orthopedic pin migration

[Guest guest]

All I can suggest is that if you feel you should go now, then get a taxi or

ambulance and go to the local hospital. They will see you are transferred to the

University Hospital. At least if you go now, they can get your pain under a

better control, and no further damage can be done in the meantime. I'd think you

need a medical transport, so you don't do more damage. Leave a note for the

hubby if you can't contact him. Best of luck. This sounds very painful and

damaging. Cindylouwho

orthopedic pin migration

And now I can

feel about three inches of the pin running up the side of calf. I am in

excruciating pain. .....

MY biggest problem is I have no one to drive me to the hospital. last week we

went to out local hospital and they said this is way over their heads and I

needed to go to the university of North carolina Chapel Hill Hopsitlas.

[Guest guest]

I missed your first post. But, are you saying the pin is like tenting your

skin. You know, sticking out, but not through the skin?

That happened to my daughter when her shoulder was pinned. We had to go back,

and the dr cut the skin. It didn't hurt any more after that. It was just kinda

gross. She was doing the " pin trick " for a few days, and grossing everyone out.

I hope it's something easy like that. Sorry I missed your first message. I

know it realy hurt her bad, until her cut the skin. Do't worry if it's that.

He numbed her first, so it wasn't a big deal.

I hope it's just something this easy.

Get a taxi and get to the hosp. It's worth the cost.

Hugs,

[Guest guest]

Hi

Over the years & more surgery then I'd like to add up (50+), I've had screws,

pins & staples, literally " migrate " or " back out " and way, way earlier then

my surgeons used to say they'd ever seen it happen, even when it rarely did.

And over the last 10+ years on the list, I cannot begin to count the number of

discussions there have been, in relation to hardware in general, doing this

much more often in EDS patients, then the average patient, without EDS.

_______________________

I particular, one time after multiple attempts to stabilize a knee, by the

time I barely had any decent ligaments left, the surgeon wrapped a tendon around

my knee (simplifying this a GREAT DEAL), to basically try to " fake out " the

knee, to make it think & act as though it were stable. First he put in a huge

screw. Within weeks, there was a very hard " bulge " that I could see & feel

under my skin.

_______________________

Yes, it was backing out. So the Dr. removed it & replaced it with several

pins. It didn't take long, again just a couple of weeks & out they were coming.

Annoyed as can be, he removed those & put in a barbed staple, kind of like

the barbed thing you would use when you go fishing. Well, anyone want to

guess??? Not too long thereafter, out it was coming too. I had been awake

through

all of these procedures, like I usually am, during my operations & when he

removed the staple I asked him what he was going to try

next.....................

_______________________

" PRAY " , he calmly & coolly said. He said he's simply " rough up the

surfaces " , basically enough to really annoy them & make them bleed, so that they

would

hopeful heel with more scar tissue then usual. Basically he was using EDS

against itself!!! I loved it. Using EDS against EDS! " Brilliant " , I said.

And

basically, that was the last we heard of it!

_______________________

Now it only went on for @5 years, or so, because unrelated & due to the

cumulative effect of all of the years of instability, ligament transplants,

replacements, moving pieces of tendons from one place to another to create new

ligaments, etc., etc. & by then I also had zippo cartilage left as well,

arthritis

had long since taken over & I had bilateral total knee replacements in March of

'93 & then in Dec. on '03.

_______________________

At that time there hadn't been one single documented case of a successful TKR

& I personally knew more than at least 20+ people who had failed TKR's, but

that never entered into my decision. I felt:

_______________________

1) I live in NJ (the New York metropolitan area), where supposedly you may be

able to find surgeons elsewhere as good as some of the ones here, but you

surely weren't going to find better ones.

_________

2) This is unfortunate to even have to say, but I had/have excellent health

insurance. And, whether I like it (or anyone else does) or not, it's a factor.

_________

3) I'm an RN, so I was " armed & dangerous " & I did my research.

_________

4) I consulted @6 surgeons. Three of them wouldn't even see me on a

consultation. After a telephone history that was relayed to the Dr., I received

calls

back from the receptionist's telling me to choose, from basically, almost the

same 3-4 knee " top " knee replacement surgeons. And, that there wasn't

anything they could do for me. (Gee, that was really encouraging!)

_________

5) I did my homework & saw the 3 who would see me & my husband & I

unanimously decided on one particular one, on the spot, after he saw me the

first time.

He had spent 3, yes, three hours with us during that visit. (There were

about 6,000 people in his waiting room when I came out, I wanted to run the

other

way & jump out a window!) But I couldn't because: #1, I couldn't run & #2,

his office was on the basement level! But I surely didn't want to walk past

all of those people! And honestly since then, I've never complained about

waiting long periods of time to see him. As sometimes he's right on schedule,

but

other times, I've waited as long as 4 hours to see him. So, I know he's not

back there, playing cards or something. He sees you for as long as you need to

be seen, be it 5 minutes or 3 hours.....

_______________________

And the ultimate & deciding factors, were that we both felt extremely

confidant in him & his abilities, he was also clearly going to do HIS homework

Pre

Op, including getting as much " up to date " info on EDS, though he had operated

on EDS patient's before me (which I didn't know when I went to see him).

And ultimately, though there had never been a successful case;

6) Some had to be the first one!

_______________________

Well, it's now 11 years later & all of the screws, staples, pins, etc., were

all removed anyway, at the time of the TKR procedures. And, in fact, I would

say that we were successful, as @98% of the pain (in my knees) was gone & even

today, if you saw me, you'd never know that I'd ever even had a sprained knee!

_______________________

So, it's well documented, by word of mouth anyway & you can see just how many

comments you've seen on it here in the last couple of days, but you surely

need to have yours checked, ASAP.

Be Well,

[Guest guest]

YEs this has happened to me heaps of times (the not being able to get

to the hospital bit NOT the migrating pin bit).

For me I call either a Non-urgent ambulance (same company but instead

of ringing 000 or 911 (you guys use) I call a local number and they

send me an ambulance to transfer me as soon as they can. This way I

can get relief and they transfer me to the ER.

I would look up the local number or non urgent ambulance number if I

was you and get there ASAP. I have cover to cover the cost of

Ambulance trips otherwise a cab/taxi would be cheaper.

Good Luck and try to get that seen to ASAP because if it has already

migrated up into your calf it could migrate further.

Sharon

> HI all,

>

> I got my self in quite a fix here (No pun intenedeed) Ever since

myt

> sub-talar joint fusion failed...the symptoms got the worst in Dec

while doing PT.

> Anyway I had a little hard spot that I assumed to be piece of pin

since when they

> took the pin out it broke in half. Half came out and half stayed in

the bone

> but my ortho then said it wouldn't be a problem. Okay last night I

put partial

> weight on my ankle (I have an air cast and crutches and collapsed

to the

> ground in pain,. The only thing I can compare it to was when I

broke the neck of my

> humorous) Anyway at the time I felt definite bone movement. And now

I can

> feel about three inches of the pin running up the side of calf. I

am in

> excruciating pain. MY question is has anyone ever dealt with this

before. I'm taking

> high doses of morphine and the pain is not resolved enough to allow

me to sleep.

> Ordinarily Craig would take me to the ER today to get it checked

but he has

> to fly to Hartford to sign contracts for hius new job ! Yes! (After

waiting

> this long for a good job...we need it and the medical insurance!)I

also have to

> find a way to get my Medigap continued to NC from RI which is a

matter of

> getting the papers and getting down there. CBS Wants to do it all

by mail but it's

> taking to long anyway. NO matter what tomorrow (Wed) we will have

to get to

> the ER but I was wondering what kind of damage a way ward pin do in

the tissues.

> Could it cause a clot or nerve damage. Is it safe to wait another

24 hours.

> MY biggest problem is I have no one to drive me to the hospital.

last week we

> went to out local hospital and they said this is way over their

heads and I

> needed to go to the university of North carolina Chapel Hill

Hopsitlas. We did

> that and were told we could be seen until my films arrived from

prior hopsitals

> which did last night. So the only problem is that the hospitla is a

good hour

> plus from our house. CRaig is willing to take me there as soon as

he gets

> back. This is why when we move I want to move into Boston Proper.

That way if

> something like this happened I could just call a cab and the

dogwalker if I was

> admitted. HAs this ever happened to anyone> I am quite concerned on

how long to

> wait with things because in RI they told me I had chronic

osteomyelitis which

> could loead to amputation and in NC they are saying it is just a

non fusion.

> Either one is a mess but what worries me is when I see my CT scans

and see

> holes scattered throughout the bones . It looks weel not right.

Well any insight

> or ideas people can give me good or bad. I would appreciate it. I

don't want

> to have osteomyelitis with mycobaqcterium fortuitum but I just want

to know

> one way opr the other. Thanks for listening guys. I honestly would

be no where

> without you aqll as friends (See when I get back to Boston I can go

back to

> talking normally)

>

> Oh, and YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA UConn. Let's watch the woman do it

tonight.

>

>

>