Guest guest Posted January 13, 2005 Report Share Posted January 13, 2005 Kori, My apologies if someone has already answered your question... I'm on digest, so I don't see all the messages until 12 hours later... I must admit, I'm one of those parents Dr. Herzenberg was talking about! Especially after seeing it first hand. One of the case studies Dr. Herzenberg had at his symposium in November was a 4 year old girl who had relapsed and he had put the Ilizarov external fixator on her to fix the relapse in a VERY short amount of time. Although it is attached to the child's bones temporarily, it is a non invasive, non surgical intervention. MUCH better than the capsulotomy which is going to cause scarring over the long term. I can watch the tape again and find out exactly how many weeks it was. It is a pretty scary looking device, but if my daughter ever relapsed and I was given the choice of external fixator ( " ex-fix " ) or capsulotomy, I would try the ex-fix first. It's designed for clubfoot based on the principles of Ilizarov (which is for lengenthing bones). There is a doctor in India who is using his version of an external fixator to fix untreated adults with clubfoot. Dr. Chaudry presented at the symposium as well and had several case studies. These were mothers in their 30s whose feet were FULLY FIXED in a matter of 6 weeks! Down the road it could become the gold standard for older children who have relapses after wearing the shoes and bar until 4 years old, say at 5 or 6 or 7 years old. There are a very, very small percentage of kids that will relapse perhaps due to growth spurts even after 4 years old. The ex-fix will offer those kids a chance to continue to be " surgery free " . It was very impressive. Best, Joanne W. Message: 8 Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2005 15:21:13 -0800 Subject: Re: letter between Dr H. and Dr Frick At 09:48 AM 1/12/2005, you wrote: > The >ilizarov treatment might appeal to the internet parent who is open >surgery phobic....Ilizarov is a " Super cast " .. That has rods poked into the child's foot and leg... ugh! I don't understand this statement at all. I know it can work but jeez... like one is *that* much better than the other. I would want to know why and how and how long the Ilizarov device (it's not a cast, it's a huge metal thing with metal rings around the leg and foot with rods poking into the leg and foot and you adjust it to correct the CF, or something like that - their are pictures online, search *Ilizarov*) would be used as opposed to the capsulectomy (sp? is it an *ectomy?) which he says would be a 3-4w cast. What are they going to do in the ankle capsule and why? What does the Ilizarov device do instead and how is that better? I'm also kinda weirded out about the reference to the *internet parent who is open surgery phobic*. What does that say for us and how are we different than any other parent who doesn't want surgery? More informed about it I'm sure but why the distinction of an internet parent? hummm... Kori Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 13, 2005 Report Share Posted January 13, 2005 Interesting stuff. How do they attach the rods to the bones, I assume that part is a surgical process, but they are not operating on the feet. s. Re: letter between Dr H. and Dr Frick At 09:48 AM 1/12/2005, you wrote: > The >ilizarov treatment might appeal to the internet parent who is open >surgery phobic....Ilizarov is a " Super cast " .. That has rods poked into the child's foot and leg... ugh! I don't understand this statement at all. I know it can work but jeez... like one is *that* much better than the other. I would want to know why and how and how long the Ilizarov device (it's not a cast, it's a huge metal thing with metal rings around the leg and foot with rods poking into the leg and foot and you adjust it to correct the CF, or something like that - their are pictures online, search *Ilizarov*) would be used as opposed to the capsulectomy (sp? is it an *ectomy?) which he says would be a 3-4w cast. What are they going to do in the ankle capsule and why? What does the Ilizarov device do instead and how is that better? I'm also kinda weirded out about the reference to the *internet parent who is open surgery phobic*. What does that say for us and how are we different than any other parent who doesn't want surgery? More informed about it I'm sure but why the distinction of an internet parent? hummm... Kori Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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