neck pain

[goffrey]

My son is post PVR replacement and had a weird complication after surgery which we have not ran into before...this was his 5th surgery to date and after surgery had a horrible neck pain....he wasn't even able to lift his head for the first 3-4 days post surgery and now still has pain...he is about 10 days post-op.... I talked to a few people who also experienced neck problems after surgery and chalked it up to the neck muscles being pulled during intubation...He was sent home on Oxycodone for the pain but I hate giving it to him round the clock since it makes him unsteady on his feet....Other than this issue he had a fantastic recovery cardiac wise...extubated in 2 1/2 hours post op, no IV's after 2 days and out of the hospital in 4 days...fastest recovery to date...surgeon went with a bovine jugular vein...he had a porcine valve previously...can't say enough good things about Mayo Clinic and his new surgeon Dr. Dearani.... Just the darn neck pain now we are dealing with!

 

[ponygirlmom]

Actually, it could have been caused by any number of things that happen during surgery. Your head, neck and back can be in some less-than-optimal positions during surgery and while you are being moved around while you are unconscious.

I didn't look up "PVR," so I don't know what kind of valve a "P" is, but if his surgery was not open-heart it won't be long before he can see a chiro or physical therapist.

 

[lb151]

I would bet it has much to do with the way you are on the table during surgery. My very lower back,close to my butt,was numb for 8 weeks. My neck still causes pain and it has been 4 months for me. The doctor told me it could take up to 12 months to feel "normal". I am lucky in that usually 2 tylenol take care of it. I dont think its a cause for worry unless it continues for a few months. Maybe he can try and wean off the heavy meds in a couple of weeks. I took mine for about a month,,mostly at night.

 

[goffrey]

Actually, it could have been caused by any number of things that happen during surgery. Your head, neck and back can be in some less-than-optimal positions during surgery and while you are being moved around while you are unconscious.

I didn't look up "PVR," so I don't know what kind of valve a "P" is, but if his surgery was not open-heart it won't be long before he can see a chiro or physical therapist.

PVR is short for pulmonary valve replacement....It was an open heart surgery so no chiro for quite awhile...I did go buy him some therma heat wraps today to see if it helps.....

 

[goffrey]

I would bet it has much to do with the way you are on the table during surgery. My very lower back,close to my butt,was numb for 8 weeks. My neck still causes pain and it has been 4 months for me. The doctor told me it could take up to 12 months to feel "normal". I am lucky in that usually 2 tylenol take care of it. I dont think its a cause for worry unless it continues for a few months. Maybe he can try and wean off the heavy meds in a couple of weeks. I took mine for about a month,,mostly at night.

I think you are probably right...I was just kind of surprised this was our first experience with this type of pain in 5 heart surgeries...Guess we were just lucky not to have ran into this before!

 

[Jkm7]

My first OHS I had a lot of neck pain. It wasn't as severe as you describe but it lasted about three weeks until it eased considerably.

I hope your son recovers soon.
Best Wishes.

 

[Bina]

I had right shoulder pain....real sore.
It may be a good idea to not let the neck pain linger too long before having it checked out thoroughly by a specialist.
I've had alot of physiotherapist visits, and one of the better ones was for a stiff neck.
Best wishes!

 

[marie]

I didn't have any neck pain but boy did I have shoulder pain and for several weeks. As always check with your doctor

Hope you feel some relief soon

 

[Freddie]

goffrey, is your son holding his shoulders up high......like he's tense? Having this position can cause major neck pain. Been there.
Try to get him to practice of relaxing his shoulders simply by gently pushing/stretching downwards, either when he's sitting, walking or standing. Doing it slowly and gently about 10 times is the key......but stop if the pain is to great.
Have you tried using ice?