I spent a better part of the day yesterday in the ER. I am unable to extend my left foot toward my body. I can currently bend it down and to the side, it also drags when I walk. After they ruled out a stroke and ran many tests they diagnosed me with nerve palsy with drop foot. Nothing hurts, my brain simply will not communicate with my foot to move. There were several PAs and Dr's seeing me, and out of the 7 or 8 of them, they have only seen this a few times and each patient was a weight loss surgery patient. They think that it might be temporary, but could be permanent. Sometimes it is linked to a deficiency in B12 or B1 but my labs were perfect. It could also be linked to an injury, but I did not have any. Lastly, it can be caused from crossing your legs for long periods of time, and not moving around much.

I am constantly on the go since my surgery, and never sitting for too long (ie a desk job etc) Their best guess is that it happens due to your nerves not catching up with your new size and there is nothing there to connect. I wanted to warn all of you that have recently had this surgery to avoid this complication in any way possible. I know some of you have not been able to cross your legs in some time, but do your best not to. Make sure you take those Vitamins every day, and add B1 if your vitamins do not include it. Although none of these are related to my condition, they frequently are.

It is hard to walk, let alone run. I have started training for a 5k which will have to stop. I can barely drive and am quite scared that it will not go away. I will keep you all updated, but please be aware of this complication, as I have never heard of it.

I had this same thing. I had a series of neuroligcal tests and it was determined that the quick loss of fat behind my knee resulted in the nerve becoming very close to the surface of my skin. So when I crossed my legs for an extended time it would compress the nerve, causing the drop foot. And if I bumped the back of my knee against something, I got this almost electrical charge feeling up my leg. It was scary, but it resolved itself in a couple of months. The more exercise I did, and the more I worked on making my foot bend upward like it should, the more improvement I saw. I'm completely back to normal now, except if I bump that nerve it still hurts - which only really happens if I do something like hop up onto a hard sitting surface, like a countertop, banging the back of my knee in the process.

If you google weight loss and foot drop, you can find a number of articles. Here's a study abstract.

Wishing you the best, and I hope you recover! and soon! prayers your way.

In support,

Triss

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Obes Surg. 2007 Sep;17(9):1209-12.

Foot drop as a complication of weight loss after bariatric surgery: is it preventable?

Weyns FJ1, Beckers F, Vanormelingen L, Vandersteen M, Niville E.

Author information

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Although rare, the relationship between peroneal nerve palsy and weight loss has been well documented over the last decades. Of the 160 patients operated for persisting foot drop in our institution, weight loss was considered to be the major contributing factor for 78 patients (43.5%).

METHODS:

We compared patients who developed a foot drop after bariatric surgery with a control group of patients who underwent bariatric surgery (gastric banding) but did not develop peroneal neuropathy.

RESULTS:

9 patients developed foot drop after bariatric surgery. The mean weight loss for these patients was 45 kg. Weight reduction took place during a mean period of 8.6 months. Our control group consists of 10 patients. The mean weight loss of these patients was 43.8 kg, and the weight reduction took place during a mean period of 21.7 months.

CONCLUSION:

In contrast to earlier studies, we demonstrated that significant weight loss is correlated with a higher risk to develop foot drop and that the time period in which the weight loss is achieved is important. A rapid reduction of body weight is correlated with a higher risk to develop foot drop.

PMID: 18074496 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Edited July 19, 201412 yr by utahgirll

Has anyones foot gone back to normal? I am going to physical therapy 3 times a week for 3 weeks and I still am not healed a little better but, I still can not hike?

I am so sorry you ladies (and one of your daughters) are going through this! Thanks for letting us know about this possible complication. My thoughts and prayers for a rapid recovery are with you.

So Sorry to hear of your situation.....I had the VSG 15 months ago in NYC with a good surgeon ?Immediately, after the surgery I started to feel numbness in my stomach and severe pain in the feet and legs and thighs and hands...I also have enlarged veins on my hands and legs....the pain is intractable..I have visited many doctors and ER's and most do not know what to do...they do however, attribute all of this post op stuff directly from the surgery.....I have lost 155 pounds and have a hard time eating and getting the food down ? In retrospect, I wish that I DID NOT go through with the surgery...../clearly, something happened and my total life has been changed..... I am unable to function or to work or to go back to school......thoughts anybody ?

I started with pain in my left hip that led to drop foot left side its been 2 years now no doctors know what to do Ive been so seditary due to the difficulty to walk and now using a walker did you also have the feeling in your brain like you were off balance and had to hold on to walls counters? thank you for this post