Skip to main content
Log in

Postoperative lower limb paralysis due to retractors

  • Clinical Reports
  • Published:
Journal of Anesthesia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We report a case of femoral neuropathy caused by retractors used during operation. The patient (a 74-year-old woman) was scheduled for right hemicolectomy for cecum cancer, and anesthesia was maintained with nitrous oxide and sevoflurane in oxygen plus extradural anesthesia. After operation, the patient complained of hypesthesia in the anterolateral and medial area governed by the femoral nerve. Magnetic resonance imaging findings, were normal and the straight leg raising test was negative. After 2 months, the patient had completely recovered from the neurological symptoms. These manifestations were indicative of femoral neuropathy resulting from the pressure of large-bladed self-retraining retractors. It is important to include femoral neuropathy in the differential diagnosis of postoperative paralysis of the lower limb.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Brown DL, Wedel DJ (1990) Epidural (and Caudal) Anesthesia. 3rd ed. Churchill Livingstone, New York, pp 1395–1402

    Google Scholar 

  2. Georgy FM (1975) Femoral neuropathy following abdominal hysterectomy. Am J Obstet Gynecol 123:819–822

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Ruston FG, Politi VL (1958) Femoral nerve injury from abdominal retractors. Can Anaes Soc J 5:428–437

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Rosenblum J, Schwartz GA, Bendler E (1966) Femoral neuropathy: A neurological complication of hysterectomy. JAMA 195:409–414

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Mitsuya Y, Shima T, Yamamuro M, Nishioka K (1978) Femoral nerve paralysis after abdominal hysterectomy under continuous epidural analgesia (in Japanese with English abstract). Masui (Jpn J Anesthesiol) 27:749–753

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

About this article

Cite this article

Mizoguchi, M., Tanaka, K. & Narita, M. Postoperative lower limb paralysis due to retractors. J Anesth 10, 225–226 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02471396

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02471396

Key words

Navigation