constant wound pain since surgery 7-20-06

[palms0@hotmail.com]

Hi my husband had retro surg for 8mm tumor. He has had constant wound pain since then. Has tried many meds, and treatments with no success for the pain, but his headaches are better. I remember reading someone else having the same type of problem of wound pain, and had surgery to revise the wound itself to see if the nerve was entrapped causing the pain. Does any one know who this was, or if you have had it could you please respond. He is at his wit's end with this pain.
Thanks Mary Ellen

[yardtick]

Hi Mary Elin,

I have a neuroma on my scar.  I was diagnosed with it on May 1st.  I received three injections of a nerve block.  It has helped, but I still have to be very careful when I wash along the scar.  I really can't put any pressure on the neuroma because it is painful.  I could not sleep on my back or left side.  Sleeping is better, but I do have to roll over when I've been on it too long.  I can't lay the left side on my head on my husband shoulder, too painful even with the nerve block.  I tease Louie and tell him it's muscular build of his. LOL

The next step is to surgical go in along the scar, clean up the scar tissue and scrape the bone.

I hope this has helped you and I too would love to know if anyone else out there has experienced a neuroma on their scar.

Anne Marie

P.S.  I too suffer from dreadful headaches on the left side of my head.

[Janet]

Mary Ellen,

I had my scar revised by Dr Ducic at Georgetown University. (Washington DC) The lesser occiptial nerve was trapped in the scar and another smaller nerve was embedded in the titanium mesh. I have numbness where the pain was but that it nothing compared to pain. He also released my greater occipital nerves. One was tangled up with a blood vessel and the other had a congenital split in it. He took a fat graft from my hip and lined the old scar as well. It is done in outpatient surgery and my insurance covered it. He is a plastic surgeon that specializes in peripheral nerve surgery. I used to work as a surgical RN in the OR and I was impressed. I also know from working in the OR that plastic surgeons in gereral have superb surgical technique. I think Dr Ducic is an amazing surgeon. I have some neck pain on the opposite side that comes and goes but the majority of my headaches are gone. Tylenol or Motrin does the trick. There is no pain coming from my scar.

I feel like a new person. I no longer feel the electrical type pain I was dealing with daily. I would do it over again in a second.

You will need a copy of all your surgical records as well as any treatment by a headache specialist or pain specialist. You can fax your records, he will review them and give you a call. If you Google Dr I Ducic you will find info on him.

I would be happy to talk with you if you want to send me an e-mail with your phone #.

Best Wishes,
Janet