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Hi Everyone,

If this message helps somebody, then it will be more than worth it.

This is not to scare people, just to inform in the odd chance that this happens. It is extremely rare for this to happen, although there have been a few cases that I am aware of.

I had jpouch surgery on March 24.

I was in the operating room for over 7 hours.

During this time I was completely immobilized.

When I woke, I had pain in my legs.

The next day, one of the doctors ran some tests, and it was determined that I had muscle compartment syndrome in my legs.

I was immediately rushed back to the operating room to relieve the pressure. If the pressure would not have been relieved in time, I would have experienced permanent muscle damage in my legs.

Please be aware, that while remote, it can happen. If you have pain in your legs following intestinal surgery, insist that your legs be checked for compartment syndrome.

I was lucky because a doctor was sharp enough to check for it. My cousin, who had jpouch surgery a few years back was not. She had compartment syndrome following her surgery and the doctors ignored it. She can no longer work and is permanently disabled.

Here is information link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compartment_syndrome

The hospital expects me to have a full recovery. I have been here since March 24 and it is expected that I will be here for at least another week. I have had to have my legs cut open to expose the muscles in order to relieve the pressure. I also had plastic surgery (skin grafts) on April 15. I am currently bed ridden and not allowed to walk for a few days.

This problem has extended my stay in the hospital as well as significantly extended the recovery period. At least the prognosis looks good, although I won't be able to run and do activities for quite a while. I am hoping that there is no permanent nerve damage.

Best of luck to all.

Solomin

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Solomin

Know this well!

Before I had my colon surgery I had a blood clot in my leg. The surgeon operated on it but unfortunately a day later it plugged again and another surgery was required. Like yours, this took a long time but he saved my leg. While I was in the recovery room My legs were aching but I had to wait a couple of hours for the surgeon to come out of his next surgery. He immediately said you've got compartment syndrome and need to go back to surgery. They cut both sides of my leg by the muscle. One cut was neat but I think the other was done with a broken whiskey bottle by the look of it! In order to heal they used a wrap that they would tighten periodically but it took a long time to heal. I have some nerve damage to the leg. I can get by without a cane but my balance certainly isn't what it used to be.

It is certainly something to be avoided!

Lew
Lew
Sounds to me more like an issue caused by incompetence than anything. I don't know the technical term for them, but, the leg wraps that stimulate blood flow by applying pressure (blowing up) and then releasing would more than likely eliminate the issue, which it sounds to me like they didn't utilize those at all.

Sorry you had to go thru it, I'd sue the crap out of them.........just my $0.02
C
So sorry for the bad post op surprise...haven't you been through enough already???? Enough! Go home, be healthy and happy forever more!
Here in France they make you wear 'contention stockings' on you...have to put these awful, white stockings on (takes 2 people to get them on your legs, they are that tight)...but they seriously cut down on blood clots and other post op leg issues...not sure at all if compartment syndrome can be helped or prevented by these but they are official protocol here and they refuse to operate anyone without them.
Get well soon
Sharon
skn69

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