Severe Calf Pain after Knee Surgery?!

Question: Severe Calf Pain after Knee Surgery?

The day after having lateral release surgery on my left knee I started having Severe Calf Pain. Still experiencing pain and unable to put any weight on my leg, my surgeon had me go to the ER to have a Dopplerr ultra sound done to insure I have no clots. The test came back negative. Something else that baffled the surgeon is I lost mobility in my leg. Unable to lift my leg, though my mind thinks I am lifting it.. it hangs almost dead like. Week later and still extreme calf pain, have not been able to put any weight on it. The only relief from pain is when I elevate it. Then the pain is tolerable. I managed to lift it an inch. All the symptoms as follows:
*Severe Calf Pain
* Immobility
* Mild fever
*Occassional Numbness
*discoloration
*Unable to straigten leg
*whole leg swells
***forgot to mention, when I lower my leg it feels like blood is being restricted which causes the calf pain to be worse.

My surgeon does not seem too concerned, despite being puzzled to why I am unable to lift my leg and the pain.

Deseperate for help, has anyone experience this and what did you do to overcome it? they started me on physical therapy and I've been trying to do exercises which is hard when your leg wont straighten, immobile and calf pain.

(I know pain is involved, but the surgeon said it would have been my knee not the calf)

Answers:

That's really strange. I had lateral release and the back of my knee cap resurfaced 2 weeks ago on Tuesday. I have experienced A LOT of pain, but never in my calf. I've had swelling from my thigh to my foot and bruising from my knee to my shin, and just today noticed a very large bruise on the inside of my foot. Immobility is to be expected, I am just now being able to walk with my leg locked in the straight position, if I bend my knee at all it gives out on my. I'm still using my crutches and probably will be for another week. I've started physical therapy last week and he has me doing leg lefts, bending, stretching, and working my quads. I'm able to do leg lifts, but it takes me a really long time to figure out how. It's as if I've forgotten how to use those muscles. If I lay on my back and someone lifts my leg for me so that it's and a 90 degree angle at my hip then after about 45 seconds of trying to figure out how to do it I can lower and lift my leg. It's very painful, but possible.

I would be concerned about the pain in your calf, I never had ANY pain there. You may want to get a second opinion. I hope you get everything figured out! Keep me posted on your progress!!

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Severe Calf Pain after Knee Surgery?!

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