I wanted to throw this out to the experts and see if it's been heard of.
My PMR states that I got CRPS due to an anesthesia problem. Follow along-it's a little convoluted. I went in for a knee arthroscopy and patellar realignment. Got the IV in preop hold and anesthesia did what appears to me to be either a femoral block or an anterior sciatic block. Anyway, after a bit, I was sitting there in tears because only the lateral half of my leg was numb. She called the anesthesiologist over and she said she would "give me something to fix it." Then, the gave me a wallop of Versed, cause the lights went out. However, my PMR states that while they gave me enough anesthesia, they failed to give me adequate analgesia. Thus, I was asleep for the surgery but my nervous system felt the whole thing due to no pain control. Just taking a poll-
-anyone ever heard of this happening?
-anyone have this happen to them?
-does this sound rational?

Lori Lee

Hmmm i havent heard of this myself. Strange. But then again my pain management doc says my rsd is related to my psoriatic arthritis. Not heard that either.

Jolene

Hi Lori Lee,

Yes, I have heard of RSD following surgery due to anethesia or lack therof. It was on this forum. My RSD followed surgery,next day arm swelled up and then frozen shoulder. Wasn't diagnosed for 4=5 years. Moved to the opposite shoulder-frozen. Then back to left hand. Have full body now 12 years. Have no idea what went wrong, just know the surgeon passed me off to a rehab Dr. for pt. Let us know what you find out. Take care. and please stay we touch -we all care. Loretta Jewell

I have also heard that RSD can result from lack of proper anaesthesia. It is extremely important that when having any operation, the Anaesthetist gives you plenty of Anaesthetic to try and prevent any complications.

In my case, the RSD started after an injury (ankle sprain) but I have heard of others on this forum and others like it that have RSD from lack of proper anaesthesia during surgery. My Doctor and Physical Therapist's also believe that my RSD could have resulted because I am extremely hyper-mobile and that means that joints bend a lot further than they do in a "normal" person, thus resulting in being prone to Chronic Pain Conditions.

If it can be proven that your RSD is as a result of poor anaesthesia, I would definitely try and seek legal advice and see if you could get any help. I doubt though that it will be able to be proven that your RSD resulted from poor anaesthesia as most doctors try and pretend that they did everything right even when they know that they are in the wrong and your RSD could just be from the surgery itself.

Take care and I hope you are doing OK.

My lawyer is trying to find cases where this is true for my case against this anesthesiologist. He says that he personally has prosecuted her successfully twice for the same. Hello! However, he is looking for something solid which says that this can happen when inadequate analgesia is used. FIgured I'd throw that out there as well-you all are such a wealth of knowledge and a blessing to me.
Lori Lee

I've always wondered about this but have never heard any sort of confirmation.

I'm pretty confident the typical old line doctor would scoff at the concept.

It makes sense to me though.

I'm really good at researching and finding things on the net. I have done an exhaustive search,phrasing it every which way possible,slightly different words,etc. I can't find anything about rsd developing due to inadequate anesthesia. All I kept finding is related to getting rsd after surgery. I don't think anyone researched enough yet into the reason why rsd develops after surgery. That will be when we have an answer to the question. If rsd develops in people after surgery due to inadequate anesthesia, or if there are other reasons or a combo thereof. Personally, since no one knows exactly what "causes" rsd to happen, I suspect it's due to multiple reasons of which genetics may play a part for some. We're all individuals and each one of us may have ended up with rsd for different reasons. For instance, you develop rsd after surgery due to inadequate anesthesia, I get it because of genetics and also because of the trauma my knee suffered when I hurt it. Someone else gets it after surgery just because of the "trauma" to the body that comes with surgery. Another person may be because a nerve got nicked. I could go on and on. LOL

It is an interesting theory huh? Now if only research could develop faster and catch up with us and test out our theories to see which ones are right and which are wrong or maybe the theory is close but just a bit off.

I hope that maybe there is something out there written down that I just can't find. I know it would help you.

Hugs,

Karen

hi, I to woke from surgery w/rsd rt hand/arm, now in lt arm - I had 2nd opinion from Specialist who adm surgeon pull my shoulder into incorrect position injuring brachial nerve causing this condition - that has been 14 mos ago and now I am on disability - I have been researching as well to find if there are any legal grounds -

My ortho surgeon said my RSD developed because i didn't take any pain meds after my ankle surgery..which consisted of reattaching two major ligaments and removing two hunks of bone that the ligaments had pulled away from the fibula.

Granted, it was hell to not have anything to help with pain,(my choice) but I thought I could bear it and I did..It was horrible. (pain meds make me sick)....(but I'm taking Neurontin now....)

I wonder why he didn't tell me that if I didn't take pain meds, I would be susceptible to RSD....he never mentioned RSD..like many of us I had never heard of it until the monster disease started chomping on my foot....( besides the pain, I now get burn in both feet/legs..) IF he had told me I could develop RSD if I don't take pain meds, I would have taken them!!!!

My question is, why did folks who did take pain meds after surgery develop RSD anyway, despite the help of the pain meds!! Is the doc's theory wrong?

Pain, pain go away........

hope4thebest

I don't know that his statement is correct. I haven't heard that before.

Almost makes me wonder if he is trying to put some of the blame onto you, instead of just saying " I'm very sorry but you have RSD now as an after effect of the surgery."

You might have just been one that would had gotten RSD anyway from any surgery and whether or not you took the pain meds or not..