weeks how since surgery and I am still waiting for improvement. The nerve was really irritated at first and boy did it let me know. The pain was up and down all over the place. Even though the nerve injury is in the finger, I get pain all over my body not just the hand or arm. It is a unique and disturbing experience - one I hope no one else experiences. Sleep is all messed up so I am pretty tired. Yet, I am still optimistic. With God all things are possible!

I recently had a fasciotomy (Feb. of 09) due to my calf being crushed and was left with severe pains that were very similar to those that Rose described. I was told I had nueropathy due to tibial nerve damage. My entire foot was in cronic pain and the "electric" pains would bring me to tears. Sometimes they lasted moments other times much longer. I could not put any pressure on my foot and still need to have a shoe or slipper on before I can touch the ground without experiencing terrible pain. I feel everything more intensely with the damaged foot-touch,tickle,or heat. Time has definitely helped and I hope it will continue to do so. I am currently taking nuerontin which has helped. Most recently my doctor has prescribed Savella. I have just started this new drug so I don't have any advice on taking it. The advice I do have is DO NOT GIVE UP! There are so many medications out there that sometimes it takes a few misses before finding what works for you. No one should have to be in severe pain every day. Something will help but stay away from adictive medications. If your doctor is not willing to help relieve you of your pain, then find a new doctor. Best of luck to all.

Hi I am responded to the person who damage the nerve is his foot. On March 9, 2008 I severed my area on the inside of my leg around the ankle area. I notices immediate numbness and pain. I went to the emergency room and complained of the numbness and they said give it time and it will heel. I waited about six months and went to a few different doctors and was referred to a nerve specialist in Baltimore. He performed a tarsal tunnel surgery on me and found out where I cut the nerve right where it branched into the three just below the inside of my ankle. I waited about a year after my injury to have this surgery done because the emergency room doctors and the workers compensation doctors said I had to give it time. I am still in the same boat numbness pinky toe up to the third toe is completely numb alone with my big toe and the whole outside and bottom portion of my foot. I do not think it will ever regain feeling. Please reply. Todd.

Rose please communicate with me, I severed the nerve is my right ankle foot about 1 inch behind my ankle and down slightly on the inside of mine ankle. I did it at work and I went to the emergency where I complained about my entire foot being completely numb. They told me to follow up a few days with the workers comp. doctor who told me that nothing could be done that you will have to live with it and it could possibly take 6 months or longer to get some feeling back. I waited about six months and I went to see a few other doctors about it. They recommended me to a doctor in baltimore, md where he performed tarsal tunnel surgery so he could release the nerve and inspect that damage done to my nerve. He said that I severed it right where it branches off and he removed scar tissue and was going to section it but thought that I would be worse off because it appeared to reattach itself on its own. I waited about 1 year to get it looked at. My foot big toe and the three little toes are completely numb the bottom and outside side portion is completely numb and I am scared to death. I have no feeling in my foot and I am worried that he will release me from his care and send me back to work when I am suffering because he probably did all he can do. Please call or email me so we can discuss and help each other. Thank you, Todd.

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Rose please communicate, I severed the nerve is my right ankle foot about 1 inch behind my ankle and down slightly on the inside of mine ankle. I did it at work and I went to the emergency where I complained about my entire foot being completely numb. They told me to follow up a few days with the workers comp. doctor who told me that nothing could be done that you will have to live with it and it could possibly take 6 months or longer to get some feeling back. I waited about six months and I went to see a few other doctors about it. They recommended me to a nerve doctor where he performed tarsal tunnel surgery so he could release the nerve and inspect that damage done to my nerve. He said that I severed it right where it branches off and he removed scar tissue and was going to section it but thought that I would be worse off because it appeared to reattach itself on its own. I waited about 1 year to get it looked at. My foot big toe and the three little toes are completely numb the bottom and outside side portion is completely numb and I am scared to death. Please email me so we can discuss and help each other. Thank you.

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I know your pain, dr. taylor in Bedford texas operated on my foot for a bunion, and did something else that was not needed and now there is nerves growning out the bottom of my foot. I can hardley walk on it..Don't ya just love it. Can they remove rthe nerves so you feel no pain, I saw it on a show one time where they did something so this woman felt no pian but had to go to the doctor to keep checking to make sure she was not sick from anything.

I had surgery to remove planters facititis on the flexor longus tendon he cut the tibial nerve i am exsperienceing almost the exact feelings my big toe is numb my foot stings and burns it is so numb it doesn't feel like a foot,,,chronic pain.I went to a dr.lineaweaver in brandon,ms.that ordered a NCS &EMG i find out tommorrow if he can do anything to help me.The Dr.never told me he cut my nerve,i am a hairdresser with 0insurance i know what you are going thru.This dr lineaweaver said he was going to put a pipeline in the side of my foot i am scared to death because during all this the incision came open woundcare debreeded,,well what they called debreeding a 2inch hole in the surgical site 2months after the surgery i contracted m.r.s.a. from the woundcare almost died with a 2inch hole with m.r.s.a. in it.I thought when i had taking all 2months of vancomyacin treatments i would be ok with my foot now this is what i have to look forward to.I hope i have helped you feel somewhat at least not alone.GOOD LUCK!

Rose64 I recently had a similar surgery on 11/29/2012.I had the same experience! How are you feeling now ? 4 years later

I have had a severed tibial nerve for about 8 years now. I had surgery 3 months after the injury to repair the sheath which the nerves grow in so they could grow back into my foot. The problem is the nerves are fibres which grow where ever they want to - not where they used to be, so I have feeling in the foot but it doesn't tell me where I am feeling something. If you were to tap the bottom of my foot with your finger I would feel a general sensation all over the sole of my foot. As my surgeon said it's better than no sensation because the ability to feel pain when the foot is injured is very important.

Having said all that I am able to jump and run as well as I would be able to had I not been injured. I still have the stabbing electrical shocks but the brain gets good at filtering them out so I only notice when I think about it.

The biggest issue for me is I developed a back injury due to poor posture and I have only just realized why. After I stared walking again I could only feel the edge of my foot. It was/is painful to walk on this edge so subconsciously I have been inwardly rotating my bad (right) foot to reduce this pain when I walk. Doing this caused my right hip to twist forward. It also gave me a flat right foot. With a forward/lowered right hip back trouble was sure to occur eventually.

Today I noticed with my heels flush to the wall my right big toe was a full centimetre longer than my left toe but all the other toes were the same length. I had never noticed this before and I initially thought I had uneven foot size. Then I noticed I had no arch in the right foot. When I twisted my ankle to put an arch in the foot the toes suddenly were the same length. Not only that but my hips were no longer rotated. I have tried walking in this position and it hurts on the strip of my bad foot where I am still able to feel, but my pelvis is straight again.

I think everyone who has tibial nerve disfunction will eventually develop this problem. Be aware of the arch in your foot. It has to be there even if it feels wrong :)

If anyone wants to contact me about this you can find me on linkedin. My ID there is Mike Donelly (in Bulgaria)

Hi, how are you doing now?

Hello, Cant Believe I found someone else.. I know how you feel!!!! I have had two nerve grafts from an open right calcaneal fracture. First graft failed. The second graft is about 5-6 inches above my ankle. Its off the shelf nerve 12 inches long with two branches coming off of it. Like you I feel as if my foot is plugged into a power outlet. I have pins and needles along with a constant burning sensation all the time. I just started getting the intense pains which are wow will stop you in your tracks. I have no feeling on the entire bottom of foot. Last nerve graft was on 9/13 surgery number 12. It was surgery number 13 in 9/2014 to cut heel back off and realign, and toes 2,3,4 had to have pins in them to keep from curling under(hammertoe). I have noticed it getting worse. This is a very complicated surgery and problem. I live in Houston so today I have made two appointments. One with Baylor's group and the other is Memorial Hermann Mischer Neuroscience center. I am curious if anything can be done without surgery or the crappy meds that I now stopped taking. This unfortunately is something that is very hard to know the outcome on. Due to this being a foot and the pounding it takes even after months of non weight bearing that graft or transection once we start bearing weight with it being such a delicate hair like graft is taking a beating every time we walk, stand, etc,etc. I would like to hear how you are doing now as this has been posted over a year ago. Thanks..

Hello Rose:

I had surgery last Friday and am experiencing identical symptoms. Did it go away? Thank you 

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