00:56 Nov 5 

The best answers are always in the discussion area and cannot thus be voted for ;)

00:37 Nov 5 

Based solely on idiomatic use, sensory is clearly the hands-down correct answer.

Beyond the idiom, however, I perceive a subtle difference in meaning between sensory impairment and sensation impairment. An impairment of sensation implies a change in perception of an applied stimulus, such as a light touch, vibration, heat, cold or a (normally) painful maneuver.

On the other hand, a sensory impairment implies all of the above plus the possibility of an abnormal sensation arising de novo even without the application of a stimulus. An example of this would be a pins and needles (paresthesia) sensation, which often happens without any applied stimulus.

The type of disturbance which can occur post-operatively, is, of course, the latter, a sensory disturbance.