Post operative pain?

[Missifit]

My daughter underwent decompression with laminectomy & dural patch on 10/28/15. Everything seemed to be going well until this past Monday when she developed left shoulder pain as well as left chest wall/rib pain. We contacted her neurosurgeon's office who advised her that this type of pain was not uncommon after surgery and advised her to continue taking her muscle relaxants and pain medications. Well, the pain continued and has now escalated to the point where we are waiting in ER to be seen. She has no shortness of breath but states it hurts with every breath. My question is this...has anyone else experienced this type of pain after surgery?

[selmaS]

  A true Chiari specialist will be able to help even if they did not do the original surgery this is what also sets them apart from just a NS.

Contact a few on the list to see  1- if they are true specialists....(meaning they will not say no bcuz you already had surgery)2-if they can help with this new surgery and or refer you to someone.3-after going thru the list, you may find you need to go out of state for help.

[fro510]

That is unfortunate because my ns has retired and is not an option and I don't live in the state of the operation so he could not recommend anyone-

[selmaS]

  Once we have had surgery our spine is no longer a virgin spine...so many Drs will not even look at us, so to have someone look at you try your NS that did your decompression they should be able to help you.

I know my surgeon  had an ortho surgeon working out of the same office.

As for how long it takes to get your ROM will be different for everyone...where I was at that time...no idea anymore % wise....but I know I wanted to make sure I got more ROM ...and I can't say back bcuz I didn't have much ROM for yrs....but I do have more now then I ever had.!

And I can also let you know for me recovery was slow and I saw benefits over the last 6.5 yrs...it is not all going to be right after surgery...it takes time at least for me it did...and I know some of that is due to me also having EDS....we heal slower.

I have stenosis and bulging disks and have not addressed them either....again if I felt it was an issue now I would....but I am doing well and recovery from surgery would be a set back in what I am now able to do....so I am not ready for that....

[fro510]

Thanks for your sympathy for my Angelo - it was such a shock and sadness before leaving for the surgery. It was also difficult for my little girl, dog, as he lead her and we both left her at the same time. I had to leave her with my dad for 11 days and she had same issues that took Angelo. I was very worried about her as he is not a dog person. when I returned home I had to take her to the emergency room but she is doing better now. This was quite a ride!

Do u have a recommendation on a spine surgeon?  Thanks for all your help and sorry to unload my issues to u.

[fro510]

Thanks Selma. The ortho dr says they believe I have torn the trapezius and have nerve damage to the trapezius. I have an edema about 1 cm - lump under the skin that is visible- they think it might go away with time- he does not know what to do about the tear as no one tears their trapezius. He recommended a spine surgeon neurologist to deal with the stenosis and the bulging discs. I am looking for one to develope a relationship- I know it is too early for surgery to relive the nerve pain. I do use the heat to move my neck but not after the exercise- I will try that- I will increase the number of times as you suggest.  Sounds like you think it is ok that I still have stiffness and pain at this point in my recovery.  Since this is new to me I don't know how to measure my progress.  I have about 40-60 percent range of the neck as measured by the pt- is this typical at this point?

[selmaS]

  Aww my sympathies on the loss of your Angelo....I know how hard it is  to lose a beloved pet.

How often are you doing the neck exercises? I was doing them a few times a day....and built up over time....

I also used a heating pad b4 and after the exercises to help loosen the muscles....I was told no more then 15 mins at a time for the heat.

It is possible the numbness is part of recovery....do not rush to DX it as it is  going to take time for you to heal completely....

Try heat along with the exercises as much as you can,,,,build slowly.

[fro510]

Thanks for your reply. Yes I was doing the neck exercises once I left the hospital and have been in pt since 5 weeks post op.  My pt can move my neck fairly easy while I am laying down and I can move in the morning- by late afternoon I can move it but have pain.  I think they did not push the neck exercises while in the hospital because I was in intensive care longer and had a set back once in a room- I was throwing up and not aware of my surroundings but in a lot of pain.  I was only on Tramadol for pain and for some reason the nausea medicine was not working for a few days.  This was harder on me than I thought and was made harder because I had to unexpectly say goodbye to one of my dogs, my angel, Angelo on Monday before the operation. My neck muscle on the right side was like a guitar string at first and in the last month it has loosened up. I was also told that I have occipital neuralgia.  Has anyone had muscle atrophy after surgery. I will see what the dr has to say today- I also have numbness in my back and the right side of neck at times- do u think this is nerve damage - has this happened to anyone else.

[selmaS]

  Hi....Sorry no I have not heard of any issues like a tear to the shoulder area post op.


The neck issue could be if you are not doing neck exercises.....I had a PT come into my room once out of ICU and given exercises to do to help prevent a stiff neck ....were you given any? Do you still do them?

Scar tissue and stiff muscles can cause all sorts of issues post op...make sure these 2 things are not contributing to the issues you have now b4 you do anything more......try the proper neck exercises to see if you can loosen up those muscles first. Scar tissue will form during recovery if you do not move your neck....hopefully that has not happened yet....

[fro510]

I wanted to thank everyone for their prayers for my surgery on July 16th. I did not post after surgery because I have been struggling with my recovery. Like misfit's daughter I had the same problems after surgery- pain in my right shoulder and upper part of my right chest. The doctors looked for a clot but did not find one. I was told that my my spinal stenosis in c5-8 was worse than thought before surgery and if known they would have recommended surgery on this before the decompression. The surgeon says the stenosis is causing the atrophy in the trapezius.  I went to my shoulder dr for the pain and lump that is in the shoulder area above the spine. They say I have nerve damage to the trapezius and maybe a tear- the MRI is not clear other than edema in this area- I see my ortho dr tomorrow to see what is next- has anyone experienced a tear of the trapezius from decompression surgery?  Is this from my stenosis? Also my neck is still very stiff and painful especially the right side- is this normal or should I be better by this time. The neck is better in the morning but by day's end I have pain and stiffness when turning my neck and the pain in my chest, back and shoulder area is painful when standing- any help with these issues is appreciated.

[selmaS]

  Wow an embolism....glad they found it and will be heading home soon.

I was not thinking a child....my daughter is close in age to yours.....

And I still consider her my child even though she is an adult...lol....

I hope you continue to post and allow us tp know the progression of your daughters recovery.. <3

[Missifit]

Selma, thank you so much for responding. Unfortunately, my daughter had developed a PE in her left lung. We are currently on day 4 of a hospital stay. Heparin started on Wednesday and Coumadin on Friday. She will hopefully be released tomorrow or Tuesday. Doing well now but pain was really excruciating for the first 48 hours. I am hoping that she will decide to share her experience on this forum once she is able. I had been a "stalker" on these pages since her diagnosis on October 1st but she didn't want to read anything other than her surgeon recommended information until surgery was complete. I should add that my daughter is 31 unless I gave the impression that she is a child. Once again, thank you for responding to my question. Sincerely, Melissa

[selmaS]

  Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum?
  I am so sorry to be answering so late.....did the ER help?

Not sure about anyone having that type of pain post op.....but I did have muscle spasms for some time  after my surgery but it was not so soon after.....plus I do have EDS and attributed to that and not surgery.

The muscle relaxants are something she will need to be on for some time....at least I was.

If she has EDS it could be Costochondritis,