Re: Has anyone tried the Wheaton Brace?

[Guest guest]

,

Hello and Congratulations!!!!!! I'm glad you found our group.

In regards to the Wheaton Brace; it is not the type of bracing that

is used with the Ponseti method. The Ponseti method utilizes a brace

called a Foot Abduction Bar (or commonly called the Denis Browne Bar

or DBB). Typically a doctor will start treatment by casting your

child first. With the Ponseti method, this usually corrects the

deformity with 4-9 sets of plaster casts (or 2 months). Most

children then require a heel cord tenotomy. This is a procedure

where the baby's heel cord is cut with the use of a local

anesthetic. Then the baby is cast for about 3 weeks and THEN the

bracing is used 24/7 for 3 months. Then the bracing continues after

that point during nap and nighttime.

Even doctors who don't practice the Ponseti method don't usually

start having a baby wear any type of bracing until the deformity

itself is corrected either by casting/tenotomy or surgery. Bracing

alone can not correct clubfeet. There are other deformities, such as

metatarsus adductus, in which bracing (or nothing) is done and the

foot corrects fine without casting/tenotomy or surgery. This is not

the case for true clubfoot.

With the Ponseti method, it is imperitive that treatment begins as

soon as possible. Baby's feet are more resistant to treatment the

older they are. With Breanna being just a few weeks old, you are

still fine. However, it is my belief that you should have her cast

as soon as possible to address this issue. Again, bracing alone,

will not correct clubfeet.

In regards to bathing, sponge bathing a baby will be just fine while

she is in casts. Although I know I missed having that time with

Annika when she was a babe, the payoff for straight feet isn't even

comparable. She was done with the casting by the time she was 2 1/2

months old. She started with the Ponseti method when she was 5 weeks

old.

If you can share with us where you live, we can see if there is a

Ponseti method doctor located near you that you can call for a

consultation.

Hope that helps.

Lori and Annika

> Hello,

>

> My daughter Breanna Rose was born on 1/5/02 and was diagnosed with

> clubfeet by our local otho. doc. Her right foot is worse than her

> left. Our local ortho. doc. wants us to meet with a specialist to

> see if she will require surgery later on. I was very hesitant to

> have the casts put on that he wanted to do. She currently has

> nothing on. I have been doing the stretching exercises and she has

> been wearing high top shoes to straighten her feet out a little

until

> we have something else done. I searched on the internet over the

> weekend and found the website on Dr. Ponseti. I am impressed with

> the comments by some of his patients. I then ran across the

website

> for the Wheaton Brace. I am wondering if anyone has tried this and

> what the results were. It sounds like it would be a lot better

than

> having to cast her legs. At least she would be able to have baths

> then. Please let me know if anyone has tried these braces and what

> the outcome was.

>

> Thank you very much!

>

> Sincerely,

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

Hello and Congratulations!!!!!! I'm glad you found our group.

In regards to the Wheaton Brace; it is not the type of bracing that

is used with the Ponseti method. The Ponseti method utilizes a brace

called a Foot Abduction Bar (or commonly called the Denis Browne Bar

or DBB). Typically a doctor will start treatment by casting your

child first. With the Ponseti method, this usually corrects the

deformity with 4-9 sets of plaster casts (or 2 months). Most

children then require a heel cord tenotomy. This is a procedure

where the baby's heel cord is cut with the use of a local

anesthetic. Then the baby is cast for about 3 weeks and THEN the

bracing is used 24/7 for 3 months. Then the bracing continues after

that point during nap and nighttime.

Even doctors who don't practice the Ponseti method don't usually

start having a baby wear any type of bracing until the deformity

itself is corrected either by casting/tenotomy or surgery. Bracing

alone can not correct clubfeet. There are other deformities, such as

metatarsus adductus, in which bracing (or nothing) is done and the

foot corrects fine without casting/tenotomy or surgery. This is not

the case for true clubfoot.

With the Ponseti method, it is imperitive that treatment begins as

soon as possible. Baby's feet are more resistant to treatment the

older they are. With Breanna being just a few weeks old, you are

still fine. However, it is my belief that you should have her cast

as soon as possible to address this issue. Again, bracing alone,

will not correct clubfeet.

In regards to bathing, sponge bathing a baby will be just fine while

she is in casts. Although I know I missed having that time with

Annika when she was a babe, the payoff for straight feet isn't even

comparable. She was done with the casting by the time she was 2 1/2

months old. She started with the Ponseti method when she was 5 weeks

old.

If you can share with us where you live, we can see if there is a

Ponseti method doctor located near you that you can call for a

consultation.

Hope that helps.

Lori and Annika

> Hello,

>

> My daughter Breanna Rose was born on 1/5/02 and was diagnosed with

> clubfeet by our local otho. doc. Her right foot is worse than her

> left. Our local ortho. doc. wants us to meet with a specialist to

> see if she will require surgery later on. I was very hesitant to

> have the casts put on that he wanted to do. She currently has

> nothing on. I have been doing the stretching exercises and she has

> been wearing high top shoes to straighten her feet out a little

until

> we have something else done. I searched on the internet over the

> weekend and found the website on Dr. Ponseti. I am impressed with

> the comments by some of his patients. I then ran across the

website

> for the Wheaton Brace. I am wondering if anyone has tried this and

> what the results were. It sounds like it would be a lot better

than

> having to cast her legs. At least she would be able to have baths

> then. Please let me know if anyone has tried these braces and what

> the outcome was.

>

> Thank you very much!

>

> Sincerely,

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hello,

Thank you for the reply and information. I found on your website that there is

a doctor located in Eau , I'm in Wisconsin, by the name of Edgar O. Hicks.

I sent him an email Sunday nite but have not received a response yet. Do you

know of anyone else or is he the only one in Wisconsin?

Thank you!

immom22qts wrote: ,

Hello and Congratulations!!!!!! I'm glad you found our group.

In regards to the Wheaton Brace; it is not the type of bracing that

is used with the Ponseti method. The Ponseti method utilizes a brace

called a Foot Abduction Bar (or commonly called the Denis Browne Bar

or DBB). Typically a doctor will start treatment by casting your

child first. With the Ponseti method, this usually corrects the

deformity with 4-9 sets of plaster casts (or 2 months). Most

children then require a heel cord tenotomy. This is a procedure

where the baby's heel cord is cut with the use of a local

anesthetic. Then the baby is cast for about 3 weeks and THEN the

bracing is used 24/7 for 3 months. Then the bracing continues after

that point during nap and nighttime.

Even doctors who don't practice the Ponseti method don't usually

start having a baby wear any type of bracing until the deformity

itself is corrected either by casting/tenotomy or surgery. Bracing

alone can not correct clubfeet. There are other deformities, such as

metatarsus adductus, in which bracing (or nothing) is done and the

foot corrects fine without casting/tenotomy or surgery. This is not

the case for true clubfoot.

With the Ponseti method, it is imperitive that treatment begins as

soon as possible. Baby's feet are more resistant to treatment the

older they are. With Breanna being just a few weeks old, you are

still fine. However, it is my belief that you should have her cast

as soon as possible to address this issue. Again, bracing alone,

will not correct clubfeet.

In regards to bathing, sponge bathing a baby will be just fine while

she is in casts. Although I know I missed having that time with

Annika when she was a babe, the payoff for straight feet isn't even

comparable. She was done with the casting by the time she was 2 1/2

months old. She started with the Ponseti method when she was 5 weeks

old.

If you can share with us where you live, we can see if there is a

Ponseti method doctor located near you that you can call for a

consultation.

Hope that helps.

Lori and Annika

> Hello,

>

> My daughter Breanna Rose was born on 1/5/02 and was diagnosed with

> clubfeet by our local otho. doc. Her right foot is worse than her

> left. Our local ortho. doc. wants us to meet with a specialist to

> see if she will require surgery later on. I was very hesitant to

> have the casts put on that he wanted to do. She currently has

> nothing on. I have been doing the stretching exercises and she has

> been wearing high top shoes to straighten her feet out a little

until

> we have something else done. I searched on the internet over the

> weekend and found the website on Dr. Ponseti. I am impressed with

> the comments by some of his patients. I then ran across the

website

> for the Wheaton Brace. I am wondering if anyone has tried this and

> what the results were. It sounds like it would be a lot better

than

> having to cast her legs. At least she would be able to have baths

> then. Please let me know if anyone has tried these braces and what

> the outcome was.

>

> Thank you very much!

>

> Sincerely,

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

I called Dr. Hicks office and found out that he is out of town at a

conference until tomorrow evening.

I asked the woman who answered the phone if Dr. Hicks practiced the

Ponseti method and she said she didn't know the answer to that. She

also could not verify Dr. Hicks email address that is listed on Dr.

Ponseti's website. I would suggest that you call and leave a message

or make an appointment for a consultation(715)834-2701. Let them

know how old your baby is and that she is not in casts right now.

Let them know that it's VERY important for you to have an appointment

as soon as possible. Don't let them try to schedule it for 2 weeks

(or longer) from now. Then, take a look at this previous post I made

about checking out doctors:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nosurgery4clubfoot/message/10094

I personally am not familiar with Dr. Hicks, but maybe you could make

a post here asking if anyone is familiar with him. Put his name in

the subject field of your message. That way you will catch the

attention of anyone who might be using him. I suspect that if he is

on Dr. Ponseti's list of qualified physicians, he must have done

something right.

I hope this information helps.

Lori and Annika

>

> Hello,

> Thank you for the reply and information. I found on your website

that there is a doctor located in Eau , I'm in Wisconsin, by

the name of Edgar O. Hicks. I sent him an email Sunday nite but have

not received a response yet. Do you know of anyone else or is he the

only one in Wisconsin?

> Thank you!

>

[Guest guest]

,

Welcome!! I have a daughter named Rose, and I think that Breanna's name

is very pretty.

We live in Wisconsin (45 minutes from Eau ). We did not go to

Dr. Hicks because he was not on Ponseti's list at the time, plus Rose

was an older baby when we started with the method. I have had no

experience with Dr. Hicks, but I did email him once but didn't receive a

response. How far are you from the Cities? The Shriner's hospital in

Minneapolis has a couple of doctors who practice Ponseti's method

(CASTLADY! confirmation?? ).

If you live so close by, we will have to try and get together sometime!!

My address is joybelle15 @ webtv.net (w/o the spaces) if you'd like to

contact me offlist.

Joy

http://community.webtv.net/joybelle15/ROSESCLUBFOOTPAGE

[Guest guest]

Hi !

I should say welcome as well! I also live in Wisconsin (in

Manitowoc, right on Lake Michigan). After four months of

unsuccessful castings (15 casts) and an unsucessful heel cord

lenghtening, we took our son Sam directly to Dr. Ponseti. His foot

was corrected with five Ponseti casts. We drove back and forth

weekly form Appleton, WI to Iowa City for a month and it was the best

sacrifice of time (and money) I've ever made. I would do it again in

a heartbeat if I had another child born with clubfeet. At the time,

I was not aware of any Ponseti Dr. in WI. There was a Dr. in

Appleton that at one time, might have been on the list of qualified

Drs., but when Dr. Ponseti was contacted about our situation, he

personally called that Dr. and found out that he didn't use the

method enough to really be qualified anymore. I don't remember his

name.

Now, I believe that there might be one (Dr. Noonan, I want to

say???) in Madison, but I'm not all too sure about this. I thought I

heard that he relocated recently from Indiana. Trevellian

might know more about this than I do. Like Joy said, if you are

close to the Minneapolis area, you should definitely check out the

Shriners hospital there. And, as the Cast lady has said, they are

practicing the Ponseti method at Gilette in St. as well.

I hope this is of some help. Gotta go get my boy to bed!!

Suzanne and Sam 4-19-00 left cf

P.S. Sam is now 21 months old and running around like gangbusters

with a beautiful corrected foot!

> ,

> Welcome!! I have a daughter named Rose, and I think that Breanna's

name

> is very pretty.

> We live in Wisconsin (45 minutes from Eau ). We did not go

to

> Dr. Hicks because he was not on Ponseti's list at the time, plus

Rose

> was an older baby when we started with the method. I have had no

> experience with Dr. Hicks, but I did email him once but didn't

receive a

> response. How far are you from the Cities? The Shriner's hospital

in

> Minneapolis has a couple of doctors who practice Ponseti's method

> (CASTLADY! confirmation?? ).

>

> If you live so close by, we will have to try and get together

sometime!!

> My address is joybelle15 @ webtv.net (w/o the spaces) if you'd like

to

> contact me offlist.

>

> Joy

>

>

> http://community.webtv.net/joybelle15/ROSESCLUBFOOTPAGE

[Guest guest]

I have to thank you all very much for the terrific responses and the friendly

welcomes! I am located in Beaver Dam Wisconsin so we are a distance from the

twin cities. Probably only a couple hours difference from traveling to Iowa. I

figured it would be easier to get our insurance to reimburse something if it was

done by a doctor in Wisconsin. I also contacted Dr. Hicks by email and recieved

no response. I did call his office today to see if I could make an appointment

for him to see Breanna and I mentioned that he was on the list for qualified

physicians for Dr. Ponseti's method and the seceratary knew nothing about it.

She was going to have Dr. Hicks contact me today to verify that he even does

this method. He called early this morning but I was still asleep and he was

going to call back later but I haven't heard back yet. I think my husband and I

are just going to cancel the appointment with the specialist that our local

ortho. doc. wanted us to see in Madison on the 28th for possible surgery and

speak with our family doc. and see if he will refer us to Dr. Ponseti. If

anyone knows of any other doc. in Wisconsin that practices this method please

let me know!

Thank you!

wisuzanne wrote: Hi !

I should say welcome as well! I also live in Wisconsin (in

Manitowoc, right on Lake Michigan). After four months of

unsuccessful castings (15 casts) and an unsucessful heel cord

lenghtening, we took our son Sam directly to Dr. Ponseti. His foot

was corrected with five Ponseti casts. We drove back and forth

weekly form Appleton, WI to Iowa City for a month and it was the best

sacrifice of time (and money) I've ever made. I would do it again in

a heartbeat if I had another child born with clubfeet. At the time,

I was not aware of any Ponseti Dr. in WI. There was a Dr. in

Appleton that at one time, might have been on the list of qualified

Drs., but when Dr. Ponseti was contacted about our situation, he

personally called that Dr. and found out that he didn't use the

method enough to really be qualified anymore. I don't remember his

name.

Now, I believe that there might be one (Dr. Noonan, I want to

say???) in Madison, but I'm not all too sure about this. I thought I

heard that he relocated recently from Indiana. Trevellian

might know more about this than I do. Like Joy said, if you are

close to the Minneapolis area, you should definitely check out the

Shriners hospital there. And, as the Cast lady has said, they are

practicing the Ponseti method at Gilette in St. as well.

I hope this is of some help. Gotta go get my boy to bed!!

Suzanne and Sam 4-19-00 left cf

P.S. Sam is now 21 months old and running around like gangbusters

with a beautiful corrected foot!

> ,

> Welcome!! I have a daughter named Rose, and I think that Breanna's

name

> is very pretty.

> We live in Wisconsin (45 minutes from Eau ). We did not go

to

> Dr. Hicks because he was not on Ponseti's list at the time, plus

Rose

> was an older baby when we started with the method. I have had no

> experience with Dr. Hicks, but I did email him once but didn't

receive a

> response. How far are you from the Cities? The Shriner's hospital

in

> Minneapolis has a couple of doctors who practice Ponseti's method

> (CASTLADY! confirmation?? ).

>

> If you live so close by, we will have to try and get together

sometime!!

> My address is joybelle15 @ webtv.net (w/o the spaces) if you'd like

to

> contact me offlist.

>

> Joy

>

>

> http://community.webtv.net/joybelle15/ROSESCLUBFOOTPAGE

[Guest guest]

What is an AFO brace?

Thank you!

millsmama@... wrote: I have a 9 month old who was born with a right

clubfoot. We used the wheaton

brace after 6 weeks of casting to hold the correction. We changed from the

wheaton brace to a custom fitted AFO at 4 months of age. The custome fitted

AFO, which is very similar to the wheaton brace, but custom molded to fit his

or her foot and to achieve the specific correction needed, seemed much more

effective. I personally think for such small feet with such varying degrees

of deformity, a custom fitted device is preferable.