United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

i had a nerve trasplant 2 days ago, involving taking a triceps branch and trasplanting it to the axilary nerve. just as the docters said my tricep and deltoid are numb, but on my front side of my forarm there is a numb region that extends from my elbo down to my hand. i was wondering what caused that. the doctors said its just a reactoin from the surgy, and only worry if i lose strength in my hand, which i have not. they said the numb ness will heal itself but, i am still worried. does anybody have a clue what this is?

Sorry don't know about the numbness. Wanted to wish you a speedy and full recovery. So, glad the surgery is behind you for now. I know how stressfull that can be.
Sue

I'm impressed you felt up to emailing just two days after surgery! I'm Ellen, who Kath tried to get in touch with you a couple weeks ago but I didn't get her emails. Please let me know if you have questions & I'll try to answer them. Also, I have a pdf file that tells about John's surgeries at Mayo and I can send that to your email if you'd like. My email is LNBram@bellsouth.net and you can send me yours.

Re the numbness, I'd just give it some time as your doctors suggested. John had some numbness from the sural nerve surgery, and it lessoned over time until it got to the size of a quarter, which is what Mayo said to expect.

Take care,

Ellen

Numbness is a normal reaction to surgery that I am noticing as I get older. I had my 5th surgery this past May and the surgery didnt have anything to do with my nerves, the moved a tendon in my shoulder but it made my hand go numb. That took about 6 weeks or maybe closer to 2 months to go away. Now my hand is doing much better as the numbness is finally gone!
If your docs think it will go away it more than likely will, Mayo docs seem to know what they are doing! Thats where I had my last surgery and it was like a miracle for me.

Hope your healing time passes quickly and you are not in much pain! Good luck!
Amy 20 years old ROBPI from MN

Hey I haven't been on much but I have a son 13 years old and his accident was in October of 2005 and his right arm has some little movement and he does well with one arm but it is frustrating and all he wants to do is give up we go back to Mayo in February for a check up and I am just not still dealing with this at all I feel so bad for him all he does is wish for his arm to be normal and what I am trying to get at is PLEASE don't give up I am still working with him and I know it takes time but one day at a time they tell me so please keep working with it and all should be fine. Judy

Hey there. I had the same numbness along the top of my forearm, and in the region between my indexfinger and thumb after my first surgery. But it seems to have decreased. I also have pins and needles in my thumb and forefinger, and the sensations seem to have changed since surgery. Also the numbness in my left foot, from the sural nerve removal seems to be going. I too had a similar distall bypass surgery on the 27th of october 2007, using a triceps branch and another to reinervate my deltoid and bicep. touch wood that it is working. good luck to us all!
Shaun

Marion and Shaunn,

I think there's a good chance I will be having the same nerve transplant surgery you both had (triceps to deltoid). I have one more EMG on the 21st of this month and then we will make a definite decision.

I was hoping you could share a little info about your surgical experience i.e., how long does the surgery take? how many days (if any) were you in the hospital? are you in a sling...for how long? how long were you out of work? how long before you noticed any improvement in your deltoid muscle?

I know it's a lot of questions...but I would really appreciate any and all information you'd be willing to share!

Thanks,
MB

Hi there MB.
Well the surgery itself was 6 hours...my first surgery was 8 hours...so getting better..hehe
i was only in hospital for a few days.
Apparently the way the neurotization that the surgeon performed, there is much less risk of messing up the nerve surgery than before in my previous sural nerve graft surgery. i was in a sling for a month, and now wear it less, but still on occasion. i find it hard to have a swinging lifeless arm there. easier in a sling for me. so far i feel my deltoid is coming back. i am able to hold it away from my body slightly, and move it. nothing yet on the bicep, fingers and toes crossed...hehe..my muscle is severely atrophied so every day i do exercises in range of motion and movement.ive been back at work for a month now.luckily my hand, forearm etc werent affected, so i am able to do most things. just my damn bicep and deltoid.
I think the surgery is the way to go, any chance at getting the movement back..ill take it! good luck to all of us!

Shaunn,

Thanks for your reply. I know what you mean about wearing the sling instead of having your arm just hanging there. Before my bicpes decided to wake up, I, chose to wear my sling, too.

I'm a teacher. If I decide to have the surgery, how long do you think I'll be out of school?

Thanks so much!
MB

MB,
Well after 4 weeks i was allowed unrestricted physio on the arm. So i would think around 4 1/2 weeks including time spent in hospital,to be ultra safe, but you will still be able to do most things...i guess it depends on how active you have to be at school...but the surgeon did say the type of neurotisation didnt have the nerves under any stretch or tension like my first surgery..