Numbness on the Right side of face after surgery

[Talia82]

Hi I am a 26 yr old female. I was in a car accident in which I had shattered my orbital floor on my right side back in Dec. Since then I have had two surgerys to fix the fracture.  The last surgery I have had was about a month ago. I woke up from this surgery with numbness o underneath my right eye that goes down through my nose, cheek, and upper part of my lip.  My doctor had said that it was due to local anaesthetic  he had injected into a nerve, that it would go away in about a week.  A month or so later, nothing has changed. Please can you help with what  possibilites it could be.  I am desperate and confused right about now.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

Orbital floor surgery is almost always associated with post operative numbness of the lower lid, cheek and lip (just like you).   Most people recover normal sensation but it may take 6-12 months.  The numbness is due to a combination of the injury damaging the infraorbital nerve and fixing the fracture further unavoidably injures it.

JCH IIIMD

[Talia82]

Thank You very much for the response, it is greatly appreciated.  I do go see my doctor in about 2 days, do you think there are any questions I should ask him?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

What is your best estimate of how long this numbness will last.
JCH II MD

[Talia82]

I wanted to thank you. I went to see my doctor yesterday and he gave me an estimate of 2 yrs that the numbness can last, which seems a little long for me.  The explanation for the numbness he keeps stating is from general/local anaesthetic, that just doesnt sit well with me.  Also not to mention the fact that I have double vision worse than I did before.  My surgeon keeps telling me to do eye exercises but my eye doctor is telling me that its not going to do anything for me. I dont know who to believe or what to do...the double vision use to be when I only looked down, now it is constant.  Any ideas?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

Yes, I would suggest you get a second opinion from a strabismus Eye MD (often called a pediatric ophthalmologist).  Find one at www.aao.org or ask your present Eye MD for a consultation.  Everyone is different but my experience is that 6-12 months post surgery/injury things are much better in terms of numbness.

JCH III MD