Complex Regional Pain Disorder Post Surgery
A medical malpractice lawsuit brought by a Maryland woman highlighted the disorder Complex Regional Pain Disorder or CRPS. Donna McNeal underwent surgery to mend the pain she was feeling in her neck, hand and elbow as well as the “tingling” in her hands. Post surgery she experienced pain in her upper extremities particularly her arm as “cold, sharp, pins and needles, with throbbing and burning in her armpit described as “thousands of bees stinging.” According to the Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association, CRPS is a neurological condition that causes the nerves to “send constant pain signals to the brain” and is characterized by a severe, burning pain and tissue swelling with up to 1.2 million people affected by the condition. The condition is brought on by any type of traumatic injury. It is often seen following surgery to treat carpal tunnel syndrome. In the end her doctor prescribed formal physical therapy and painkillers and recommended McNeal to see pain specialists who ultimately diagnosed her CRPS. She has been unable to return to her job and suffers from pain in all of the joints of her right arm. The lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice after an orthopedic surgeon serving as a defense expert witness said he found no medical literature showing a patient developing CRPS following the common procedure McNeal underwent.
