Sundberg Health and Capacity Development Initiatives

This is not a typical complication following a C-section. The combination of inability to walk, urinary retention requiring catheterization, and loss of bowel control or difficulty passing stool suggests possible injury to or compression of the lower spinal cord or cauda equina nerves.

Potential causes include cauda equina syndrome, spinal epidural hematoma (bleeding around the spinal cord), infection, or other nerve injuries.

She should be evaluated by a neurologist or neurosurgeon, and an MRI of the spine should be performed if available.

The nerves that control movement of the legs, bladder function, and bowel function arise from the lower spinal cord and cauda equina. Injury to these nerves can result in weakness or paralysis of the legs, urinary retention requiring catheterization, bowel dysfunction, and numbness around the buttocks, ge***al area, or inner thighs.

Even after two months, further evaluation remains important because some underlying causes may still be treatable. In addition, rehabilitation and physiotherapy may help improve functional recovery. Appropriate bladder and bowel management are essential to prevent infections and other complications.

One important question is whether or not she lost the ability to walk immediately after the C-section, or whether the weakness developed gradually over the following hours or days. The timing of symptom onset may provide important clues, although it cannot confirm the diagnosis.

If she lost the ability to walk immediately or within hours after the spinal anesthesia or C-section, possible causes could include spinal epidural hematoma (bleeding around the spinal cord), cauda equina syndrome due to nerve compression, or, rarely, direct nerve or spinal cord injury related to the spinal procedure.

If the weakness developed gradually over hours to days, possible causes include infection (spinal epidural abscess), inflammation affecting the spinal cord or nerves, obstetric nerve injury related to labor or positioning during surgery, or another neurological condition.

However, regardless of whether the symptoms began immediately or developed later, the combination of inability to walk, urinary retention requiring catheterization, and bowel dysfunction suggests involvement of the lower spinal cord or cauda equina nerves.

The exact cause cannot be determined without a clinical examination and MRI imaging of the spine.