Questions about open incision release

[Guest guest]

I was reading the questions about the tenotomy's, the open way and the

way Ponseti method doctors do it. I'm thinking Collin had something

else when he was 8 weeks old. I'll tell you what I can think of (it

was years ago) and maybe you'll know if that's what he had or not.

They cut in the same area the back of the leg above the heel. His is

a few inches, it was tinyer when he was little but grows with him. I

thought they were cutting the calf muscle in half (splitting it) so

they could double it in length to lengthen his achilles tendon. Is

this the same as a tenotomy? Or did he have a different kind of

surgery?

Michele

[Guest guest]

I was reading the questions about the tenotomy's, the open way and the

way Ponseti method doctors do it. I'm thinking Collin had something

else when he was 8 weeks old. I'll tell you what I can think of (it

was years ago) and maybe you'll know if that's what he had or not.

They cut in the same area the back of the leg above the heel. His is

a few inches, it was tinyer when he was little but grows with him. I

thought they were cutting the calf muscle in half (splitting it) so

they could double it in length to lengthen his achilles tendon. Is

this the same as a tenotomy? Or did he have a different kind of

surgery?

Michele

[Guest guest]

Michele,

I don't really know what to make of this, I don't know about the

cutting the calf muscle in half part -- I'm sure someone else will

know but this sounds much more involved than a tenotomy; I honestly

don't know and can't find any info on a procedure that would involve

cutting the calf muscle.

Sorry not to be more helpful,

> I was reading the questions about the tenotomy's, the open way and the

> way Ponseti method doctors do it. I'm thinking Collin had something

> else when he was 8 weeks old. I'll tell you what I can think of (it

> was years ago) and maybe you'll know if that's what he had or not.

>

> They cut in the same area the back of the leg above the heel. His is

> a few inches, it was tinyer when he was little but grows with him. I

> thought they were cutting the calf muscle in half (splitting it) so

> they could double it in length to lengthen his achilles tendon. Is

> this the same as a tenotomy? Or did he have a different kind of

> surgery?

>

> Michele

[Guest guest]

Michele,

I don't really know what to make of this, I don't know about the

cutting the calf muscle in half part -- I'm sure someone else will

know but this sounds much more involved than a tenotomy; I honestly

don't know and can't find any info on a procedure that would involve

cutting the calf muscle.

Sorry not to be more helpful,

> I was reading the questions about the tenotomy's, the open way and the

> way Ponseti method doctors do it. I'm thinking Collin had something

> else when he was 8 weeks old. I'll tell you what I can think of (it

> was years ago) and maybe you'll know if that's what he had or not.

>

> They cut in the same area the back of the leg above the heel. His is

> a few inches, it was tinyer when he was little but grows with him. I

> thought they were cutting the calf muscle in half (splitting it) so

> they could double it in length to lengthen his achilles tendon. Is

> this the same as a tenotomy? Or did he have a different kind of

> surgery?

>

> Michele

[Guest guest]

Michele-

I have heard of this. The muscle you're talking about is the point

that the Achilles attaches to at the top. I think it's called the

gastrocenimus muscle or something like that- I don't remember the

spelling or know if it's that particular muscle in the back of the

leg or another.

I have heard of this approach for this reason: if the Achilles is

too tight and lengthening is required for an older child- it is a

more involved open-incision procedure where they lengthen this

muscle to allow the attachment point of the Achilles to drop lower-

thereby achieving more dorsiflexion. This is because the tendon

loses it's ability to heal and regenerate as the baby ages, working

on just the tendon itself would not gain enough added length (or

maybe would weaken it too much as well?!)...so they have to use a

different approach to get more dorsiflexion for the foot.

Colin's doctor must have decided to use this approach on him instead

of just a tenotomy in the first place.

> > I was reading the questions about the tenotomy's, the open way

and the

> > way Ponseti method doctors do it. I'm thinking Collin had

something

> > else when he was 8 weeks old. I'll tell you what I can think of

(it

> > was years ago) and maybe you'll know if that's what he had or

not.

> >

> > They cut in the same area the back of the leg above the heel.

His is

> > a few inches, it was tinyer when he was little but grows with

him. I

> > thought they were cutting the calf muscle in half (splitting it)

so

> > they could double it in length to lengthen his achilles tendon.

Is

> > this the same as a tenotomy? Or did he have a different kind of

> > surgery?

> >

> > Michele

[Guest guest]

Michele-

I have heard of this. The muscle you're talking about is the point

that the Achilles attaches to at the top. I think it's called the

gastrocenimus muscle or something like that- I don't remember the

spelling or know if it's that particular muscle in the back of the

leg or another.

I have heard of this approach for this reason: if the Achilles is

too tight and lengthening is required for an older child- it is a

more involved open-incision procedure where they lengthen this

muscle to allow the attachment point of the Achilles to drop lower-

thereby achieving more dorsiflexion. This is because the tendon

loses it's ability to heal and regenerate as the baby ages, working

on just the tendon itself would not gain enough added length (or

maybe would weaken it too much as well?!)...so they have to use a

different approach to get more dorsiflexion for the foot.

Colin's doctor must have decided to use this approach on him instead

of just a tenotomy in the first place.

> > I was reading the questions about the tenotomy's, the open way

and the

> > way Ponseti method doctors do it. I'm thinking Collin had

something

> > else when he was 8 weeks old. I'll tell you what I can think of

(it

> > was years ago) and maybe you'll know if that's what he had or

not.

> >

> > They cut in the same area the back of the leg above the heel.

His is

> > a few inches, it was tinyer when he was little but grows with

him. I

> > thought they were cutting the calf muscle in half (splitting it)

so

> > they could double it in length to lengthen his achilles tendon.

Is

> > this the same as a tenotomy? Or did he have a different kind of

> > surgery?

> >

> > Michele

[Guest guest]

Has anyone else's child had this type of procedure? (It's listed

below in the post) It was by a doctor who proclaimed he was using the

Ponseti method at Alfred I. Dupont Children's Hospital in Wilminton

Deleware when Collin was 8 weeks old. I didn't find the group until

afterwards and thought at the time I was in good hands and thought he

was truthful at the time. He had come highly recommended in the

little time I did research after Collin was born by his peditrician.

I think this procedure is what has left his foot stiff, etc and to

have all the problems now. Plus, I wondering the long term effects of

it besides the scar tissue build up. I always thought it was like a

tenotomy, but I realized it was far more complicated and invasive with

the more I read. The doctor at the time acted like it was standard

procedures, etc....

Michele

> I was reading the questions about the tenotomy's, the open way and

the

> way Ponseti method doctors do it. I'm thinking Collin had something

> else when he was 8 weeks old. I'll tell you what I can think of (it

> was years ago) and maybe you'll know if that's what he had or not.

>

> They cut in the same area the back of the leg above the heel. His

is

> a few inches, it was tinyer when he was little but grows with him.

I

> thought they were cutting the calf muscle in half (splitting it) so

> they could double it in length to lengthen his achilles tendon. Is

> this the same as a tenotomy? Or did he have a different kind of

> surgery?

>

> Michele

[Guest guest]

Michele,

I don't know if this will help you or not, but although Collin had

this procedure done, I bet with Dr. Ponseti's help he will come out of

this better off than most people who have the full " clubfoot surgery " .

If the doctor did a good job, the small amount of scar tissue should

not prevent him from having a nicely functioning foot. My foot gives

me lots of problems now, and has since around the time I turned 30 -

but the majority of issues I have are from the fact that I had

multiple surgeries, the achilles is the least of my problems!

> > I was reading the questions about the tenotomy's, the open way and

> the

> > way Ponseti method doctors do it. I'm thinking Collin had something

> > else when he was 8 weeks old. I'll tell you what I can think of (it

> > was years ago) and maybe you'll know if that's what he had or not.

> >

> > They cut in the same area the back of the leg above the heel. His

> is

> > a few inches, it was tinyer when he was little but grows with him.

> I

> > thought they were cutting the calf muscle in half (splitting it) so

> > they could double it in length to lengthen his achilles tendon. Is

> > this the same as a tenotomy? Or did he have a different kind of

> > surgery?

> >

> > Michele