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Damage from Iovera Nerve block prior to TKR
I had right TKR 18 weeks ago. Prior to surgery I had lower leg neuropathy and a neurologist could not determine why after testing (you're part of the 20% of the population that gets it for an unknown reason she said). My surgeon recommended the Iovera nerve block prior to surgery because it would help with pain after the surgery. He said that the nerve block would last for about 3 months. I had no problem when the injection was done, minimal bruising and my leg was numb. It's now been more than 3 months later and I still have numbness going all the way down the inside of my thigh to my knee and when I touched the skin it feels like someone's taking a razor blade and slicing my skin open. I'm also having problems when I bend my leg in certain ways or touch my leg in certain spots I start get sharp nerve pains down on my lower leg. I don't know if this is from the Iovera injection or not. And I have a feeling nobody's really going to tell me. Has this happened to anybody else? I already had a chronic pain condition before surgery and if I had known that I would feel the way I do now I don't think I would have had my knee replaced!
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I don't want to be the voice of doom for you (lol not).
However, in my opinion you should have had your surgery.
As extremely painful as the Iovera treatment was (I also screamed) & the feeling of a wooden leg with stiffness up until recently, that is the entire idea to sharply minimize your pain after your surgery & during the weeks following going thru rehab p.t. The nerve freeze with the nitrous oxide will definitely subside. It just is different with each person. Both of my knees prior to surgery were totally bone on bone & absolutely no cartiledge left. So it would have just been a matter of time before I could not walk at all. So that is something you need to give careful thought. All of these medical issues will end up passing in due time. p.s. I am a very active 72 year old & I believe that is why my surgeon released me to drive just after 3 weeks. However, due to pain, I postponed it another week. Am overall doing much better now. My P.T. therapist advised me on Saturday after my session that most knee replacement patients can expect some degree of pain & swelling anywhere from 6 months to a year. Hope my thoughts were helpful. I hope to have my other knee replaced at least by next summer. Or I will end up walking with a severe limp as my left knee has almost given out now.
I rescheduled it for Feb and now I also need a new shoulder
Both joints on the right side has osteoarthritis
I will turn 80 this month and have had no surgeries except cataract which I woke up in the
middle of it in horrible pain so needless to say I am terrified
As far as I am concerned IOVERA is a horror but that is just my opinion as well as others too
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2 ReactionsDo you go somewhere to get laser treatments or are you able to do at home?
Just reading the updates and came across this. My experience with Iovera was not a wooden leg feeling. In fact, everything except my knee was numbed. The procedure itself was not that painful, it was and is what I am experiencing now. Burning pain, muscle pain, just generally painful where I expected it to be numb. I did not have the surgery due to another reason and I didn't know I wasn't having it until the day after Iovera treatment. So I am still suffering from the painful effects of the Iovera. I hear it works for some people, for me it would have just been a painful addition to the surgery. It is a chance people take but I would never do it again.
Yes my chiropractor does it and graston which I found very helpful later in recovery… hope you are well and getting stronger every day