Numbness after wide excision

[cbroder77]

Just curious if anyone else has experienced numbness and maybe nerve pain after wide excision. I had one done 2 weeks ago on my lower leg next to my shin on the inner part of leg. The whole area under incision to my ankle is very numb and I have been getting these little jolts of shooting pain. I had post op last week. I didn't have sharp pains then just numbness. I see him again at the end of the month to see if numbness go's away. Sometimes it feels like when you are wearing pantyhose that is stretched and feels like its sagging.

[Staceyj36]

My WLE was on my back, and I didn’t have any nerve pain/numbness there. I struggled for a little over 6 months with nerve pain from my SNB though. I’m 8 months out from surgery and feeling back to my self! Time helps. Hang in there!

[cbroder77 in reply to Staceyj36]

Thank you for sharing!

[SaltyBae]

Yes the numbness is normal! I tend to get numbness and ‘funny’ feelings on my skin even after just having punch or shave biopsies done. I actually went to a lymphedema specialist for trouble with my lymph nodes after surgery and she informed me that those crazy shooting pains are actually called “zingers” and are a good thing because it means your body is starting to grow those damaged nerves back 😊

[cbroder77 in reply to SaltyBae]

Thank you for sharing! That is exactly what it feels like! I was thinking it was nerves healing. It started 1 day after post op so I didn't ask my surgeon. It feels worse at the end of the day. I didn't have any pain at all with biopsies. Thanks again!

[SaltyBae in reply to cbroder77]

It should start coming back slowly over time! My surgery was almost 6 months ago and I’m still getting woken up in the night with those shooting nerve pains but I’m definitely noticing good progress with getting feeling back. Best of luck with your healing process!

[cbroder77 in reply to SaltyBae]

Thank you.

[JohnFC]

I'm four years post my first wide excision across my back. It still doesn't feel like before surgery. I have gotten used to the new "normal".

[MeghanB]

I had a wide excision on the back of my calf and it definitely left a numb spot below it. My excision was covered with a skin graft, I still can't feel most of the inside and about an inch down from the bottom of the scar over a year later...my actual excision is about a 2 inch around cirlcle.

[SaltyBae in reply to MeghanB]

Crazy! Skin grafts suck. I had one on my shin in May. How is is since it’s been so long? Completely healed or do you ever experience any pain around the graft?

[MeghanB in reply to SaltyBae]

Seems to be completely healed now. I had my excision in June 2016 and skin graft in July 2016 (I can't believe it's been that long either!). Got married right in between the two, glad my dress was long to cover up the bandages! Mine is still mostly numb but the edges are coming back. It really doesn't bother me anymore except when I went snowboarding last winter and my boots hit right in the middle of it all. The main thing I deal with now is swelling in that leg since having multiple lymph nodes removed to biopsy.

[SaltyBae in reply to MeghanB]

Woah! I feel like you and I are in the same boat here. I live in Maine and have been thinking a lot about skiing this winter but having the graft on the center of my shin it’s right where my boots would hit so sadly I’m thiking I’ll have to give it until next winter ☹️ I also had multiple lymph nodes biopsied out of my groin and have been seeing a lymphedema specialist to learn how to minimize the awful swelling. Especially around the graft site! You still deal with the swelling though after such a long time? Ugh that must be frustrating.

[MeghanB in reply to SaltyBae]

Maybe see how the boots fit with some good quality thick socks on? I don't know if I could completely give it up, lol. It's killing me knowing I'll miss the beginning of the season being pregnant! Most of the swelling I deal with is in my lower leg/ankle/foot. Compression socks seem to keep it under control. I just have to pay attention to it when I'm on my feet all day. My thigh/groin swelling luckily has pretty much completely subsided. Plus side if the swelling is that my scar that was a big chunk taken out almost looks filled in completely when it's swollen! Lol.

[Jakester1980]

Mine was on my scalp in April. The jolts of pain stopped after a couple months, but the numbness is still there. You get used to it and it won't bother you too much. I'm hoping it will go away eventually

[Bergerrs23]

My one on my neck (included slnb) took around 2 years for the pain to fully go away. Still numb. Two on my leg took about 6 months. One on my arm was just done in May and I have A lot of pain and numbness still- especially when it is cold. Topical lidocaine over the counter helps. And just time

[JCKI]

Hello, I'm experiencing similar symptoms.

I had a wide excision on my ankle, along with a full skin graft. From what I was told there are a lot of nerves in the skin which can cause the shooting pain/prickling/etc. Also the skin has been stretched there to close the wound so that could be the cause of the pantygose feelong. Along where I had my lymphnode biopsy there is some numbness there too. I also have a lot of aching in my inner thigh from it. It's possible from your surgery your walking gate is off like mine is and causing more aches/pains.

Even if you don't feel those sensations when you're with your doctor you ought to still bring them up. S/he would be able to give you a better idea of what's going on!

[HC47]

I had this too! Had a wide excision on my shoulder 5 years ago and I still don't have all the feeling back the shooting pains were the worst -- I remember it feeling like shockwaves through my shoulder!