Had A Surgery That Didn’t Work, Surgeon Later Said Misdiagnosis

This has been a multi-year situation so I’ll try to keep the facts brief. If you need more info I’m happy to answer questions. I am not really a litigious person, but this has put a lot of stress on me and my family and cost me a lot physically, financially and emotionally.

-I am a distance runner. I am slow, but I get it done. I have completed numerous road races from 5k to 50k distance, including 7 marathons.

-Early 2022 I started to experience numbness in my left foot about 1.5-2 miles into a run. If I continued running the numbness would get worse and travel up my leg to my knee. If I walked, sensation would gradually return.

-My PCP referred me to a foot and ankle surgeon. He examined me and sent me for several tests (MRI, nerve study).

-It was determined I had tarsal tunnel and recommended for a tarsal tunnel release. Based on my marathon schedule and a trip I had for my brother’s graduation, my surgery was scheduled for May 2023.

-After surgery I could not put weight on my left leg for almost 2 months. I was then booted for several more. I started PT in September 2023 and continued through February 2024.

-I was cleared to start training again in early 2024. It became apparent pretty early on that the numbness was still occurring. I made an appointment with the surgeon but the earliest I could be seen was June. He referred me to other specialists (vascular and neck/spine).

-He told me that the tarsal tunnel surgery has such a high success rate that if it did not “cure” the numbness then it basically means it was a misdiagnosis. I am now in the process of seeing these other specialists and having each of them send me for various tests.

-So my question is was this any kind of malpractice or just a normal risk? I had an unnecessary surgery. Months of PT. Lost wages because I ran out of sick time. I had to go to PT on my lunch break and if I was gone more than an hour it came out of my pay. I have spent so much fucking money and time at doctor’s visits and having test after test done. Not to mention the physical and emotional toll recovery was on me and my body (plus my husband having to care for me). I gained a lot of weight (almost 60 lbs) because I couldn’t walk correctly or exercise for months. I got put on weight loss medication to jump start my weight loss earlier this year. I was only on that for three months and it caused a lot of my hair to fall out. I know that’s not necessarily directly from the surgery but it’s all connected.

Thanks to anyone that read all this and has any advice! I’m not sure if this is just a too bad so sad situation or if there’s a possibility of getting compensation for some of the money I lost to all these appointments and the lost wages.