Tuesday, April 17, 2007
The Lord Works in Mysterious Ways
Before you let the surgeon cut on you, he or she has to go over a list of things that can go wrong, in order to obtain informed consent to the surgery. They often give the best current medical estimate of the probability the major bad things happening: ...and you could aspirate your own vomit and die, but that rarely happens and it's never happened to any of my patients.
Regarding reconstruction of the knee, one of the things that can go poorly is that the surgeon could cut a nerve which will not regenerate and you could lose feeling in part of your leg, forever. ...but that rarely happens--much less than in 2% of patients with surgery like yours.
Except, of course, if it does happen then there was no difference, in the end, than if it was predicted at 100%. And in my ACL reconstruction about 12 years ago now, I lost feeling in the top front of my shin. You can almost cover the place with one hand. I can feel pressure, and I believe some heat, but the area has no sense of touch. None. It's numb.
But it's not all bad. Today in my header down the stairs, the major blow was to the very spot that is numb. I know there's some pain there, but I really can't feel but a twinge as I rise from sitting. So I got that going for me.
Regarding reconstruction of the knee, one of the things that can go poorly is that the surgeon could cut a nerve which will not regenerate and you could lose feeling in part of your leg, forever. ...but that rarely happens--much less than in 2% of patients with surgery like yours.
Except, of course, if it does happen then there was no difference, in the end, than if it was predicted at 100%. And in my ACL reconstruction about 12 years ago now, I lost feeling in the top front of my shin. You can almost cover the place with one hand. I can feel pressure, and I believe some heat, but the area has no sense of touch. None. It's numb.
But it's not all bad. Today in my header down the stairs, the major blow was to the very spot that is numb. I know there's some pain there, but I really can't feel but a twinge as I rise from sitting. So I got that going for me.
Labels: personal history; informed consent; numb skin
# posted by Roger Fraley @ 11:45 PM 
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I'm still debating whether or not to get mine reconstructed. I had the miniscus removed authroscopically (with a local so I could watch them do the surgery on the TV. That is a great way to get in touch with your mortality: seeing the inside of your knee on live TV) and I lost some feeling just below the knee-cap but it seems to be coming back slowly.
I'd hate to lose more, because it is unnerving (no pun intended) when you kneel and cant feel the floor.
I'd hate to lose more, because it is unnerving (no pun intended) when you kneel and cant feel the floor.
I know exactly how you feel. Good to hear the feeling is returning. If your meniscus is out, maybe you don't have to get a reconstruction but my dad lost his ACL at 16 and never got it fixed and his knee is a horrorshow now, 68 years later. If you're still active, give it a good think towards getting it done.
Another low-probability "complication" of normally routine medical work is Lingual Paresthesia, which can happen any time you get oral anesthesia. (Say, when you get a cavity filled.)
The good news is that you usually recover full feeling in the tongue. The bad news is that it can take six months or more.
They don't tell you about the possibility of this in advance; one guess as to how I know about it.
The good news is that you usually recover full feeling in the tongue. The bad news is that it can take six months or more.
They don't tell you about the possibility of this in advance; one guess as to how I know about it.
Removing the meniscus lets me move like a normal person, but if I do anything funny, my knee pops out.
My free surgeon moved to England (I'll give you one guess why) and I don't trust any of the other state surgeons to do it, so I would have to pay for a sports clinic.
I'll let you know how much.
My free surgeon moved to England (I'll give you one guess why) and I don't trust any of the other state surgeons to do it, so I would have to pay for a sports clinic.
I'll let you know how much.
Doug, did you slur your speech or have trouble eating with Lingual Paresthesia? Or was it just a wierd feeling you had for half a year? And not even warned it could happen. I'd say you had a case but it's your wife's loss of consortium claim that would win the day (joking).
Wait, Mike, there's trouble in the socialist doctor's heaven of the Czech Republic? I'm shocked. I'm obviously not a doctor but I use them all the time. It sounds like you need stabilization. What cost do you put on walking pain free from age 65 to death? Let me know what's going on.
Wait, Mike, there's trouble in the socialist doctor's heaven of the Czech Republic? I'm shocked. I'm obviously not a doctor but I use them all the time. It sounds like you need stabilization. What cost do you put on walking pain free from age 65 to death? Let me know what's going on.
It's still not quite resolved (procedure in early January), but it's back to probably 90-95%. Slurring for a couple of weeks, tingling ranging from mild to painful for much of the time.
I decided not to pursue legal action because I didn't see anything that looked negligent. Just because it sucked for me doesn't mean that somebody needed to be sued.
Whining, however, seemed entirely in order. 8-)
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I decided not to pursue legal action because I didn't see anything that looked negligent. Just because it sucked for me doesn't mean that somebody needed to be sued.
Whining, however, seemed entirely in order. 8-)
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