Numbness, and inability to extend leg below knee following THR

Hi...yes, they sent me to the hospital immediately after my 2-week follow-up with my surgeon's assistant....they thought I might have one (or more) blood clots. But, at THAT time, I didn't have any of the purple/mottling color.....he just looked at the swelling & some redness & sent me straight to radiology. I had an ultra-sound, it showed nothing. I was relieved, but evidently this is 'normal' with some people? I'm SO thankful to not have the horrible pain of osteoarthritis in my hip anymore (dealt with it for so long), but it's like you 'trade' one thing just for another. If it doesn't get any worse, I'll just wait for my next appointment. Thank you so much!! (thank God I found this site, people are so helpful)

I had my surgery end of January and just recently able to almost walk normally. I never had pain in my hip but my knee pain woke me up at night for years. I had no idea that a bad hip could make your knee so painful that you wanted to cry. Just take one day at a time. I’d love to know how you feel two months from now. Hoping like myself you will feel much better.

Hi...I had total hip replacement (right side) on Mar. 27th, 2023. I have also had numbness, exactly the same as you have described. MOST of that has disappeared, as of last week, but I still have swelling in my right leg and foot....I can drive, thank God, though. I'd go nuts if I couldn't. What I am worried about right now is that on the inside of my lower right leg and foot, it is red, purple and mottled. Why? The foot is painful. I also had (much) more pain than what I was told. I'm not a complainer, but when I was told it (the surgery) "will be a piece of cake", it was just the opposite. I told myself to just hang in there, it would get better. I was told practically nothing before I left the hospital the next day....so I thank God that I am healing. The worst is my lower back, but maybe I am doing too much (been cleaning & working in the yard, should I be?)....or moving in the wrong way. To be TRUTHFUL, if I could have, I would have stayed longer in the hospital (which I thought I would NEVER say LOL!)....I know a lady who, because of Medicare, and the fact that she lived alone, was allowed 14 days....her room was next to the physical therapy room and she loved it. Even though I don't live alone, it could have really made it less stressful to stay in the hospital.....and let THEM take care of me & make sure I did my therapy. I had my 6 wk. follow-up with the surgeon (they x-rayed the hip, all was fine they said)....I showed him all the mottling & told him the foot hurts....I can live with all of this as long as I know that I am healing correctly & what I am experiencing now will simply eventually go away. ALL he said was, "Put on the compression sock." That is NOT the answer. Hopefully, what is going on is just an 'after-affect' of the surgery....and it will disappear. I know everyone is different....and we all heal differently and in our own time. It is the fact that no one actually prepared me for ANYTHING before the surgery. I'll make it, though....I'm past that 'hump' and just need to know what is going on with me now. Don't see the surgeon for another 6 wks. I just wish everyone good health here....I envy the people who have been well-advised before they had different surgeries. LOL I bungled through but will be fine! If anyone has had the red/purple mottling and leg/foot pain after a hip replacement, I'd sure appreciate knowing. I just tell myself that I've gone through worse...and this, too will just get better. Thanks for listening! 🙂

I just googled “mottled bruising after hip replacement surgery “
And apparently it’s common even down the leg into the foot.

Hi....thank you!! < 3 LOL you just made me feel better. Better go....have flowers to water outside....and wow, it's in the 90's....yuk!! But thanks so very much.

Sorry to hear this Monica. I guess there are all types of things that can and do go wrong with these surgeries. I am interested to hear about your numbness going away. Was it just suddenly or did parts start to return to normal over several days?

And I too wish I had not had my surgery done at the same day surgery center. I think if I were in the hospital, they would have listened more when I told how much my leg was throbbing, which now I know what due to the nerve damage. I would never have this procedure done again unless I was literally having to crawl around. This has been a miserable experience and it's made worse by all the well meaning people who tell you that they recovered in a few weeks and it's the best thing they have ever done.

Hi.....the numbness didn't go away right away....or all of it at one time. It was a little at a time, in different areas. I can't say it will not come back, because it has at times...but since it had 'let up' already, I didn't worry so much. I DID mention the numbness to the surgeon....the surgeon's assistant AND his nurse.....they told me that hip replacement patients have different 'experiences' after this surgery. Different experiences? To me, that's not much of an answer.....it's an answer when they really don't have a better one. It's like today, my thigh hurt all day....I keep telling myself, that as long as I never have the excruciating pain that I had in the hip....sometimes not walking, not sleeping, always limping because of the pain, etc., I can 'take' this other stuff. I wish I could give better answers. I know what you mean about the 'well-meaning people'. I'm probably not much better...so FAR, I AM glad I had this done....the lower back is bad, might get a support belt for that. I wish so BADLY that this was going better for you....it's bad enough to go through the surgery....then be sent on your way the next day, only to go through off of that! Do you mean that the surgery caused the nerve damage? Can they not do ANYTHING to alleviate that? God, you should NOT have to go through all of that! I actually didn't realize that I would go home the next day (stupid me)....I was given the choice of 2 hospitals....the ONE hospital has such a bad reputation, all you ever hear is "You go there to die"....well, I should have taken that one!! Still would have been the same surgeon....could have stayed longer. It's all over with now.....please keep us updated. I just want something that can be done to HELP you. I was depressed when I came home....the pain was so bad....but I can't even imagine what you are dealing with. I wish you the very best....improvement, but I know those words don't help. One guy on here said he had NO pain whatsoever....even right after the surgery!! Sorry, I can't believe that. To be cut into and have an 8" rod put inside your hip, plus a socket....and have no pain whatsoever? Not buying it. The opiates helped, but got off them as quick as I could...taking those is a double-edged sword. Better go...please let us know how your doing.

Hi Monica, I KNOW that the surgery caused the nerve damage. I had no problems at all before surgery other than a bad hip. Had I know what was to come, I would have just tried to live with it. But my surgeon made it sound so nice and wonderful and that I would be up and walking around and back to new in a few short weeks. He never mentioned any risks of the surgery and was indeed surprised at my 3 week appointment that I was in such a horrible condition. He initially blamed it on the nerve block but when it did not get better, he later discussed it being a rare condition caused by the surgery. He said that he has only had 1 other patient that had this and she recovered in about 6 months. He then referred me to a local neurologist and it clearly says on the referral "femoral nerve damage". I have an appointment tomorrow (June 1st) with a local neurologist so we'll see what he has to say. I will keep you posted.

Hi Jenas62....I know exactly what you mean. Oh, first of all...yes, I looked into all of this, the nerve damage, everything that goes along with this surgery, that CAN go wrong. Of course they don't tell us WHAT can go wrong before surgery (hey, lol....it's $$$$$ in their pocket!)....the surgery sounded SO easy for me...the surgeon says to me, "Well, you'll have a LITTLE pain (that was total crap), afterwards, but no hip pain!! Sounded awesome. I am past that, thank God....but I SHOULD have looked into what could GO WRONG., first. After yrs. of hurting so bad, forcing myself to get done whatever had to be done, I just ACCEPTED it all. I wanted to be 'normal' again......my hip is fine, the pain just radiates. O.k., I read about the femoral nerve damage...(lol I REALLY looked into this!)....please let me know if this can be helped. Hell, you go through surgery to feel better....and that's exactly HOW it should be!! I'm fine now, as far as the hip pain goes (thank GOD)...it's just how it radiates to different parts....I tell myself I just have to live with it, because let's face it, I HAVE to. I looked into my problems, too....said it easily could last from 3-6 months. I'll just wait it out, am on my way to take my dog outside, plus water plants. Not giving up!! Please keep me updated....am just praying that they can do something for you. < 3 (it just pisses me off, big time, that the surgery CAUSED the nerve damage!)