5 Questions do you know the answers?

[EllenB]

Just a brief summary (for a change!) of my thoughts re your dr visit - and from all the info you got, he does sound thorough & experienced:

1. John had the phrenic nerve (breathing) taken Feb '03. Strong nerve since it works 24/7. He has a partially collapsed lung from it but absolutely no ill effects (still a competitive athelete, etc.) I agree, though, that having been a smoker should make you cautious (unless lung tests have put you in the clear by now??)

3. John also had the contralateral C7 done Feb '03, no ill effects once he did therapy to re-strengthen his muscle on his good arm. I think it's easier to retrain the brain w/ this transfer since it just needs to relearn left vs right (or right vs left) as opposed to turning a chest nerve into an arm one.

If the thigh nerve being referred to is the gracilis, John had that done with no problems. Last April a gracilis muscle/tendon was transferred to lower arm (along w/intercostal nerve) to give hand grip, and John was able to make a fist by last fall (so I'm not sure what's with the 18 mos wait to see results... unless this function for you would be powered w/a nerve that has to grow down the length of the arm?)

If the calve nerves are sural, John's were taken for nerve grafts in the Feb '03 surgery. He just has a little numb place on the outside of each foot - not a biggie.

Keep us posted & let us know how we can support/help.

Take care,

Ellen

[Susana]

Ellen, so John's doesn't have to grow from the neck.

[EllenB]

The quickest recoveries so far were from surgeries involving the gracilis transfers (shoulder/elbow bend, fist). The intercostal powers the gracilis that causes John to make a fist, and one of the doctors told us in recovery he'd been able to get that nerve about an inch from the muscle - so it just took several months to see progress there.

The longer nerve growth is related to the contralateral C7 & phrenic nerves, powering bicep & deltoid. Right about now would be the soonest Mayo would expect to see anything from these transfers (and since both were done in the Feb '03 surgery, we're at 12 months now.) So conceivably it could be 16-18 months with these. John will be back at Mayo in late May, & will have EMG to check progress if we don't notice anything sooner.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you have other questions.

Ellen

[EllenB]

Absolutely will give John matey G'Day cheers - thanks!

Please keep us posted.

Ellen

[admin]

As far as I know shoulder shrugging is on c4 and not c5.