Transplant Scar.

[Rmatthew]

Hi, I’ve been transplanted for over 4 months now and my scar has healed very well, but sometimes I get a bit of shooting pain in that area, and check the scar and it looks fine. Does anyone else get this at all? I’ll probably mention it at my next clinic appointment on Tuesday, I’m just curious if anyone else had this.

[Amyb93]

Hi! I’m also 4 months post transplant and my scar has healed very well too! I’d say the first 6-8 weeks i would get shooting pain or burning sensation near the scar and it was perfectly closed up and healed. I asked my team and they said that when they open you up, it can cause some nerve damage on the surface of the skin so there can be a numbing sensation and pain while the preripheral nerves heal. And i havent had any more of pain, but the numbing around the scar is still there hope this helps, take care and happy holidays!

[Rmatthew in reply to Amyb93]

What date did you get your transplant? I don’t think I’ve had the burning sensation and the shooting pain I get is nowhere near as painful as it was the first 2 months or, it’s just a small nip every so often. Thankyou for that information 😊

[Kbristow in reply to Amyb93]

That was my exact same experience. They told me it was normal and caused by nerve damage. Probably 1-2 years out I stopped experiencing that shooting pain.

[Amyb93]

I got it on july 28th 2020! 😊 yours?

[Rmatthew in reply to Amyb93]

8th of August, only 11 days apart haha, were you in hospital for long?

[Amyb93 in reply to Rmatthew]

I was in the hospital for 8 days. I’m from Quebec, Canada and the team told me its between a 7-10 day stay. You?

[Rmatthew in reply to Amyb93]

I was in for 19 days, because at first there was a bit of rejection and it took the kidney about a week and a half to properly wake up, also my bladder was tiny because I was on dialysis for 12 from when I was 15/16 until I just turned 27 in September, but after they gave me a huge dose of prednisolone for a day, it started going up from there. If it wasn’t for those problems it would have been a much smaller stay because the kidney is a great match. They said would have been 5-6 days. I’m from Glasgow, Scotland and I think that’s the average recovery in hospital.

[Amyb93 in reply to Rmatthew]

Wow!! I was on peritoneal dialysis

For 2 years and also turned 27 in October! I was so lucky that my new kidney started working during surgery! The donor was at the same hospital as i was so everything was

Done very quickly!

[Rmatthew in reply to Amyb93]

1 month between us in age aswell as being transplanted close together haha, I’ve had a rare (ish) kidney disease from when I was born, and I only know 1 other person who’s had it

That makes sense, mine was a deceased list, and it had to travel quite a bit to get to me. I got the call on Thursday night to go in, but didn’t get transplanted till the Saturday.

Almost got a biopsy of the kidney but the kidney started working better around an hour before the biopsy so a lucky moment there 😂

[Amyb93 in reply to Rmatthew]

My donor was deceased as well, but in the ICU at the same hospital as transplants occur. I was really lucky to get it fast. They called me at 15h on the Monday, kidney was taken out on donor at 1 am tuesday and i was operated 2 hours later a 3 am ! As long as everything is going good now is all that matters!

[Rmatthew in reply to Amyb93]

Yeah the reason for me having to wait a few days was because the donor was still on life support as far as I’m aware. That’s a stroke of luck having the person in the same hospital! Mine came from England.

How long were you on the list for?

[Amyb93 in reply to Rmatthew]

I waited four days. I was listed july 24th And got the call on july 27th. You?

[Rmatthew in reply to Amyb93]

I waited 16 hours, got on the list 9am 6th august, and got the call that night

[Amyb93 in reply to Rmatthew]

Wow that is amazing!! We were really lucky not to wait for very long.

[Rmatthew in reply to Amyb93]

Yeah definitely, but I had to wait 12 years to even get on the list unfortunately haha

[Transplant314]

I am eighteen months post and for the first six months or so had pains around the scar area I would worry it was a kidney issue. My team told me it is the muscle tissue and the nerve endings that were cut during the surgery. It will eventually subside as your body heals. Congratulations and good luck.

[Rmatthew]

Thank you for that information! Every time it happens I just start thinking the worst straight away.

[AndrewT]

Dear Rmatthew,

Yes Quite, in fact, Very Normal... It is 'Simply' your Nerves re-growing. After about a year, yes 'that' long, you will become aware of 'Odd' pains at the Top of your leg. There will also be Patches of 'Sensitivity', alternating with 'Numbness'.

If you are, really worried, I would 'Discuss' this with your Transplant Team. However I am, about Ninety Five- or more- percent certain, that this is what you will be told.

Enjoy your Transplant and.... Merry Christmas Mathew.

AndrewT

[Rmatthew in reply to AndrewT]

See I’ve that kind of odd sensation at the top of my inside thigh before, it’s just with things that went wrong while I was in hospital after the transplant that I now think if I feel anything at all I automatically get anxious about it.

Thankyou and Merry Christmas to you too!

[OperationKidney]

I'm a year out and I still get pain in the area. My nephrologists told me that for some people it never goes away. For me it's a reminder of all I have survived.

[PostivelyJo]

Hi 14 months on and I get all sorts of twinges . It doesn’t worry me too much , it was the same with 2 caesareans. Just the nature of surgery but always mention your worries to your team as we are all so different. Congratulations on your TX

[theaurabesh]

Congrats on the kidney. I am 20 years post surgery and still experience nerve pain around the scar.