Risks and Complications
With extraordinary successes came certain risks and failures. The general risks of the surgery, in addition to standard risks of surgery, include permanent paralysis of the target muscle, recurrence of phantom limb pain, and development of painful neuromas.
With the first patient, the ulnar nerve transfer was not successful. The muscle region was not reinnervated as expected, but instead turned bluish after mobilization, possibly due to a congestion of vascular supply.
With the left-arm amputation woman mentioned above, her phantom limb pain returned after surgery. Though at a lesser degree and resolved within 4 weeks, it still presented a serious risk because it is unclear whether it will resolve in other future patients. Additionally, surgery was unsuccessful with a patient because severe nerve injuries were not detectable until during the surgery.
It also remains in speculation whether the transferred nerves would survive permanently.
Read more about this topic: Targeted Reinnervation
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