UPDATE: CLASSIFIEDS section refreshed, redesigned, searchable: Go take a look
Well the time has come to have the next lot of ankle operations. The last lot went on from the original injury in 2012 until 2015, by which time I was sick of it and just decided to stop. The ankle wasn't perfect with time, and the surgeons said it was degenerative. They weren't sure what else they could do. They were saying it was like bolting into a bag of sand, so they were quite happy to stop for a while as well.
Now it's degenerated to the point where it's too painful to really walk on and is more of a nuisance than the dread of the operations required to do something. I have spoken to a new surgeon, or at least new to me, amusingly called Mr. Koc who reckons he can improve things.
The plan is to cut a wedge of bone out of my foot, ankle, whatever and pull the foot forward so that it is now at 90° to the leg. Heel, then chop the end of the heel off and move that so it's back underneath the foot where it should be. I'm not sure if he's going to be taking the wedge out from the front of the foot shown with the orange arrows or from the ankle with the blue arrows. I suspect it's the blue arrows. I'm seeing him tomorrow, so I should get an update then.
Six weeks after he's done all that, he's going to chop all my metatarsals and put my toes in whichever direction they need to go because they're not exactly straight either.
Among the risks and recommendations in the letter I received from him after our first call, I spotted these little gems
> "Risks discussed include: delayed union or non-union reported as high as 20–25% for ankle refusion"
> "return to full activities will take approximately one year"
Stay tuned for more exciting updates...
Ive been here since the beggining. This is begining to rival Tolstoy.
makes a fusion look like pulling a tooth.
still go some industrial crutches if you need em.............. 😉
Turns out my appointmentis Friday, not today.
Here is the diagnosis from the initial consultation to help quell your disappointment with the lack of an update.
Diagnosis: Complex right foot and ankle deformity with established hindfoot fusion (ankle, subtalar, and
talonavicular joints), equinus positioning, lateral forefoot overload with pain centred around the fifth metatarsal
head, callus formation along the lateral border of the forefoot, and evidence of midfoot arthritis. There is also varus
alignment of the heel. This follows a severe traumatic ankle injury requiring multiple surgical interventions,
including four ankle fusions
Hypothetically, in hindsight, would an amputation right at the start been less of a faff?
If, and I am not saying it would be better..., BUTT.... If you did slip and take your foot off with a bandsaw, could you make your own prosthetic with a 3D printer, carbon fibre and titanium?
Actually, could you make it robotic, some sort of cyber-foot?
1Hypothetically, in hindsight, would an amputation right at the start been less of a faff?
Talk to anybody who has an amputation. No, it's not what you want to do. You want to try everything else first. It may have been less faff, but that was for the doctors. It would have been worse for the patient.
Actually, could you make it robotic, some sort of cyber-foot?
planning in progress for when that is the only option.
Spoke with the surgeon and the result of a long and detailed discussion is Option 1 from my initial proposals.
He will do a bit more detailed planning to get the angles right as 100.96 - 9.44 = 91.52 and he needs to get it to 90 degrees.
He will remove the bolt that the red lines pass through and the long one to the heel. Move the heel into the right position and stick a fresh bolt into that front the back of the foot. He will then cut the wedge out of the ankle and hinge to foot forward to 90 degrees.
He plans to stop the wedge cut before it goes completely through the heel to keep it secure and let the flex in the bone cope with the foot being hinged up. A bit like those fancy flexi-chainstays. If he can cut the wedge out slightly wider at one side then that might also move the foot front into a better position and remove the need to have all my toes cut off and reset.
I don't plan to have this done until the sunny weather goes away and have asked for an operation after the 20th September so don't expect many updates before then.
Needs more titanium. Have you said to him that you are handy with power tools and, with enough local, could probably help? You own a dremel, right?
Have you said to him that you are handy with power tools and, with enough local, could probably help?
Not quite, but...
...we were discussing the options in quite some detail and I suggested the widening wedge to twistthe foot into the correct position on the second axis might save cutting the toes later.
He initially said that would put too much pressure on the big toe but after futher checking on the bones condition inside the ankle he spotted a section near the top of the front red line where a previous fusion hadn't fully joined. He then decided that if he cut out that void, he could put the twist in the wedge as I suggested.
He said he wouldn't be certain until he was actually operating but that might work and save the second operation. I am sure he would have spotted that option soon enough but I felt happy to have suggested something that 'might' prevent the need for the second op.
That makes you practically an expert on this type of operation! With a bit of vacuuming and some plastic sheeting, your workshop could become a center of excellence!
Not bored enough but interested enough! Good luck!
Yes, good luck WCA 👍
Reading this thread whilst Man/Woman/Chainsaw plays on the radio. Somewhat appropriate I thought.
Good luck with the Op and heal quick. A year to normality would fill me with dread but just got to play the long game.
Good luck WCA, it's astonishing what feats of orthopedic engineering can be done these days. Will we see you on one of the surgical C4 docs?
Good luck, hope it gives you a great result with out any accidents!
Jezus,how the hell did you get into this state?Good luck going forward.
Hypothetically, in hindsight, would an amputation right at the start been less of a faff?
TBF, hindsight would have seen that ladder hidden before WCA went up it.
New Project Ideas - Walking stick.
Ash is good choice of timber. Straight grain, very strong yet slightly flexible
Jezus,how the hell did you get into this state?Good luck going forward.
It was a shark attack...
...while saving small children...
...and holding a puppy...
....for charity. Or it could have been someting to do with the ladder in the bvackground.
New Project Ideas - Walking stick.
I will be first building a better knee support crutch as I will be zero load bearing for the first few months. I can't make coffee or food with both arms supporting me on crutches
Have you said to him that you are handy with power tools and, with enough local, could probably help?
Not quite, but...
...we were discussing the options in quite some detail and I suggested the widening wedge to twistthe foot into the correct position on the second axis might save cutting the toes later.
He initially said that would put too much pressure on the big toe but after futher checking on the bones condition inside the ankle he spotted a section near the top of the front red line where a previous fusion hadn't fully joined. He then decided that if he cut out that void, he could put the twist in the wedge as I suggested.
He said he wouldn't be certain until he was actually operating but that might work and save the second operation. I am sure he would have spotted that option soon enough but I felt happy to have suggested something that 'might' prevent the need for the second op.
So he's definitely no making this up on the trot then?
Is there any chance he could fit an spd cleat while he's at it?
I tried fitting an SBD cleat to the bottom of the plastic ankle boot after one of the fusion operations, but it keeps tearing out of a plastic. Not strong enough.
