6 replies to this topic

[Searching4Help]

Please help.

A loved one of mine suffered from back pain but was not paralyzed. Went in for what should have been routine surgery to install a pain management device or spinal stimulation device. This was yesterday, and today my loved one is paralyzed. Doctor says the surgery caused a blood clot, so they removed the device and the blood clot, but the doctor says the blood clot is the cause of the paralysis. Doctor says it is permanent.

My entire family is so confused, upset, in tears and we honestly don't know what to do.

Is there any hope this is temporary? Any specialist my loved one should see immediately? Could it just be temporary swelling onto the spinal cord? Could the clot which placed pressure onto spinal cord have caused permanent irreversible damage?

I am not a doctor but I am very educated in neuroscience and the anatomy of nerves, I understand this is probably permanent, but I'm just hoping someone here can shed some light, maybe tell me something I don't know, or maybe you guys are familiar with this kind of of surgery and injury.

Please help

Northern California if you can suggest a doctor, or anywhere in California, it doesn't matter.

[Tetracyclone]

Oh dear. This i such a common occurrence. Keep in mind that while damage is probably permanent, we ALWAYS improve. You just have to wait and see how much a person can improve, and over years, not months.

Welcome and search old threads here for similar stories. For example;


I guess everyone has an interesting story of how they came to this forum. My husband had thoracic disc surgery on November 20, 2009. During the surgery, something went wrong and now he is a paraplegic -T7-8.

Edited by Tetracyclone, 20 May 2011 - 06:38 AM.

[wheeliebear75]

Yes unfortunately it's not something the medical community likes to pipe up too loudly about (the surgery itself or complications thereof) but sadly happens far too often. I don't know of a definitive YES/NO answer which is I know what you & your family are looking for. But tetra is right about giving her months & years to see what she is able to regain. Aside from that.....our forums are a treasure trove of information & the members around here are a bunch of gems.

[Searching4Help]

wheeliebear75, on 20 May 2011 - 08:07 AM, said:

Yes unfortunately it's not something the medical community likes to pipe up too loudly about (the surgery itself or complications thereof) but sadly happens far too often. I don't know of a definitive YES/NO answer which is I know what you & your family are looking for. But tetra is right about giving her months & years to see what she is able to regain. Aside from that.....our forums are a treasure trove of information & the members around here are a bunch of gems.

I don't understand what happened, it's like we aren't getting any answers from the doctor. Was the cord or nerves severed, was it truly pressure from a blood clot, I mean what the heck?

Is there anyway to visually see if the cord and nerves have been severed or damaged, does an MRI show this?

If this complication is common why on earth is the device approved. I couldn't even sleep last night, just looking for answers.

Edited by Searching4Help, 20 May 2011 - 09:57 PM.

[wheeliebear75]

It's approved because for many surgeries work out beautifully with not complications. Then there are the people who are why they put the FINE PRINT that "I do hereby release ____ hospital, Dr.s _____ _____ & ______ and other staff from liability in the case of complications or death".....or something along those lines. When surgeons/Dr.s discuss any procedure they SHOULD discuss ALL ASPECTS but sadly many if not most tend to downplay the risks if they even mention them at all. Dr.s who don't have their heads up their ass are far & few between, Dr.s who are honest & forthcoming even fewer.

Whether it be information or friendship THIS is THE PLACE to find BOTH!

[Tetracyclone]

it is extremely unlikely that the cord would be severed. This is very rare even in violent accidents. A blood clot would cause swelling and maybe loss of blood supply to an area for awhile. This is the most dangerous.

An MRI will NOT show what happened, even if the Doctor says it will. Un

You just have to wait and see, which gives you all lots of time to accept that this unbelievable event has happened.


Welcome to the club no one joins willingly. It took me at least a year to accept that I was paralyzed, and 3 to find my limits.

[scd]

Hi Searching4Help,

My heart aches for you and I will gladly share my limited knowledge. I am the recipient of the successful implantation of the Medtronic Neurostimulator and I am greatful for the relief it provides. I am sorry that your loved one experienced such a complication.

An MRI and/or a CAT Scan with dye injected into the spinal fluid can sometimes render images of damage to the cord. That is how they diagnosed my arachnoiditis. If the injury is caused by compression from the clot then it might be visible. If it is due to lack of blood supply then it will probably not be visible.

You doctor may have already mentioned that one sign of cord damage is a numb/paralyzed anus because it is the last bundle of nerves at the end of the cord and not a nerve root exit from the cord. Some doctors are careless with the word permanent. There is always hope. It sounds like it is worth seeking several other opinions. Send me a PM and I can respond with names of my doctors in N. CA (East Bay).