Numbness and Tingling After Surgery

Numbness after surgery does happen sometimes. Usually, before surgery, the surgeon or a healthcare provider will explain that you may experience this sensation; they should provide details about how long it will last and what you can do to manage it.

Call your healthcare provider immediately if you weren't forewarned about the potential for feeling numbness or tingling after surgery. There may be a quick and logical explanation. Or it could be a sign of a complication the healthcare provider should explore.

Numbness is described as an abnormal sensation that can occur anywhere in the body. Sometimes, numbness may occur with tingling or a "pins and needles" feeling. Together, these form a condition known as paresthesia.

This article will explain the causes of numbness after surgery, how long it usually lasts, when it may be a sign of a problem, and when to seek emergency care.

What Causes Numbness After Surgery?

Estimates vary and research is somewhat limited, but as many as 37% of people experience numbness post-surgery. Since most surgeries require anesthesia and one or more incisions, post-surgery numbness can result—especially if the surgery is long or invasive, which requires a greater amount of anesthesia and potentially larger incisions.

Numbness can occur after surgery for several reasons, especially if you received anesthesia. This group of medicines is used to blunt pain and sensation during surgery.

Anesthesia causes numbness on purpose. And it can last for hours or even days after surgery. Anesthesia may linger longer after surgery if a nerve block was used. It is a more intense way of blocking pain that involves injecting medicine around a specific nerve or cluster of nerves.

Either way, numbness after surgery can be a blessing. After all, you can't feel pain when you are numb to it.

Three other common reasons you may feel numb after surgery include being restricted in one position for a long time, the effects of being cut open, and damage to nerves.

Positioning

Remaining still on the surgical table for an extended period of time can cause numbness. And the longer the surgery, the greater the chance that numbness will occur.

You may know how this feels. After sitting too long with your legs crossed, one leg may “fall asleep." Or it may feel more like pins and needles.

The difference is, if your leg falls asleep during surgery you can't shift to a more comfortable position. This is one reason why many operating rooms have padded surgical tables—to improve patients' comfort and well-being.

Incision Numbness

The area immediately around an incision (the surgical cut) is often numb after surgery. And it may continue to be numb for several months after surgery. 

This occurs when the nerves that run through a surgical site are damaged. Feeling often returns in the months following surgery.

Related Nerve Injury

An injury that cuts a nerve can also lead to numbness beyond the area of the incision. For example, a severe cut on the lower leg could potentially cut through nerves. In this case, the area below the cut nerve could go numb.

It is also possible for a nerve to be cut during surgery, which may be unavoidable.

Surgeons who work on the face understand the potential for nerve damage. A slight amount of facial nerve damage could affect a patient's ability to smile. It could even cause speech problems.

Numbness might develop soon after surgery if swelling disturbs the nerves. This becomes a bigger concern if a patient is placed in a hard cast or tight bandage.

What Body Parts May Feel Numb After Surgery?

Numbness is most commonly felt around the area of an incision where nerves may be damaged during surgery.

In rare instances, (fewer than 1 in 1,000 people), operations that involve general anesthesia can lead to nerve damage that causes numbness. These incidents are often the result of areas of the body being compressed, overstretched, damaged by surgery, or denied adequate blood supply. The areas most commonly affected by these situations are the ulnar nerve at the elbow and the common peroneal nerve at the knee.

How Is Numbness After Surgery Treated?

Numbness typically improves dramatically as the anesthesia wears off. Most patients experience a full recovery from numbness a day or two following surgery.

Nerve damage takes longer to resolve. It takes from six months to one year before physicians consider a recovery complete.

Of course, there are always exceptions. Some patients may need more treatment to restore the sensation they lost.

Think of your leg feeling numb if you sit too long in the same position. Surgery raises the stakes since it also involves anesthesia and an incision. So it makes sense that you may feel numbness and tingling afterward and for a longer period of time.

Some home remedies to consider trying include:

• Limit salt intake to prevent extra fluid retention and swelling
• Ice to reduce inflammation and swelling (check with your healthcare provider first)
• Elevate the hand, arm, foot, or leg above the heart when sitting or resting

In most cases, these sensations will go away after a few days. If numbness doesn't improve or other symptoms appear, it's time to seek medical attention.

When Numbness After Surgery Is an Emergency

Numbness is a serious condition that should be treated as an emergency if you:

• Lose control of your urine
• Lose control of your bowels
• Cannot speak
• Cannot walk
• See or feel your face drooping, especially on one side
• Experience intense muscle weakness
• Feel severe numbness below your incision site after back or spine surgery

Summary

It may help to think of numbness and tingling as natural side effects of surgery. They can occur because of anesthesia, inability to move during the procedure, the surgical cut itself, or irritated nerves.

In most cases, numbness lasts for only a day or two after surgery. But if it persists, and certain signs flare up, talk to a healthcare provider.