Post Transplant - Groin Pain

[rookiegirl]

OK.  It's been 3 months & 10 days since my kidney transplant.  I'm still having groin pain on my right side above the transplanted kidney.  Each time I visit the transplant clinic, I mention it to them.  One month post transplant, they did an ultrasound & found nothing wrong.  The clinic thinks is musculatory related & will heal overtime.

This past Monday, I had another clinic visit & I complained again because the pain occurs more often.  So they did a CT scan & still nothing found.  No hernia, no fluid build up, no bleeding, etc...  Again the Dr. thinks is related to musculatory where during the surgery they cut several muscles, ligaments in order to pull back that area to make room for the kidney.  I've noticed in the last 3 weeks, the groin pain occurs more often.  Maybe is because I'm more active now with walking around the block and now started back to work.

To describe the pain...if I lift my right leg a certain way (up, down, out) or any sudden movement, I start to feel a sharp ripping feeling.  I find myself bending down & holding/pressing the area.  Once the sharp pain goes away, the pain subside a little but hovers for a while.  I really can't take pain killers because the sharp pain doesn't last long only for a minute and the hovering pain is more like a dull aching throb.

Does anyone have the same or similar experience after your transplant?  Please let me know I'm not alone in this & that it's not all in my head.

Thanks,
RG

[okarol]

I was thinking it sounded like an abdominal hernia. I think it's diagnosed by touching the area and bearing down or coughing to see if you can feel the spot that needs to be repaired.
I found this on the internet, so I guess it's a possibility:

As with any surgery, there are potential complications. These include, but are not limited to:

    * risks of general anesthesia (being put to sleep)
    * needing to return to the operating room to resolve a surgical complication
    * wound infection (< 5%)
    * blood clot in the vessel to the kidney, requiring removal of the transplanted kidney (< 1%)
    * hernia development in the area of the incision (< 3%)
    * minimal numbness around the incision area (nearly 100%)
    * non-function (kidney never works from the start) of the transplant kidney (< 1%)
    * leakage of urine in the area where the ureter is attached to the bladder (< 1%)
    * bleeding

[kellyt]

Groin pain "above" your new kidney?  Where in the world did they put your kidney, rookie?   

Seriously, I have no answer for you.  You would think that if they did an ultra sound they would have seen the hernia, right?  Or at least know the syptoms of a hernia.  Maybe they nicked a muscle or something?  I only had pain in the incision area and after about 6-8 weeks I was essentially pain free unless I did crunches or something.

Let us know what you find out.  Good Luck.  I hope you're doing well otherwise, rookie!

[monrein]

I still have the numbness over the area of the incision and it feels very odd but I wouldn't say painful.  Odd sensations of twinges though and I think it might be due to nerve endings trying to meet up with the ones they used to be attached to in the first place.  I did have pain when my first transplant was needing to come out but it showed a compromised blood supply so that made sense.

I hope it resolves itself soon rookiegirl.

[rookiegirl]

I was thinking it sounded like an abdominal hernia. I think it's diagnosed by touching the area and bearing down or coughing to see if you can feel the spot that needs to be repaired.
I found this on the internet, so I guess it's a possibility:

As with any surgery, there are potential complications. These include, but are not limited to:

    * risks of general anesthesia (being put to sleep)
    * needing to return to the operating room to resolve a surgical complication
    * wound infection (< 5%)
    * blood clot in the vessel to the kidney, requiring removal of the transplanted kidney (< 1%)
    * hernia development in the area of the incision (< 3%)
    * minimal numbness around the incision area (nearly 100%)
    * non-function (kidney never works from the start) of the transplant kidney (< 1%)
    * leakage of urine in the area where the ureter is attached to the bladder (< 1%)
    * bleeding

They took an Ultrasound & CT Scan & made me cough while they press against the area.  No hernia, no bleeding, no leakage, nothing.  The doctors think is musculatory related and nerve endings trying to connect & heal.  They suggested for me to take it easy.

By the way,  I made a mistake on the pain location. DAH!!! I meant to say below the transplated kidney.

[chris73]

I had the same thing here little 1yr post tx and i still get the pain but not like they were in the beginning. I expressed my concern to the  tx clinic  and was told it was normal part of the healing  process if it persisted they would investigate further. On occasion after over doing it, i tend to hurt alittle i know my limits and feel great. Hope this puts your mind at ease!!  God Bless!! Chris

[rookiegirl]

I had the same thing here little 1yr post tx and i still get the pain but not like they were in the beginning. I expressed my concern to the  tx clinic  and was told it was normal part of the healing  process if it persisted they would investigate further. On occasion after over doing it, i tend to hurt alittle i know my limits and feel great. Hope this puts your mind at ease!!  God Bless!! Chris

Chris - thanks for sharing.  I feel somewhat better now that I'm not the only person experiencing this pain.  I declare, I started to think it was all in my mind.  I'm hoping/praying overtime it will ease off & I will start to feel a little better.  Thanks.

[willieandwinnie]

rookiegirl, Len had his transplant 22 months ago and still has the pains in his groin area. I have had him to GP, transplant surgeon, trauma surgeon and they have run every test know to man kind. Can't find anything and have told us it is the healing process and could take up to 2 years. He seems to be mentioning it less often these days, maybe that is a good sign. He still has pains over the transplant site which they also told us was normal since he received a rather large kidney and he is a small guy. I sure hope you get some relief soon. Len did try a heating pad and said it relieved it some, worth a try. Keep us posted. 

[rookiegirl]

rookiegirl, Len had his transplant 22 months ago and still has the pains in his groin area. I have had him to GP, transplant surgeon, trauma surgeon and they have run every test know to man kind. Can't find anything and have told us it is the healing process and could take up to 2 years. He seems to be mentioning it less often these days, maybe that is a good sign. He still has pains over the transplant site which they also told us was normal since he received a rather large kidney and he is a small guy. I sure hope you get some relief soon. Len did try a heating pad and said it relieved it some, worth a try. Keep us posted. 

Thanks for sharing.  Boy, I really hope I don't have to tolerate this pain for that long.  Last night, I did use heating pad on the groin area & it relieved some of the pain.  I couldn't stand it no longer so I took some pain killers that was prescribed.  I haven't taken pain killers in 2 months.  I tried to manage my pain and meditate that it's not there.  Sometimes it works & sometimes NOT.  I'm not always in pain in that area.  The only time I do feel the pain is when I agitate the area by stretching or move a certain way, then the pain hovers for a long while.  I tell you the sharp pain feels like someone is cutting me or ripping my groin apart.

[okarol]

I was reading more about pain after abdominal surgery. It sounds as though your transplant team has thoroughly attempted to diagnose the cause of your pain, so this may just be a repeat of what you already know:

Pelvic adhesions are bands of fibrous scar tissue that form in the abdomen and pelvis, usually after surgery. Adhesions connect organs and tissue that are normally separate, ovaries, fallopian tubes, bladder or bowel can be affected. Adhesions can also lead to a variety of severe complications including chronic pelvic pain, infertility and bowel obstruction.

Adhesions start forming almost immediately after surgery as part of the normal healing process to repair raw tissue. Unfortunately in the process some organs/tissues become "stuck" to adjacent tissues and thus cause pain.

The first step towards treatment is of course diagnosis, and your doctor will take a history, examine you and possibly conduct some tests, in an attempt to determine if your problems are adhesion related. These tests may include a laparoscopy.

[rookiegirl]

I was reading more about pain after abdominal surgery. It sounds as though your transplant team has thoroughly attempted to diagnose the cause of your pain, so this may just be a repeat of what you already know:

Pelvic adhesions are bands of fibrous scar tissue that form in the abdomen and pelvis, usually after surgery. Adhesions connect organs and tissue that are normally separate, ovaries, fallopian tubes, bladder or bowel can be affected. Adhesions can also lead to a variety of severe complications including chronic pelvic pain, infertility and bowel obstruction.

Adhesions start forming almost immediately after surgery as part of the normal healing process to repair raw tissue. Unfortunately in the process some organs/tissues become "stuck" to adjacent tissues and thus cause pain.

The first step towards treatment is of course diagnosis, and your doctor will take a history, examine you and possibly conduct some tests, in an attempt to determine if your problems are adhesion related. These tests may include a laparoscopy.

okarol - thank you for the researched article.  "Pelvic Adhesion" - I'm going to mention this to my Neph on my next visit this month.  The tx clinic kept mentioning musculatory.  Oh how I wish to have my old Neph back.  I miss him so much.  But, I must give this new Neph a chance.  She did in fact worked under my old Neph, so I pray she is just as could as the old.  Thanks again.

[Ringworm3]

Hi, I had a Transplant Back in Feb 12th 2009, we are now post 6 months, I still have the exact same pain, bending and Dull aches that you have, I have mentioned this to my Consultant and a few tests have brought back nothing.
However heres a Little history, I had The TX and Then needed a Hernia Op 12 weeks after because of a stabbing pain below and around the area, so maybe thats why I'm getting such re occurring pain.
It is annoying thou, I fully sympathize with you as your symptoms sound like mine, what a pain, still Dialysis is an Option!!! Ha Ha.
Don't want anymore of that for a while, lets hope the Kidney keeps going for a longtime. I hope yours continues to work well and that the pain will subside
All the very best to You
Mark Wiseman, Portsmouth UK   Love Banana's

[okarol]

  Hi Mark,
Please post an intro so can get to know you better. Thanks.

okarol/admin

[rookiegirl]

Upcoming Sept 20th is my 6mos. post transplant.  Groin pain is not has bad now...still there but not bad.  I've heard through too many people who had surgery (transplant, C-section, etc....) that scar tissues are just painful.  I know a girl at work that had a C-section and after 5 yrs. she sometimes feel soreness in the area when she moves a certain way.  Guess, I will learn to live with it.

[QualMod]

Just discovered this thread after a google search! I am 1 year post transplant and having the same exact pain. Just went for an ultrasound yesterday - nothing appears to be wrong. In fact, my lab numbers are the best they have ever been! Glad to know I am not alone in this situation. Hoping it is just nerve damage that will eventually heal! I also found this article that might help others in the future... https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5258796/

[iolaire]

Hi @QualMod, I'm six months out from transplant and have numbness on the belly right above where the transplant scar is - its not painful (luckily) but its there.  Last night I was feeling very bloated from over eating the day before and the numbness became more noticeable.

[justagirl2325]

Odd, I thought it was just donors who felt this type of thing.  I have numbness in the bladder area as a donor but my husband (the recipient) doesn't.