Hi to all, I'm new here - this looks like a good forum and hope I can get some help.

Four months ago I donated a kidney via an open procedure on my right side (not laparoscopic as most nephrectomies are these days). I have a scar about 8 inches long that wraps around my right side.

During the surgery, there was apparently an intercostal nerve (D11-D12) that was unfortunately cut and now I have no control over the muscles on the right side of my abdomen and I have a large bulge on that side (think five months pregnant on one side of the body). This is known as a flank bulge and is an uncommon but recognized complication of this type of surgery.

My surgeon says he hopes it will improve with time. Meanwhile he suggests wearing an abdominal binder (which I do and it helps) and physiotherapy to strengthen the stomach muscles. I have gone to PT a few times but none of the therapists have ever seen anything like this and aside from simple crunches and etc don't have too many ideas.

I have found a few articles in the medical literature but mostly they deal with how to keep this from happening during surgery and not how to treat it afterwards. No one can promise me that there is a solution at all.

I'd be happy to hear from anyone who has encountered or treated this problem and what worked or didn't.

Thanks!!

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