Nerve Damage After Abdominal Hysterectomy

3 weeks ago today I was scheduled for a LSH, but 2 hours into surgery they had to open me up because my bladder was nicked. I am okay except for this nagging pain I get on my left side in the groin area, I get this pulling, tingling, burning sensation and it last for a long time, At that point I can not sit up straight nor straighten out my left leg. I insisted on going into the DR office and he tells me this is a nerve problem, sometimes when you have an abdominal surgery there is a risk of cutting, stretching or bruising the femoral nerve. And after my 6 wk post op checkup if I am still having this pain he can send me for pain management shots or physical therapy. Well ladies I did my research and this could be permanent nerve damage. We could spend a lifetime in chronic nerve pain. We can try nerve block injections or try medicines like anti seizure, depressents, etc to treat this. Hopefully my nerve is just bruised because about an inch above where I experience pain I have had a very large and ugly bruise since surgery that has not gone away. HAS ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM AND HOW ARE YOU DEALING WITH THIS???
We should not have a lifetime of pain.

I too have a bruise that has lingered since my surgery 4 1/2 weeks ago. My bruise is right below my incision, right in the center. I am also having some pains, on the right side that are kind of burning, pulling. and annoying. I will speak to my physician about this next week and I certainly hope it is not lifelong.

I have a nerve issue but it is not due to the incission and actual surgery. I had a daVinci that ended up taking much longer than anticipated- almost 8 hours. During the surgery I was positioned in a way that my right ulnar nerve was compressed (I am assuming at my elbow-think funny bone). I recall waking up in recovery complaining about my hand not anything else. It started out like my pinky/ ring finger and that side of my palm was very asleep with numbness/ tingling and loss of strength. Now at 4 weeks out it is very hypersensitive, painfull, itchy and I get frequent zaps of pain.

I spoke to my surgeon about it and he said it will take time to recover and I even went to my PCP this week to see if there is anything else we can do and she just said to try to ice the elbow and lets give it time and if that does not work then I can go see an Ortho. I just hope time helps, I also have continued to take Advil on a regular basis to hopefully decrease any swelling that is going on.

I will try to be patient but it is my right hand and I sort of need to use it. It also keeps me up at night with the zings and itches.

I feel bad for anyone who has any nerve issues, they are annoying and are tough to treat. Nerves heal very slowly.

Be strong.---Lisa

i just spoke with my doc today about the burning and numbness ive been getting in my groin/upper thigh region this afternoon.. and she advised me the same.. it can happen during surgery and should resolve itself.. i am worried it wont go away myself.. its a horrible nagging feeling.. the only thing i found that semi relieves it is when i elevate my left side by the buttocks a bit.. but its only short lived..

i hope both of our problems resolve quickly!!

Jeanine

I am 5 months postop from a LATVH with both ovaries removed. I have had right hip pain since the night of my surgery. I was on a Morphine drip after the surgery and still had severe pain in my right hip. I also had severe bruising on my right ankle. I finally got tired of dealing with my gyn of 23 years who did the surgery and went to see my PCP for this and continued pelvic cramping and pain. I am having an abdominal and plevic CT on Monday and then after she sees the results of that she is going to schedule me for an MRI of my right hip.
I hope you get some relief soon and do not have to go through the extended pain I have had for the last 5 months.
Good Luck in your recovery.

Hello,

I am new to the board and had my TAH 2 weeks ago today! I am feeling pretty good considering but like you I am experiencing severe nerve pain in my left groin/pelvis area.

It is a strong burning sensation that happens mainly when I get up from sitting or lying down. I also find that in the morning after a night of sleep my legs are weak and they tend to "shutter" for the first 30 seconds of standing.

I am a triathlete and can only hope that the pain goes away in time for training and the upcoming race season.

My doctor is aware of my issue and I will be seeing her in 4 weeks for my follow up. I am hoping at that time she can suggest something if I am still plagued by this.

I look forward to hearing if anyone has any success alleviating this severe discomfort and I will share any information I come across.

Cheers
nhutcheon

Hi, I am 3 weeks from abdominal hysterectomy and your symtoms are exactly like mine and i was told the same thing. I literally freeze in my tracks and scream about ten times a day from the sharp stabbing pains. aside from the 8 inch area of numbness and senstivity. "underwear"? forget it. that just aggravates it more. you are probably close to 3 months out now have you seen a diiference or anything that helped. Please help me if you have anything. I was suppose to have a simple vaginal only my uterus. Turns out I was full of endometriosis and adenomyosis so i was gutted like a fish when i woke up. No one has prepared me for any of this crazy stuff. I feel nuts and I won't ever be the same!! Thank you!!!Kristy

I'm almost 5 weeks out from my TAH/BSO, and I had some nerve damage on my left side like you. It went from making me want to puke that first week, to not bothering me very much right now. My surgeon said he probably cut a nerve in my skin from the incision. Hopefully your pain will resolve itself in time as well. Just take it easy and try not to stretch that side too much. For me, it hurt the most standing in the shower, so I got a shower chair to sit on. I probably limited my activity way more in the beginning than I might have if I didn't have the nerve pain. But that was probably a good thing. I didn't overdo it.

I had an abdominal hysterectomy in November 2010. When I woke up I noticed I could not feel either leg and could not move my left one. Upon further tests with all negative results it was concluded I have femoral nerve damage. I'm 8 months post op and all the Dr can tell me is, it takes time to heal. Is there anyone else that has a similar story?