Postoperative lateral femoral cutaneous neuropathy

Lateral femoral cutaneous (LFC) neuropathy was diagnosed in a woman who dev eloped pain and paresthesias in the right thigh 6 days after abdominal hyst erectomy by a suprapubic approach. After surgery, the patient slept in the fetal position to control the postoperative suprapubic pain. The LFC neurop athy improved with therapy including avoidance of hip flexion during sleep. Prolonged postoperative hip flexion to relieve the abdominal incisional pa in provides an explanation for LFC neuropathy after abdominal surgery when the onset of symptoms is delayed. (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.