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  • Nerve pain?

    Hi all,

    I've had this weird pain in my upper right thigh ever since surgery. It comes and goes thankfully and my dad thinks that it could be due to something happening to a nerve during surgery. At times it is a quick sharp pain and other times it is more of a lingering dull pain. I will bring it up with my surgeon in my appointment next week but was wondering if anyone here had any ideas about what it could be? It also used to happen when I'd bend down to pick something up but that doesn't happen anymore. Now I just get a feeling in my right knee likes it's about to be squashed or something and is also quite uncomfortable.

    Thanks in advance
    Diagnosed at the age of 18 (2004)
    46° curve
    Surgery scheduled for April 27, 2009 - Anterior fusion from T12 - L3

  • #2
    Hi Cimbom,
    I am almost certain it is nerve pain. I have nerve pain in my lower shin and ankle and my Dr. asked me if I had pain in my thigh. I don't, but he said it was very common after fusion surgery. It should go away in time.
    Sally
    Diagnosed with severe lumbar scoliosis at age 65.
    Posterior Fusion L2-S1 on 12/4/2007. age 67
    Anterior Fusion L3-L4,L4-L5,L5-S1 on 12/19/2007
    Additional bone removed to decompress right side of L3-L4 & L4-L5 on 4/19/2010
    New England Baptist Hospital, Boston, MA
    Dr. Frank F. Rands735.photobucket.com/albums/ww360/butterflyfive/

    "In God We Trust" Happy moments, praise God. Difficult moments, seek God. Quiet moments, worship God. Painful moments, trust God. Every moment, thank God.

    Comment


    • #3
      nerve pain....

      I have the same type of pain in various areas. I saw my doc today and he is putting me on a nerve medication...not sure of the name yet. From what I have read on this website it is very common....call your doc! Good luck!
      Susan

      Diagnosed at 10, Boston brace from 11-13 yrs old.
      50* Lumbar w/ 5 centimeter shift to the left and slight rib hump...
      Surgery Date: April 15 and April 22, 2009
      X-LIF approach for disc repair L5,L4,L3,L2
      Posterior Approach for fusions L5-T5
      Dr. Fox @ Naval Medical Center Portsmouth
      Nice and straight now!!!!!

      Comment


      • #4
        Hi...

        I had thigh pain after surgery as well. In the hospital, it bothered me far more than my back pain. It did, eventually, go away.

        Regards,
        Linda
        Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
        ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
        Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

        Comment


        • #5
          Okay what is up with the nerve pain in adults?

          Why don't kids tend to get that?
          Sharon, mother of identical twin girls with scoliosis

          No island of sanity.

          Question: What do you call alternative medicine that works?
          Answer: Medicine


          "We are all African."

          Comment


          • #6
            Good question. I'll see if one of my surgeon buddies know.

            --Linda
            Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
            ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
            Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

            Comment


            • #7
              I had nerve pain both before and after surgery in my thighs and back. It seems to me that nerve pain can vary at times in what it feels like. Sometimes it's a tingling sensation, sometimes it's more of an ache. But for me nerve pain is just different than any other pain even when it varies. I'm 13 months post op and fortunately that's one pain that is almost completely gone. I get the tingly feeling by my left shoulder blade occasionally but my thighs are fine. Well, there is that pesky cellulite problem.....
              Good luck!
              Becky, 46 years old
              Diagnosed at 13 with mild scoliosis
              Ignored until 448/07
              Left thoracic 49* T5-T11
              Right thorocolumbar 60* T11-L4
              Surgery Monday, June 9, 2008 Oklahoma Spine Hospital
              Fused T-10 to L-5
              14 titanium pedicle screws
              Corrected to approx. 10* YEA!!!
              Email

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by skoshi314 View Post
                Well, there is that pesky cellulite problem.....
                !
                Oh, if only we could blame that on our spines!
                Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
                ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
                Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by LindaRacine View Post
                  Oh, if only we could blame that on our spines!
                  Hmmm, I think we should! I won't tell if you won't!
                  Becky, 46 years old
                  Diagnosed at 13 with mild scoliosis
                  Ignored until 448/07
                  Left thoracic 49* T5-T11
                  Right thorocolumbar 60* T11-L4
                  Surgery Monday, June 9, 2008 Oklahoma Spine Hospital
                  Fused T-10 to L-5
                  14 titanium pedicle screws
                  Corrected to approx. 10* YEA!!!
                  Email

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Pooka1 View Post
                    Okay what is up with the nerve pain in adults?

                    Why don't kids tend to get that?
                    Sharon, my guess is that kids don't have pinched nerves caused by stenosis from degenerated discs or arthritis prior to surgery as many of us adults do. There may be other reasons as well. Will be interested to see what Linda's surgeon buddy comes up with.
                    Sally
                    Diagnosed with severe lumbar scoliosis at age 65.
                    Posterior Fusion L2-S1 on 12/4/2007. age 67
                    Anterior Fusion L3-L4,L4-L5,L5-S1 on 12/19/2007
                    Additional bone removed to decompress right side of L3-L4 & L4-L5 on 4/19/2010
                    New England Baptist Hospital, Boston, MA
                    Dr. Frank F. Rands735.photobucket.com/albums/ww360/butterflyfive/

                    "In God We Trust" Happy moments, praise God. Difficult moments, seek God. Quiet moments, worship God. Painful moments, trust God. Every moment, thank God.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Sally...

                      Excellent guess.

                      Here's how Dr. Sig Berven from UCSF, (who happens to be at the IMAST meeting) responded:

                      This is an important topic that we were just discussing today in Vienna. A paper by Frank Schwab reported a 10% incidence of new nerve pain after deformity surgery in adults. Adult deformity involves stenosis and neural symptoms, and generally involves a decompression. The nerves may be more sensitized due to pre-existing stenosis, but this also may be a direct effect of nerve manipulation. To that end, indirect decompression techniques may be better options than wide laminectomies. Certainly a retrospective study in our cohort of 108 to find out who had:
                      1) Relief of nerve pain
                      2) New onset of nerve pain
                      3) Neural deficits.

                      Oh, and in case you're confused, the 108 refers to a cohort of adults who have had deformity surgery at UCSF recently, and who have agreed to be followed for at least 5 years (but who will be followed for as many years as possible). The surgeons at UCSF are part of the multi-center Spinal Deformity Study Group.

                      Regards,
                      Linda
                      Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
                      ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
                      Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I had some nerve damage/pain post-op. I had it last summer at the age of 19 so it does happen to kids/young adults too. It's a numbness on the inside of my right leg that occasionally goes pin and needles nutz on me.
                        20 y/o male, had the fusion to "straighten my act up", and just trying to have a normal life again.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Thanks for your replies. Good to know that it should eventually go away. Thought I would be stuck with it
                          Diagnosed at the age of 18 (2004)
                          46° curve
                          Surgery scheduled for April 27, 2009 - Anterior fusion from T12 - L3

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by LindaRacine View Post
                            Sally...

                            Excellent guess.

                            Here's how Dr. Sig Berven from UCSF, (who happens to be at the IMAST meeting) responded:

                            This is an important topic that we were just discussing today in Vienna. A paper by Frank Schwab reported a 10% incidence of new nerve pain after deformity surgery in adults. Adult deformity involves stenosis and neural symptoms, and generally involves a decompression. The nerves may be more sensitized due to pre-existing stenosis, but this also may be a direct effect of nerve manipulation. To that end, indirect decompression techniques may be better options than wide laminectomies. Certainly a retrospective study in our cohort of 108 to find out who had:
                            1) Relief of nerve pain
                            2) New onset of nerve pain
                            3) Neural deficits.

                            Oh, and in case you're confused, the 108 refers to a cohort of adults who have had deformity surgery at UCSF recently, and who have agreed to be followed for at least 5 years (but who will be followed for as many years as possible). The surgeons at UCSF are part of the multi-center Spinal Deformity Study Group.

                            Regards,
                            Linda
                            Thanks for chasing that down, Linda.

                            Not to be a broken record or beat a dead horse or anything but I would like to know how this might or might not relate to the widely-held 50* surgical trigger angle.

                            Still, I think most of these nerve-related issues are not permanent so it may not be an issue long-term though it is CERTAINLY an issue short-term and especially in terms of pain med usage.
                            Sharon, mother of identical twin girls with scoliosis

                            No island of sanity.

                            Question: What do you call alternative medicine that works?
                            Answer: Medicine


                            "We are all African."

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by loves to skate View Post
                              Sharon, my guess is that kids don't have pinched nerves caused by stenosis from degenerated discs or arthritis prior to surgery as many of us adults do. There may be other reasons as well. Will be interested to see what Linda's surgeon buddy comes up with.
                              Sally
                              You guessed correctly I see!

                              So essentially, simply having scoliosis for years seems to predispose folks to some of these complications.

                              I see that as an argument to fuse earlier rather than later, especially if early fusion can be shown to reliably reduce complications/pain/disability over later fusion.
                              Sharon, mother of identical twin girls with scoliosis

                              No island of sanity.

                              Question: What do you call alternative medicine that works?
                              Answer: Medicine


                              "We are all African."

                              Comment

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