Question
hello, I just had surgery,(6 days ago)on my left arm to help with carpal tunnel,tendonitis,and tennis elbow.Since the day of surgery I have been experiencing total numbness of my outer forearm that extends thru the entire "left side of my hand,my pinky finger and it's neighbor, both of which I cannot move.
I met with my surgeon 2 days ago who explained that he may have cut a nerve but feels that it is more related to the severity of my condition and that my nerves are still really "pissed off"and that the numbness and immobility will dissipate as I continue to heal.My ? is this, how can I tell if a nerve was cut and what treatment(if any) are available? I have done enough "googling" to scare myself with the nightmares of permanent damage from surgical mistakes and would greatly appreciate a non-biased straight answer from an alternate source.I do TRUST my surgeon as I had same surgery performed by him on my right arm with great results so far.

Answer
Greg,

There is the distinct possibility that you may have nerve damage from your surgery. I am not quite sure as to what took place in your follow up appointment but you need to get some very direct answers from your surgeon and more importantly you need to formulate an action plan as to how you are going "handle" this situation. First and foremost it is your surgeon's responsibility to have explained to you that the situation at hand may have been a complication of the surgery. This is called informed consent. The surgeon has a duty to inform you of any risks, complications  or side effects of the surgery you were about to have. Ask him about your informed consent and did he know this numbness was a possible side effect of the wrist surgery.

Most important is what is going to happen over the next 4-6 weeks as far as treatment and what are the steps that are going to be made if your numbness is not subsiding. You need to know the action steps. I would ask if you should have an EMG to determine if there is any nerve damage. When should it be done. Ask about when he opines as to when your hand strength or even the use of your hand will come back. What he sees as a good sign what he sees as a bad sign.

You need answers and a plan of action from your surgeon.

I hope this helps in your decision making.
Dr John Q Quackenbush