J
Jill1004
Guest
I had a total knee replacement 2-1/2 months ago with spinal anesthesia (epidural block that was supposed to help with pain after the surgery) and sedation. The epidural was given to me in the OR after I was already asleep. I was supposed to be nurab through that day and night and therefore I had no morphine pump postop. However, within an hour of being back to my room, the nurabness began to wear off and the pain got really bad really fast.
To make a very long story short - since my knee replacement I have been unable to lift my leg at all, bend it more than 50 degrees (and that's with PT), as well as having problems with my bladder/urinary stream. I have undergone x-rays, lurabar spine CT scan, EMG/NCS and was seen by a spine surgeon yesterday. The nerve studies showed (in layman's terms) femoral nerve damage as well as damage to the vastus medialis (inner quad muscle).
At first it was thought the damage was from the tourniquet that was applied during the surgery, but the spine surgeon, after reading all the test results and OR reports, feels that because of what the nerve studies show, the damage was done at the time of the epidural. The CT scan was negative.
In order for the spine surgeon to be completely certain he has to ruleout issues with the discs, nerves, etc. I cannot have an MRI due to a pain management device I have implanted (I am s/p C4-7 ACDF w/ instrumentation) so the spine surgeon wants to do a CT myelogram.
I have been told by my PT and ortho knee surgeon that I will need a manipulation for my knee as well as probable surgery for my knee cap. Apparently the lack of nerve/muscle function is keeping my leg weak and leaving me unable to bend, as well as the muscle isn't doing what it is supposed to to "track" my kneecap. I cannot undergo any procedure on my knee until the femoral nerve issue is better - and they don't know if it will heal/regenerate itself with time or if its permanent.
I'm concerned about the myelogram. Letting someone go into my spine in the same area where I had the epidural prior is terrifying. (I will not be going to the same hospital/anesthesiologist who did my epidural). Any thoughts or worRAB of encouragement would be appreciated. I am only 45... and I want desperately to get to the bottom of all of this. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
~J
To make a very long story short - since my knee replacement I have been unable to lift my leg at all, bend it more than 50 degrees (and that's with PT), as well as having problems with my bladder/urinary stream. I have undergone x-rays, lurabar spine CT scan, EMG/NCS and was seen by a spine surgeon yesterday. The nerve studies showed (in layman's terms) femoral nerve damage as well as damage to the vastus medialis (inner quad muscle).
At first it was thought the damage was from the tourniquet that was applied during the surgery, but the spine surgeon, after reading all the test results and OR reports, feels that because of what the nerve studies show, the damage was done at the time of the epidural. The CT scan was negative.
In order for the spine surgeon to be completely certain he has to ruleout issues with the discs, nerves, etc. I cannot have an MRI due to a pain management device I have implanted (I am s/p C4-7 ACDF w/ instrumentation) so the spine surgeon wants to do a CT myelogram.
I have been told by my PT and ortho knee surgeon that I will need a manipulation for my knee as well as probable surgery for my knee cap. Apparently the lack of nerve/muscle function is keeping my leg weak and leaving me unable to bend, as well as the muscle isn't doing what it is supposed to to "track" my kneecap. I cannot undergo any procedure on my knee until the femoral nerve issue is better - and they don't know if it will heal/regenerate itself with time or if its permanent.
I'm concerned about the myelogram. Letting someone go into my spine in the same area where I had the epidural prior is terrifying. (I will not be going to the same hospital/anesthesiologist who did my epidural). Any thoughts or worRAB of encouragement would be appreciated. I am only 45... and I want desperately to get to the bottom of all of this. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
~J