Post Surgery Numbness

[Numb43]

I have a 5 and half year history with pain from perineal nerve compression from an episiotomy that was cut at the birth of my son. The pain radiated from the bottom where the scar was, to all the way up to my clitoris. It was terrible the first year, all the time and sex was really painful. I tried everything, it seems, to help but nothing did. A series of blocks, medication, pelvic floor PT. After, I just figured surgery was my only option. After having my second baby, I decided to seek to my surgical options and decided on perineal branch removal with Dr Dellon with the promise that he would save the clitoral nerve. I had surgery 2 days ago and I know it's super new but I feel devastated at the loss of sensation on the entire right side of my vagina. I wasn't expecting it the numbness to cover such a large area. He did say the clitoral nerve was turning yellow which means it was so compressed it was dying. He said he was able to save and decompress it but now I'm completely numb there too. I feel like I made a terrible decision and am wondering if thespian was really that bad. Has anyone done this surgery and felt this way at first? Did any sensation come back? I'm so afraid that my sex life is ruined and I will never orgasm again.

[April]

Hi Numb, so he destroyed the perineal branch but just decompressed the clitoral branch, but now everything (including the clitoris) is numb? I know that nerves that are damaged do often regenerate. I think that is the idea behind cryoablation (i.e., damage the nerve and it should regenerates in a new healthy way). So, I think that there is a good chance that sensation will come back gradually over time (e.g., in a year). I had surgery in December, and it created a numb area on my buttock near the incision, and everyone has told me that that sensation there will come back very slowly over time. I damaged my finger as a child (got caught in a mixer) and lost sensation, but almost all of the sensation gradually came back. What did Dellon tell you to expect? Have you contacted his office. I saw on another post that someone who has seen him recommended emailing him. I would definitely do that. It is very early in the process.

April

[Numb43]

Hi April, thanks for your reply. Any helpful response right now is making me feel better. I did know what he was planning to do but just wasn’t expecting this level of numbness. I have been in touch with him almost daily and he’s helping me deal with it. It’s just really hard for me right now to not think I made the worst decision of my life. I have to be patient and give it time. I have no other choice. Meanwhile im researching nerve grafts lol

[April]

Oh, good. Glad you've been in touch with him. It sounds like he considers this normal. I understand the research on alternatives in case this doesn't work out. I was always doing that as well. Keep us posted.

April

[Violet M]

Nerves heal slowly over time -- months and years, not days. I had a lot of numbness after surgery but it's gone now.

Violet