Numbing of toes and fingers on right side post-op?

[LifeInLimbo]

Greetings everyone, just got out of surgery yesterday morning with doctor Suporn over 24hour ago. I have had a numbing feeling but still have some feeling in ball to the toes on my right foot and fingers on right hand. Is this normal to  happen after anesthesia or surgery? I never vomited after coming out of anesthesia either oddly enough or felt nauseous other than completely loopy.

Any idea if this will resolved over time?  Sorry for the typo's though as my dominant hand is the right one so the slight numbness in these fingers are making it more difficult to type. It is also getting very annoying and fast. They did add an orange/brown liquid to the drop bag for the numbness but it has not done anything much for it if at all.

THey mentioned that is was 'very rare' to happen but wouldn't give a reason for it happening. I'm thinking that they wrapped my feet to keep them warm with ace bandages but not sure about the hands so it could be last frostbite considering how cold they kept the operating theater.

[Sandy]

First off, congratulations!!!

It may happen as a result of having your legs in an elevated position for the time you were in surgery.

Even though your legs were resting in padded rests, they were elevated for hours.  This can cause temporary numbness in the legs due to blood flow restriction and nerve pinching.  Occasionally it could affect the body as well.

This should be temporary and pass in a few days.

After my surgery, I had almost no feeling in my legs for days.  I didn't get full feeling back for weeks.

You'll be fine.

-Sandy

[Monkeymel]

Did you have an epidural block? There would be a needle in your back and a valve on your thorax?

My surgery with Chettawut was four weeks ago. It took about 6-8 hours to get normal feeling back to my feet - left side first and then hours later, the right side. Can you move the does or is everything blocked? If this continues a lot keep telling the nurses. Assuming you are still in the clinic and wired to ECG you should be fine. Just relax and enjoy the loopy experience (Or not).

[LifeInLimbo]

no ecg or blocks, just IV's Catheter, drain tube and bed. They  come in to change icepack and check vitals - about it,

[LifeInLimbo]

SO far the feeling has gone away. Fingers and toes are no longer numb much if at all so it's going away with time which is a relief. Now it's just a matter of getting through the next few days of hell with this uncomfortable packing and bandaging.  Then the fun starts after.. so to speak.. *groan*.

I do find the staff here at aikchol hospital have been incredibly wonderful and could not ask for better. THey also say to not order foo d for the other person with you but we've been sharing the food between ourselves as we don't have too bit of appetites anyway so it all works out.

[Monkeymel]

I'm really glad the feeling is returning - a real relief I suspect!

With a four week headstart the memories remain fresh. Once the packing and catheter are out and you can shower... It feels so good to be up and about. Life had changed now. Congratulations

[Julieb1]

I had numbness in my right foot after surgery and intermittent after my final surgery its now all ok

julie  xx

[LifeInLimbo]

one thing i do notice which might be a result of the operating table they used (I was laying as If I were literally about to be nailed to the cross).This image is pretty close to the operating table they had me on:


Normally I stretch  my arms heavily even backward in awkward positions so I don't have flexibility issues too much. However ever since I've been able to move after a few days the Posterior Axillary Fold near the Glenois muscle of my arm pit right in the center.. when I stretch to a certain point I experience a sudden sharp stabbing pain almost debilitating.. nearly putting me in tears but the pain dissipates after about 5 minutes long as the arm is not stretched and at rest. Long as I don't stretch it or flex that part too much I wont have any form of this instantaneous pain but it's got me worried.

Could this be a side effect of being strapped to the operating table for so many hours? I literally felt no side effects from the anesthesia.. no nausea, vomiting, etc.. just weird numbness on the right that subsided but this sudden debilitating pain in the axillary muscle of my right armpit actually has me very worried. Could there be a possibility that they may have been rough with me on the table and slightly tore the muscle there?

Dr. Suporn has left the building already but will be seeing him tomorrow to have the catheter removed so will have him look into it then as well.

[Monkeymel]

I had some sharp twinges in my right arm as well but they went after a few days. Nothing as bad as you describe though. Hope it passes and you can use this time to relax and let healing take over.

[LifeInLimbo]

Good to know. I'm being released tomorrow from the hospital so it's been persistent in the pain trigger. I've had my beloved with me the whole time which has make everything go well.

I also as I came to think of i... Aside from the issues mentioned I've barely experienced any pain although they are giving me a very small dose of Valium along with the usual anti inflammatory and pair of oral antibiotics. The only thing that actually bothers me far as the surgery is the shaved hair growing back causing intense itching with the occasional ingrown hairs and irritation along with some of the stitching ends sticking out and stabbing me in very uncomfortable ways.