Hello- need info!!

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Hello everyone,

You might remember me from about a year ago, I was posting fairly

regularly back then. My son, , was born with a left clubfoot.

He was treated using the Ponseti method by a doctor here in Cedar

Rapids, IA, but relapsed when he was a little over 2 yrs old. We were

referred to Dr. Dietz at the U of IA. Jake had ATTT surgery done last

spring, when he was 3 yrs old. With that procedure, he also had an

achilles tenotomy done.

We've had an eventful year. Jake's surgery went well, and he was up

and running around like normal (but with a limp) within a couple weeks

of cast removal. Unfortunately he fell and fractured his left femur

(same leg as the clubfoot) the end of last November and was in a hip

spica cast for 8.5 wks. He now is back up and running around like usual.

In any case...he had a follow-up appt with Dr. Dietz this past

Wednesday, and he thinks that Jake's ATTT surgery was not entirely

successful. Apparently the tendon has not strengthened like it should

have, and the dr thinks it may have pulled out a little. He is

recommending that he have the surgery again, this time with a screw to

hold the tendon in place rather than just a suture, as well as yet

another achilles tenotomy (this would be the 3rd one, counting the one

he had done as a baby), and some work on his arch (apparently it's too

high or something).

Needless to say, the prospect of MORE surgery is really frightening to

us. Dr. Dietz will be seeing Jake next on June 29- he's giving him

some more time for that tendon to hopefully strengthen. We do plan on

asking about the tenotomy and arch work- if they're not totally

necessary then we don't want to have them done. My husband put it

well, that if it potentially could create a problem, why do it? Dr.

Dietz seemed to indicate that there's a window (he didn't say how

long) where the surgery can be done...if we wait too long, his foot

will stiffen up and then he'd need surgery done on his joints, which

is much more painful and would cause him issues as an adult.

I was just wondering if anyone has any input...things we should ask

the dr etc. We are very disappointed because we were told the failure

rate of ATTT surgery is very minimal, and here Jake seems to have

fallen in that category. We don't want him to continue to need more

surgery!! (that said, we do know that no one can give us a 100%

guarantee) We are also wondering if anyone has any ideas for

strengthening his muscles, and if anyone has had to have repeat

surgeries like it appears Jake will need.

Thanks,

Kassia

mom to 3/22/01 (Lt clubfoot, ATTT surgery April 2004)

and 11/22/02