Poop. I am sorry to hear it. I sadly know too much about nerve injury from ortho procedures.

Nerves can handle being stretched and tugged on during procedures. If he just had to gently move it out of the way the nerve should tolerate that but maybe be ticked off. What nerves can't handle is being scarred down, cut/torn or worse yet, partially cut/torn. Mine partially tore from a retractor which is pretty extreme.

If you are in or near a major metropolitan area, and I mean MAJOR, Austin at 850k people didn't have the specialists for what I am proposing and I had to go to Houston. If you don't get better and your doc thinks he damaged the nerve it is possible to get a peripheral nerve ultrasound by a Physical Medicine and rehab specialist with ultrasound certifications. These guys can visualize nerves that can't be seen on MRI, Especially something major like you are probably talking about (Sural or superficial peroneal depending on where they went in). They can look at it and tell if it was transected, has a neuroma or is just scarred down. They can treat scarring with a hydrodissection.

hopefully it won't come to this and you will get all better soon. But if you don't , this is a little known imaging and potential treatment option to address nerve injury.