Hi There!

Sorry to hear you are having to contemplate surgery with your RSD - I have been in the same boat so to speak. I will be having surgery this coming Wednesday on my knee where I had my knee replaced last year. Unfortunately, this is also where my RSD is, besides my foot on the same leg. It was a very hard decision, but after meeting with several Ortho surgeons, my pain management dr, and the anesethia dept - I felt this was the only way I could progress with getting my knee to bend. I have arthrofibrosis in my knee replacement, which is not letting me straighten or bend my knee. I cannot work, drive, or do much of anything due to the knee and RSD. The Ortho doc now also feels that the disk in the artificial knee is too large for my knee, and wants to replace it with a smaller one. This should help eliminate some of my pain, and improve my mobility. My main concern was I didnt want any more pain from the RSD , or the RSD to spread. I feel that I have made the only decision I could, as there is nothing more at the moment the drs can do to help me improve my knee except for the surgery. RSD has taken so much from me and my family since I have come down with it. I feel I have made an educated decision in having the surgery by researching and talking to many physicians, and will not let RSD keep me from it, even though it scares me. I suggest you talk to as many drs as you can and weigh the facts. For me, they will be inserting a femoral nerve block for 5 days, besides a spinal block in hopes to keep the RSD from flaring up. I may be wanting to run from the hospital on Wednesday (hehe, as if I could run), but I am hoping this is a "new beginning" in a way to start improving my knee. Good luck to you in your decision and keep in touch!