As of today it is 8 months after my tummy tuck. The left side of my stomach has the feeling/sensation of itching (needing to scratch) but I am numb, so of course I can't feel it if I scratch, but again I can feel the sensation that you get when you need to scratch/itching. Some areas of my stomach are still numb. How long does the numbness last?
November 18, 2016
Answer: Tummy tuck numbness This can be a normal part of the healing process as many of the skin nerves are interrupted or normally traumatized during the surgery. Itching can be a sign of the nerves regenerating and "coming back to life" so to speak.... That scratching does not relieve itch is a sort of 'fathom' sensation --- the origin of the sensation is not in the same place that the itch is perceived --your brain only perceives the sensation at the target point only...
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November 18, 2016
Answer: Tummy tuck numbness This can be a normal part of the healing process as many of the skin nerves are interrupted or normally traumatized during the surgery. Itching can be a sign of the nerves regenerating and "coming back to life" so to speak.... That scratching does not relieve itch is a sort of 'fathom' sensation --- the origin of the sensation is not in the same place that the itch is perceived --your brain only perceives the sensation at the target point only...
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November 16, 2016
Answer: Itching and numb skin can sometimes be long-lasting, even up to 8 months post-op, following tummy tuck Becasuse we have to disrupt some of the normal sensory nerves to the skin of parts of the abdomen during tummy tuck, there is almost always some area of complete numbness in parts of the abdomen following the procedure. This may last for months or even a couple of years; in many areas it can be permanent. The areas affected are usually in the lower central portions of the abdominal skin, between the belly button and the pubic region above the scar. The sensations you are describing actually have a name. They are called "dysesthesias," and they refer to abnormal sensations in areas of skin which have undergone some kind of injury to the sensory nerve pathway. Usually when people experience dysesthesias it is during the time that the nerves are the most swollen or inflamed, and as healing progresses, while the area may remain numb, the dysesthesias usually settle down. Again, this may take several monhs or longer though. In those instances in which the dysesthesias are bad enough, there are some medications that can be prescribed that can help calm them down. In addition, I will often have my patients do some intentional "desensitization" exercises to the affected skin. This involves massaging the area with some moisturizer or body butter, and occasionally gently rubbing different textures across the skin, like felt, denim, or canvas. We dont' want to create injury to the skin, so it's not very rough rubbbing, but just something to produce some stimulation to the sensory nerves in that area. We do this once or twice a day until we start seeing some improvement. That is how I manage this issue in my practice, but every surgeon is different, so be sure to discuss your concerns in detail with your own surgeon before doing anything different so that they can advise you properly based upon their own experience and treatment plan. Best of luck.
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November 16, 2016
Answer: Itching and numb skin can sometimes be long-lasting, even up to 8 months post-op, following tummy tuck Becasuse we have to disrupt some of the normal sensory nerves to the skin of parts of the abdomen during tummy tuck, there is almost always some area of complete numbness in parts of the abdomen following the procedure. This may last for months or even a couple of years; in many areas it can be permanent. The areas affected are usually in the lower central portions of the abdominal skin, between the belly button and the pubic region above the scar. The sensations you are describing actually have a name. They are called "dysesthesias," and they refer to abnormal sensations in areas of skin which have undergone some kind of injury to the sensory nerve pathway. Usually when people experience dysesthesias it is during the time that the nerves are the most swollen or inflamed, and as healing progresses, while the area may remain numb, the dysesthesias usually settle down. Again, this may take several monhs or longer though. In those instances in which the dysesthesias are bad enough, there are some medications that can be prescribed that can help calm them down. In addition, I will often have my patients do some intentional "desensitization" exercises to the affected skin. This involves massaging the area with some moisturizer or body butter, and occasionally gently rubbing different textures across the skin, like felt, denim, or canvas. We dont' want to create injury to the skin, so it's not very rough rubbbing, but just something to produce some stimulation to the sensory nerves in that area. We do this once or twice a day until we start seeing some improvement. That is how I manage this issue in my practice, but every surgeon is different, so be sure to discuss your concerns in detail with your own surgeon before doing anything different so that they can advise you properly based upon their own experience and treatment plan. Best of luck.
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