Flank bulge after kidney donation

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!!

Hello, the flank bulge is as far as I am concerned because they having been messing around with your internal organs which fit together as a 3D jigsaw puzzle. The organs slide over one another in all directions while you move, breath and so on. In case the surgeon did not put the puzzle back in place but assumed it would fall back in place by its own it will take some time if not forever. The problem of you cut nerve is potentially affecting the ability to be moved back.
What you could do is get in touch with a (physio)therapist who is educated in Visceral Manipulation by Barral. He might be able to sort it out. Even though you have a injured nerve thinks might help also in case you have some digestive problems due to the surgery (think of Tummy aches, breathless ness and so on.
I would think that an ordinary physiotherapist would not do more than give you some exercises. In case the surgery has caused changes this might be futile....due to inhibition of muscles. Also a good idea is to seek help from someone who is trained in Strain- counterstrain. Again only few physiotherapist are trained in this technique (well to get on a real course you have to go to France, Canada or the USA you see.
Hope this helps.
Nb there is a Barral institute in the UK in Ayr Scotland which will be glad to tell you where a local Barral trained therapist can be found in your area. Personally I have good results (after 1 session) but expect that it all will take time before things are back to normal, otherwise you will be dis appointment.
You're a brave person, I mean to give away bodyparts.
Hope this helps

Thanks so much for your thoughtful reply, I will check it out.

hjsinger

Hi,
Please do get treatment - whatever you can - your surgeon is wrong it will not improve with time. Get an MRI.
Also, consult a lawyer.
I donated a kidney and had the incision from the belly button to the back with a rib removed. I noticed the flank bulge and mentioned it to the nephrologist at my checkup. He called it normal healing. Several years went by before I was diagnosed with an incisional hernia (there were 2) and I had a hernia repair for both hernias with mesh. The side was bulging again. I finally found a surgeon who would redo a flank hernia repair - he had me have an MRI and informed me that it was a flank bulge actually, that all the nerves on my side had been severed and the wall of muscle was paralyzed. That wall of muscle will start to atrophy.
Kindly donations are usually done laparoscopically because of results like these.
There are forums for kidney cancer patients I have discovered - their kidney is removed with a flank incision - 50% of the time leading to flank bulge. Did your surgeon advise you of this? Consult a lawyer.
I am looking at major reconstructive surgery. organs are in the wrong place and health issues have developed.
Don't be naive like me. You donated a kidney, so you were in perfect health. Protect yourself now. Get an MRI. Get consultations. and talk to a lawyer. Time will only make it worse.
I wish you all the best.