Re: Re: FUSION SURGERY - Possible Alternatives

[Guest guest]

Good idea to explore other alternatives, before fusion surgery. I just had

an ankle fusion (4/03), but not really for " flat feet " Pes Planus, but close.

Just about all of the ligaments/tendons, on the medial side (the inner side)

of my ankle, were destroyed & well beyond repair, so we opted for a fusion,

which is usually the last option. But having had 50 total operations, all

without

any complications & almost all on my knees & shoulders, including total knee

replacements, we decided it would be in my best interest to just go for the

final surgery, first. Our decision was based more due to time issues & what was

at stake. Because, all of those ligaments were destroyed & the inner side of

my ankle bone was moving closer & closer towards the floor & my tibia &

fibula, the 2 bones in the lower part of my leg, were tilting more & more,

putting

the lower 1/2 of my leg out of alignment. And since I have total knee

replacements, that was, of course, putting undue & unequal pressure on the

replacement. And since I was very fortunate that the replacements not only

worked & got

rid of about 98% of the pain & that they have been in over 10 years (and their

life expectancy is 7-10 years), we felt that ultimately, the risk to my knee

replacement was the most important issue. So, I had the ankle fusion

actually, more to protect my knee replacement. And I posted on CEDA & elsewhere

pre-op & every single person that had an ankle fusion had said that they could

not

have been more pleased & not a single person had a complication. So I went to

a highly regarded specialist in NYC & I'm a nurse & can read X-rays &

undoubtedly the surgery looked excellent. I had increasing pain though, after 3

months, or so. X-rays showed a 100% fusion & he said that it was not uncommon

for

the screw to be removed post op & post full fusion, for several reasons & one

was pain from the screw it's HUGE and it can cause irritation. So, in August

we removed the screw & this did make sense for me, as I have had several

spontaneous screw/pin/staple rejections (meaning my own body started rejecting

them

on it's own.) Post screw removal, the pain still continued to increase. We

constantly did X-rays & even an MRI. All looked fine. In early December we

did a CT Scan. They show more bone, MRI's show more soft tissue. PAY DIRT!

The fusion was then @ 90% non fused!!!

Only a small section in the very center of the fusion remained fused. Why?

We don't know.

Since December, before running back into the OR to refuse, we had a hard

custom AFO created, molded from my toes to just below my knee to prevent motion

&

giving me the ability to walk & put pressure on my ankle AND for 3-6 hours a

day, I use an electronic bone stimulator, which looks like a big fat blood

pressure cuff, is hard plastic & shoots electricity through the ankle. The plan

is that with the AFO allowing prece on the bone & the stimulator, we can create

& encourage increased bone cell growth & hopefully the fusion will be " filled

in " & there won't be a need to re-operate. I should have a repeat CT soon to

see if we've made any progress or if we are headed in the wrong direction.

It is felt that if this will work, it will show within 6-9 months. I'm willing

to go this route for 6-9 months to avoid a complete new fusion, as it wasn't

just the surgery, that I can deal with. But, there was to be NO weight

bearing on it, post op, for at least 6 weeks & that was awful, because I really

can't use crutches, as my shoulders are shot, so it wasn't only an electric

wheelchair, but a terrible fear the entire time taking care that not only

pressure

didn't hit that ankle, but I was terrified on it even moving, even though it

was fully casted. Time will tell, but again, I had never had a failed surgery

in the prior 48 & countless people had excellent success. I still believe in

the old adage that you do everything else first, you can always operate. That

may sound odd coming form an RN who has had 50 operations, but I think with a

different surgeon for over 20 years, I could have easily had another 25, if my

guys hadn't been conservative. Good luck. Keep us posted.

In a message dated 2/27/2004 5:46:08 PM Eastern Standard Time, mike@...

writes:

HAS ANYONE HAD JOINTS FUSED IN FEET FOR FLAT FEET TX. MY PODIATRIST IS

SENDING ME TO SAVANNAH FOR A CONSULT BECAUSE THE PAIN IS GETTING WORSE AND i CAN

FEEL IT TURNING MORE INWARD AND PULLING ON MY KNEE

AND HIP.MY KNEE IS ALREADY END STAGE OSTEO AND I CAN'T AFFORD TO HAVE IT

MESSED UP MORE. i'VE HAD ORTHOTICS FOR OVER A YEAR. tHEY HELP MY LEFT FOOT BUT

NOT

THE RIGHT.I KNOW I HAVE HEARD SOME OF YOU ALL TALK ABOUT THIS- WHAT EXACTLY

TO THEY DO AND DOES IT HELP.?

--------------------

Before you resort to surgical fusion, have you tried any massage or

bodywork treatments? There are many possible causes for flat feet

(technical name is Pes Planus) and for quite a few of those causes

there are some very effective massage/bodywork techniques. Some of the

causes relate to the feet themselves and others relate to

problems farther up the body (legs/hips/etc.) I have a fair amount

of reference material on the subject if you want to explore this

further.