Nerve transfer surgery tomorrow

Treatments, Rehabilitation, and Recovery
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Gunsurgeon

Nerve transfer surgery tomorrow

Post by Gunsurgeon »

My names Raymond on August 19, 2012 a 84yo man in a mini van made a left turn with out yielding directly in front of my motorcycle (2012 Kawi ZX14R). I hit his passenger front fender. When I flew off the bike my body hit the side of the mini van. I suffered a severed carotid artery to my brain, 11 broken bones in my face, 4 broken ribs, a broken right femur, a broken left knee cap, and a severe brachial plexus injury to my right arm. I have no feeling in my right arm at all from the shoulder down. I have no feeling in my right collar bone and limited feeling from my right ear to my right shoulder. I can move my shoulder, but there is no movement in anything below the shoulder. I am thankful for being alive and know I have a long road to recovery.

I have been accepted into John Hopkins. I have had multiple mri's and they show root avulsion C4-T1. I am having medial pectoral nerve transfer surgery for elbow flexation tomorrow morning. My doctor is Allan Beltzberg and I have heard he is a great doctor. I will post later how everything goes.
Last edited by Gunsurgeon on Thu Mar 07, 2013 9:08 am, edited 1 time in total.
hubbard
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Aug 21, 2012 2:36 am
Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: 07-08-2012 Left BPI, which is dominant arm. Had a bicycle accident.
Location: Spencer, Iowa

Re: Nerve transfer surgery tomorrow

Post by hubbard »

Praying the surgery goes well for you! You still have a long road ahead and many months before the total results of your surgery is known. Hope it continues to improve!
User avatar
Christopher
Posts: 845
Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2003 10:09 pm
Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: Date of Injury: 12/15/02

Level of Injury:
-dominant side C5, C6, & C7 avulsed. C8 & T1 stretched & crushed

BPI Related Surgeries:
-2 Intercostal nerves grafted to Biceps muscle,
-Free-Gracilis muscle transfer to Biceps Region innervated with 2 Intercostal nerves grafts.
-2 Sural nerves harvested from both Calves for nerve grafting.
-Partial Ulnar nerve grafted to Long Triceps.
-Uninjured C7 Hemi-Contralateral cross-over to Deltoid muscle.
-Wrist flexor tendon transfer to middle, ring, & pinky finger extensors.

Surgical medical facility:
Brachial Plexus Clinic at The Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN
(all surgeries successful)

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
~Theodore Roosevelt
Location: Los Angeles, California USA

Re: Nerve transfer surgery tomorrow

Post by Christopher »

You're in good hands at Johns Hopkins.
Best of luck and keep us posted!

Christopher
suzannesteam
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2010 6:53 pm
Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: My now 18 year old son had a TBPI in a football game 1 Sep 2010 with his right arm at age 17. His C5-T1 are avulsed. Since then, he's had two surgeries at the Mayo Clinic. First one was left gracilis to right arm (2/11) and spinal accessory nerve transfer. Second one was right gracilis to right arm and transfer of 5 intercostal nerves (4/11). As of now, he has elbow flexion across his chest and slight finger movement/control).
Location: NJ

Re: Nerve transfer surgery tomorrow

Post by suzannesteam »

You are definitely in good hands with Dr. Allan Beltzberg. My mom's friend was in a terrible accident a few years ago and he basically put her back together! He would have been one of our choices for my son! Hope and pray all goes well!

suzanne
User avatar
hilltopfwb
Posts: 82
Joined: Fri Dec 11, 2009 11:50 am
Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: May 24, 2008 an 88 year old lady did not see me and pulled out while I was riding my 06 HD Street Glide. The accident resulted in 9 broken bones and brain hemorrhaging. The accident's most serious results was two avulsions confirmed in my C6 & C7 vertebrae. In Oct of 08 Dr. Li of Wake Forest University performed nerve transfer lasting around 8 hours in surgery. I have limited use now of my left arm. It took until July of 09 before it moved at all, and now is moving limited. I experience burning pain in my left hand, staying busy helps keep the mind off of burning. I visited the Mayo Clinic May, 2010 and consulted with their brachial plexus team. May 1, 2012, I underwent a muscle transfer at Wake Forest University. This surgery was deemed a success and I have more movement in my arm.
Location: Fuquay Varina NC 27526
Contact:

Re: Nerve transfer surgery tomorrow

Post by hilltopfwb »

Best of luck with the surgery. Nerve Transfer will take around 8 months to a year for your body to begin using those nerves. It is a long process - but NO DOUBT it is worth it.
Gunsurgeon

Re: Nerve transfer surgery tomorrow

Post by Gunsurgeon »

Surgery went as good as to be expected. I was on the table for 13 hours. They transferred 3 nerves from my chest to my arm for elbow movement. They took the nerve I use to shrug my shoulder split it in 2 and ran the other half to another shoulder muscle. Hopefully I will now be able to keep my shoulder in socket. The doctor said he did everything there was to do and that my injury is as bad as it comes. We also found out what we already thought my right hemidiaphragm is paralyzed. I was in the hospital for 3 days in all and it was a great experience at John Hopkins. Dr allan Belzberg was amazing and I can't speak highly enough for him. Anyone that wants to see a little more about my surgery and pictures of the incisions can go to my Facebook page ( http://www.facebook.com/raymond.bailey.148 ) and take a look.

I was wondering about this paralyzed hemidiaphragm. Does anybody else have this ? Is there stuff I can do to make it better ? Or stuff that will make it worst ? Any info will help.
hubbard
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Aug 21, 2012 2:36 am
Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: 07-08-2012 Left BPI, which is dominant arm. Had a bicycle accident.
Location: Spencer, Iowa

Re: Nerve transfer surgery tomorrow

Post by hubbard »

When researching my sons injury that occurred in 07-2012, I had read that this injury sometimes causes one side of the diaphragm to become paralyzed. His first Dr had done a bronchial scope thinking there was lg blockages but never found what the thought they would find. Our local MD pointed out the abnormality when they xrayed for pneumonia. Questioned Mayo about it, not overly concerned. We have been told if he feels he's having difficulty breathing to see a Dr. (That's a no brainer!)

For those of you that go to Mayo, make sure to download their app! You can see your Dr reports and lab results on it!


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