plaster casting

[Guest guest]

,

US Dr.'s like to use the wait and see approach. My son had a 32 degree angle at 8 weks old and they let it progress to 50 degrees. When you get to 50 degrees you can start to have cardio-pulmonary problems. Plaster Casting is labor intensive and costly and that is why the Dr'.s here want to avoid casting. My Dr. told me this last week. 's daughter Olivia was at around 29 degrees at 6 months old and the Dr's watched as she went to 100 degrees!!!

Crista

[Guest guest]

Hi Guys,

I don't understand this logic! What is more costly here ?

A) Treating an infant with serial casting, getting them straight

before their spines get too rigid by the age of three... allowing

them to go on to lead normal lives

OR

Prescribing ineffective braces which most of the time ( in

progressive cases ) does not arrest the progression of the curve ...

endless x-rays followed by fusion surgery which usually costs

anywhere from $70,000 to $300,000 (depending on the number of

surgeries and how complicated it is).

Now which scenerio is going to cost the insurance companies

more ?????

Celia

> ,

> US Dr.'s like to use the wait and see approach. My son

had a 32

> degree angle at 8 weks old and they let it progress to 50 degrees.

When you get

> to 50 degrees you can start to have cardio-pulmonary problems.

Plaster

> Casting is labor intensive and costly and that is why the Dr'.s

here want to avoid

> casting. My Dr. told me this last week. 's daughter Olivia

was at

> around 29 degrees at 6 months old and the Dr's watched as she went

to 100

> degrees!!!

> Crista

[Guest guest]

This is common for CMT kids to have done. What it is, is actually a series of

casting to stretch and bring down the tight heel cords. I had it done in the

early 70's. After being on this CMT list and others over the past 9 years it is

still being done.