Saphenous neuralgia: a complication of arterial surgery

The saphenous nerve may be damaged during arterial surgery in the thigh as it emerges through the aponeurotic covering of the adductor canal. A clean cut of the nerve gives rise to anaesthesia, but an incomplete cut or tearing of the nerve, followed by its involvement in scar tissue, leads to saphenous neuralgia--a painful sensation in the area supplied by the nerve. Two hundred and fifty-seven arterial operations involving the course of the saphenous nerve in the thigh have been reviewed. Twenty-six of these operations were complicated by early failure of the arterial procedure necessitating amputation and have not been considered in assessing the incidence of damage to the nerve. One in five superficial femoral thromboendarterectomies and one in nine femoropopliteal bypass grafts were complicated by saphenous neuralgia. Profundaplasty was not followed by this complication. Appreciation of this troublesome symptom should lead to greater care of the nerve during surgery.