Second surgery after diagnosis of CRPS
 

I am sure that this is not an original question. I had shoulder surgery, developed a real mean case of CRPS (what case isn't though?), got REAL lucky in that it got diagnosed 1 month later, started stellate blocks at 6 weeks post, have had 4 now. CRPS is moderatly controlled now but feel #5 block isn't far off.

Ortho wants to do another surgery to fix the mess created by the first. Says pre and post-surgery blocks will not allow spread or flaring of CRPS. Can anyone tell me their experience of what a second surgery did to them?

THX

I have not had a second surgery. I will pass along an article I found about surgery after CRPS. I will say that as long as there is a flare, or your CRPS is active, I would NOT recommend surgery unless it is life or death. MOST surgeons would not even attempt it.......get a second or third opinion. The article basically states that blocks before, during, and after surgery are indicated with a patient that has RSD. There is NO ONE out there that can say with certainty that your RSD will not spread.....with or without the blocks......with or without surgery. Period. I hope this is informative! Best of luck to you! Keep in touch with your progress!!

http://anesthesia.stanford.edu/pain/...%20Surgery.pdf

I was DX'd with RSD in my rt foot, 2 weeks later was scheduled to have left shoulder surgery, the dr told me that it doesn't spread.....Yes, it does and did. I was new to RSD and didn't do my homework. I have since (9 yrs later) had another surgery and took what precautions I could. NONE are a guarantee that it won't spread but I have found articles that give you some outlines to follow. A block/blocks in addition to general anesthesia that lasts a day or two,(best {per one article} before,during and after- mine gave me a 2 day block) keep blood pressure cuffs off affected limb, same with injections an/or IV's, make sure that the OR is warm so that you aren't cold and shivering, pillows or whatever is needed so there are no stress points on your body,heated blankets and a lot of prayer. I made sure with the second surgery that couldn't be avoided to have a long discussion with both the surgeon and the anesthesiologist. The RSD can still spread but you have done what you can. I still need a number of parts fixed but will live with the problems as long as I can rather than take the chance of flaring the RSD. We have talked about this in a support group too and try to avoid surgery if there is a choice or try to take all the precautions listed.
Best of luck, do your homework, ask a lot of questions, find out how much the Dr's know about RSD (you don't want to be the one they are learning on), get second opinions and etc.

I had a 2nd surgery 6 years after my first, it was the first surgery that caused my RSD in my left foot. The 2nd surgery was to remove the metal left in from the from the first procedure. The Dr's here did not want to do a 2nd surgery on me so I went to Germany to have it done. I wish I had done it sooner as the ortho dr. there told me that the metal should have been removed 6 months after the initial surgery. I believe it was the metal screws that continued to aggravate my RSD and make it progress. They treated me very well there. Following the surgery they gave me a 1 week continuous peridural anaesthetic treatment, something not available where I live in Canada. I did however have good follow up treatments since my return home. I did not have any blocks prior to the 2nd surgery but we did decide to use a regional anesthetic over a general for the surgery as it is believed to have more direct effect to the rsd limb. I took my Ipod into surgery and listened to my favorite classical music during the procedure. I did not want to know what was being done and certainly did not want to hear the sound of metal and bones.

I have been having regular IV Lidocaine infusions for the past couple of years and I think this has kept me stable. I had one a week before we left for Germany.

The first few months were tough but I do not have a spread of CRPS and overall the dr's agree that I am better off having the metal removed. PM me if you would like more details.

MsL

I have also had surgery to remove the metal from my foot, with an improvement of symptoms. I'd be happy to answer questions, also (but I am not on the forum very often). Good luck with your decision (I know it's a tough one).

My RSD is from repeat shoulder surgeries and aggressive PT to fix a torn rotator cuff.

I was not diagnosed until a few months after my 2nd surgery. I live in RI, and had one of the most reputable surgeons in the area (he teaches at Brown Univ). But he and his PT group missed the classic signs of RSD that I was exhibiting after the 1st surgery, and then they made matters worse with the 2nd surgery a year later. Truly amazing!! I'm a CPA and had NO CLUE what was going on until it was too late. I never imagined that the best guy in the state would mess me up.

So the point of my reply to you is do your homework well. Don't assume that even though your surgeon is reputable that he knows enough about RSD. And if you live near a big city like NY or Philly or DC try to find the best team in the best medical center if you can. It could save you a lot of grief in the long run!

Have a nice night, Sandy

I never had my first surgery for my two shoulder injuries. When I went to the clinic, I met a man who had seven surgeries and was made worse after each one. I asked him why he kept having more surgery after they got worse, he said workers compensation kept claiming he could go back to work after another surgery and if he didn't have it, it meant he was refusing treatment and the would not pay him.