Hello folks,

About a month ago, I had SRS with Dr. Chettawut. I'm pretty happy with the results: cosmetically it looks fine (or will, at least, once the swelling goes down); depth is good, and still the same as when they removed the packing; and my clitoris is so hypersensitive that I have no doubts I'll be able to orgasm. There's still a fair amount of soreness down there, particularly after I sit or walk, but I chalk that up to the normal healing process.

However, ever since the operation, I've had numbness and pain in two other areas: my left middle finger, and the left side of my right foot. (The foot pain is particularly bad and has only got worse over the past several days, while the middle finger is mostly just numb but hurts a bit when touched.) And presumably not coïncidentally, right below said finger is where they inserted the IV during surgery and recovery, while some Googling suggests to me the foot pain is consistent with a "pinched nerve at L5," which clearly could have been triggered the insertion of the epidural.

It seems clear that I have pinched nerves and/or nerve damage in both areas. I have some questions that I was hoping folks with experience might be able to answer:

• Have others experienced this after SRS (or other procedures for that matter), with Chettawut or anyone else? Is it normal?
• Is the condition temporary, or permanent? If temporary, how long will it last? If permanent, can I get it repaired?
• Is there anything I can do to relieve the pain temporarily? (Tylenol doesn't help.)

Not sure about the IV thing.

As for pinched nerve. Many girls have that and i feel it is more from spending all the time in the stirrups.

That is what many i know have said.

I would ask your MD for there advice.

Isabell

I did not go to Dr. Chett, but a couple of days after my IV was taken out, I developed a bruise at the site of the IV catheter insertion and it was a nuisance for about a week and a half, but no worse than that.  It cleared up and did develop some scar tissue that is a bit more tender that the spot was before.

I would certainly get the foot thing checked out, but I agree with Izzy, that it could be a pressure sore from where your foot was in one of the stirrups while on the table.  They had some heavy socks on me to prevent that, and keep my feet from getting too cold during the surgery. Again, I did not have Dr. Chett or his staff, but surgery is surgery and human bodies are human bodies.

Thanks for the replies. I saw a gynecologist this past week and I mentioned these problems to her. Her immediate thought for the foot pain was also bruising/pinching from the stirrups from during the operation. She suggested it would go away after a few more weeks.

Chet also uses compression socks and those inflate-y things to prevent DVT for the first two days post-op; I even asked the nurse to take the right one off at one point because I was afraid the numbness (not yet pain) in my foot meant circulation was getting cut off. Not sure if they might have contributed to this as well.

What concerns me, though, is how long after the operation this has continued: just over a month, now. I wouldn't expect pain from bruising or twisting to last that long. I've also noticed off-and-on numbness in parts of the right leg, too. But I guess the increased pain replacing numbness in my foot could be a good sign, as it suggests the nerve is reconnecting and transmitting things again. I just hope it goes away soon, because it's quite painful, Tylenol and my dwindling supply of Tramadol don't help, and worst, it interferes with my sleep. 

Well, I saw a general practitioner about this a few days ago and he told me to try capsaicin cream. Expensive stuff, and it had no effect whatsoever. I'm going to see if I can get a referral to a neurologist...

I'm in week six now, and the finger pain has gotten worse over the past few days while the foot pain has stayed constant. Still having serious trouble sleeping. Painkillers still do nothing.