Recovery after surgery, what's yours been like.

[Gianni]

I read these boards all the time and I have only heard of one person who has gotten almost 100% recovery. I would love to know what your experience has been, what stage post surgery you are at, what does your doctor tell you as far as what your recovery outcome should be. My son Gianni is now at one year post surgery and does not have much back except; he can bend at the elbow when his arm is lying on a table and he can shrug his shoulder now.
Best regards,
Maureen aka Gianni's mom

[cbe411]

Hi Gianni,
I am two and a half years post injury and one month post secondy surgery. i have use of my hand, though my wrist is weak. I can shrug my shoulder and with my arm hanging down, I can swing it back and forth (looks like an elephant trunk kinda). I still get horrible pains in my hand but other than that not much pain at all. The surgery that I just had is to try and regain some elbow flection (biceps). My doctor said that I should start to see something in about a nother month or so and it will problly take about a year to really see what is going to be the functional use of the arm. If that doesnt work, I can then go for the grasilius (sp?) muscle transfer for elbow flection. Thats where I am at geel free to email me with more questions! courtney@ubpn.org
Courtney

[Gianni]

Hi,

Did you have your surgery with Dr. Kline?

[cbe411]

No Dr, Nath in TX (2nd)and Dr. Wolff in KY (1st)
Courtney

[admin]

Courtney, what kind of injury did you have?

[Gianni]

When was your first, what was done and long after your injury did you have the surgery?

[cbe411]

I had a nerve graph 9 months after my accident. It stabilized my shoulder and gave me more strength in my hand. The second was a month ago and it was a nerve transfer, 20% of the median nerve plugged into my biceps. Might not need any more. Time will tell.
Courtney

[Gianni]

Was your first surgery nerve graft. Gianni had nine nerve grafts done. They removed an 18inch nerve from his leg.

[cbe411]

Yes I had a ceral (sp?) nerve graph done whnere they take the nerve from your leg. That was my first one.

[EllenB]

Just thinking... when you post on this thread with extent/timing of recovery from surgery, it would help if you also wrote the extent of the initial injury - perhaps which nerves were avulsed, which were stretched, etc.

Also, how about what was done in the surgery (like what nerves or muscles were transferred over, etc.) That would make it easier for purposes of comparison.

Thanks!

Ellen