Tenderness in surgical area

[wcrimi]

I just passed my two year anniversary from surgery and I still get occasional tenderness in the operated area. I can't really figure out what triggers it, but I was thinking it could be something associated with when I sleep on that side.  Maybe I'm putting some pressure on the titanium/acrylic covering and it's pressing against some muscle or something. Who knows. 

Sometimes it's fine for months at a time, but then it will pop up again for a couple of days. Then it goes away again. 

Does anyone else that had surgery that long ago still get any tenderness?   

[Jim Scott]

Wayne ~

I think most post-op AN patients have this issue, although I can't pinpoint the exact reason.  Although I was able to sleep on my 'AN side' about 9 months following the surgery, it is still - 4 years later - more sensitive than the other side of my skull.  I haven't experienced any real problem with this because I usually sleep on my right side and the incision site is on the left side of my skull.  One of the many little 'mysteries' that seem to attach themselves to AN patients. 

Jim

[kawman600]

Wayne i am a year and a half out of surgery and i still get the same only more frequent,i just saw my Dr. for my year and a half follow up(all was good) i did ask about this and he also said he has no reason,so i figure its just a reminder being sent to me of what i went through  and when i touch it it makes me think of how fortunate i am to have survived brain surgery and that i am able to be here every day !

[ombrerose4]

I also have tenderness in my surgical area and also around my Baha implant. Some days it feels more tender than others, and sometimes I can't lay on that side at all. It's just another 'present' from our friendly acoustic neuromas. They are gone, but not forgotten!

[ilsemor]

I had acupuncture in that area for 10 months and that help  me get rid of that pain, it also it got rid of the ingrown hair problems.   

[yardtick]

Wayne,

I always have tenderness around the surgical area.  When I roll over at night the tenderness actually wakes me up.  Sometimes the scar looks red and inflamed, I have a cortisone cream that I apply on such occasions.  The tenderness I guess is just a constant reminder of what we have been through.

Anne Marie

[Lizard]

Tender here too, and over 2 years later I still can't sleep on my AN side, and if I do (because its easier to press snooze from that side)...I end up with a headache.  Not fun!  I wonder if acupuncture would work, its been recommended to me, but insurance is funny with "alternative" treatments. 
Liz

[cecile k]

No tenderness in the surgical area while sleeping but that area goes into spasms when I'm outside in the cold (below zero degrees)....just strange....

[wcrimi]

Thanks everyone

[jaylogs]

About a year postie here, and no tenderness, although I do still occasion dig stuff out my scar...I suppose that will entertain me for some time to come!
Jay

[nteeman]

For the most part I do not have any tenderness, but like you said it does feel tender on occasion. My analysis is that if the scap is moved in some way where the scalp might rub against one of the screwheads it may make it tender temporarily.  I can feel a couple of spots on my surgery site that feel like little bumps and I assume they are the screwheads. This irritation could come when towel drying your hair or when sleeping. As time goes by it seems to happen les frequently. At least that has been my experience.

Neal

[Keri]

Wayne,
I'm coming up on 2 years as well. My head still feels tender at the site. It didn't post op for a long time; guess that was due to the numbness. Now I feel some pain but it is minimal, just kind of there. I can sleep on the AN side if I'm move into it kind of slowly. Yet if I touch my head at the site, it feels numb. This is one of the reasons I've put off the BAHA surgery.

Keri

[DR]

Add me to the list of "Yep, still tender."  Thankfully it is not a constant thing.  As described by many of you once it becomes tender it tends to stay that way for a few days.  Like Donnalynn I notice that the area is normally tender and swollen.  The area between the outer corner of my eye and hairline can become swollen enough to be noticeable.  I find that icing the area twice a day for a few days is usually enough to remedy the issue.

I also occasionally get a stabbing pain.  There is no triggering event I recognize nor is the sharp pain always in the same place.  It is pretty rare and becoming even less frequent now.

- Dennis

[Mark241]

Check me as one also, I dont' think its' the hardware, my plate was removed about 3 years ago. Work-outs, and physical work seem to cause mine, and cold weather. I just learned to live with it.