Curious George
new member
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2021
- Messages
- 6
- Age
- 69
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
I am in need of a hip replacement. I am trying to choose between the anterior approach and the posterior approach to surgery before I choose a doctor.
I have read many medical articles and have also read many comments in forums that indicate that there is frequently (if not always) numbness and or pain in the thigh after anterior approach surgery. I need to get a better sense of how serious of a problem this is and for how long it lasts. I understand that this is a nerve issue and does not impair the function of the hip but it certainly seems to be a problem that many people have trouble dealing with post operatively. In some cases there is numbness that is permanent. In some cases there is pain that is permanent.
From what I understand, the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve is in the surgical field and cannot be avoided. It is either injured by dissection, by compresseion from the retractors that are used during surgery, by stretching, or by scar tissue that forms in the wound after surgery is complete. It seems like a big deal that this nerve injury is part of the package with the anterior approach.
If you have had hip replacement via the anterior approach and experienced numbness and or pain afterwards, I would be interested in knowing how difficult it was to deal with.
I have read many medical articles and have also read many comments in forums that indicate that there is frequently (if not always) numbness and or pain in the thigh after anterior approach surgery. I need to get a better sense of how serious of a problem this is and for how long it lasts. I understand that this is a nerve issue and does not impair the function of the hip but it certainly seems to be a problem that many people have trouble dealing with post operatively. In some cases there is numbness that is permanent. In some cases there is pain that is permanent.
From what I understand, the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve is in the surgical field and cannot be avoided. It is either injured by dissection, by compresseion from the retractors that are used during surgery, by stretching, or by scar tissue that forms in the wound after surgery is complete. It seems like a big deal that this nerve injury is part of the package with the anterior approach.
If you have had hip replacement via the anterior approach and experienced numbness and or pain afterwards, I would be interested in knowing how difficult it was to deal with.