Re: tenetomy concerns - please help

[Guest guest]

My daughter had the tenotomy done when she was almost

12 months old. It healed in the 3 weeks and when the

cast came off, you could not tell that any procedure

had been done to her foot except for the fact that she

had the most amazingly perfect foot. In that moment,

all of my fears and anguish over the surgical

procedure were gone. I cried more that day than I had

previously. Now, she is just shy of 20 months old and

everytime I see her walk across the room, I know with

no doubts whatsoever that the Ponseti method was the

way to go. If she were still with her old doctor, she

would be in an AFO with a totally uncorrected foot

still to this day. His proposal was to just keep her

in an AFo to keep her foot " flexible " and then when

she was 4, he would do the ATTT surgery. The thought

of 4 years with that AFO that I really loathed just

solidifies that I made the right decision for Kelsey.

Hope this helps some.

Jenni

--- britsvt wrote:

> I am so very interested in the Ponseti method, but

> the idea of cutting

> such a crucial tendon fills me with dread. Please

> help ease my fears

> on this topic. Does the achilles heal (no pun

> intended) or is there

> just scar tissue in it's place. Is it as strong as

> it was before?

>

> Thank you for indulging a mom who is scared and does

> not want to make a

> wrong decision.

>

> Thank you,

> Sue

>

>

>

>

>

>

Jenni-

Mom to (10/31/01) and Kelsey (11/7/03)happy girl in DBB nights only for

left clubfoot.

____________________________________________________

Yahoo! Sports

Rekindle the Rivalries. Sign up for Fantasy Football

http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com

[Guest guest]

My daughter had the tenotomy done when she was almost

12 months old. It healed in the 3 weeks and when the

cast came off, you could not tell that any procedure

had been done to her foot except for the fact that she

had the most amazingly perfect foot. In that moment,

all of my fears and anguish over the surgical

procedure were gone. I cried more that day than I had

previously. Now, she is just shy of 20 months old and

everytime I see her walk across the room, I know with

no doubts whatsoever that the Ponseti method was the

way to go. If she were still with her old doctor, she

would be in an AFO with a totally uncorrected foot

still to this day. His proposal was to just keep her

in an AFo to keep her foot " flexible " and then when

she was 4, he would do the ATTT surgery. The thought

of 4 years with that AFO that I really loathed just

solidifies that I made the right decision for Kelsey.

Hope this helps some.

Jenni

--- britsvt wrote:

> I am so very interested in the Ponseti method, but

> the idea of cutting

> such a crucial tendon fills me with dread. Please

> help ease my fears

> on this topic. Does the achilles heal (no pun

> intended) or is there

> just scar tissue in it's place. Is it as strong as

> it was before?

>

> Thank you for indulging a mom who is scared and does

> not want to make a

> wrong decision.

>

> Thank you,

> Sue

>

>

>

>

>

>

Jenni-

Mom to (10/31/01) and Kelsey (11/7/03)happy girl in DBB nights only for

left clubfoot.

____________________________________________________

Yahoo! Sports

Rekindle the Rivalries. Sign up for Fantasy Football

http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com

[Guest guest]

The tenotomy is really a very minor procedure. Our son had it done

when he was around 3 months old, and like Jenni said, once the casts

came off, you couldn't even see where the incision was made.

Literally, we couldn't see it.

Aleksander is 7 months now, and loves to stand up, puts his full

weight on his feet in or out of the FAB, and is active, happy and

perfectly comfortable. My husband and I have no regrets about having

this done.

I understand the concerns, but the minor discomfort your child may

experience is so worth it. I felt horrible when I thought about my

little guy having to have " surgery " at such a young age. But my

husband and I were able to stay in the room with Aleksander while

they did the tenotomy, and that helped greatly. Seeing what they

were doing eased all of my fears, and being able to look my little

guy in the eyes and tell him I was sorry that this was happening, but

it was something he would appreciate when he was older helped tons

too. I know I'm probably not the norm with this sort of thing, but

having the control of being in the room really helped.

Good luck!

>

> > I am so very interested in the Ponseti method, but

> > the idea of cutting

> > such a crucial tendon fills me with dread. Please

> > help ease my fears

> > on this topic. Does the achilles heal (no pun

> > intended) or is there

> > just scar tissue in it's place. Is it as strong as

> > it was before?

> >

> > Thank you for indulging a mom who is scared and does

> > not want to make a

> > wrong decision.

> >

> > Thank you,

> > Sue

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

>

>

> Jenni-

> Mom to (10/31/01) and Kelsey (11/7/03)happy girl in DBB

nights only for left clubfoot.

>

>

>

> ____________________________________________________

> Yahoo! Sports

> Rekindle the Rivalries. Sign up for Fantasy Football

> http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com

[Guest guest]

The tenotomy is really a very minor procedure. Our son had it done

when he was around 3 months old, and like Jenni said, once the casts

came off, you couldn't even see where the incision was made.

Literally, we couldn't see it.

Aleksander is 7 months now, and loves to stand up, puts his full

weight on his feet in or out of the FAB, and is active, happy and

perfectly comfortable. My husband and I have no regrets about having

this done.

I understand the concerns, but the minor discomfort your child may

experience is so worth it. I felt horrible when I thought about my

little guy having to have " surgery " at such a young age. But my

husband and I were able to stay in the room with Aleksander while

they did the tenotomy, and that helped greatly. Seeing what they

were doing eased all of my fears, and being able to look my little

guy in the eyes and tell him I was sorry that this was happening, but

it was something he would appreciate when he was older helped tons

too. I know I'm probably not the norm with this sort of thing, but

having the control of being in the room really helped.

Good luck!

>

> > I am so very interested in the Ponseti method, but

> > the idea of cutting

> > such a crucial tendon fills me with dread. Please

> > help ease my fears

> > on this topic. Does the achilles heal (no pun

> > intended) or is there

> > just scar tissue in it's place. Is it as strong as

> > it was before?

> >

> > Thank you for indulging a mom who is scared and does

> > not want to make a

> > wrong decision.

> >

> > Thank you,

> > Sue

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

>

>

> Jenni-

> Mom to (10/31/01) and Kelsey (11/7/03)happy girl in DBB

nights only for left clubfoot.

>

>

>

> ____________________________________________________

> Yahoo! Sports

> Rekindle the Rivalries. Sign up for Fantasy Football

> http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com

[Guest guest]

Sue,

I believe I had read another post you left regarding the tenotomy

and basically your Drs feelings that the achilles should not be cut

because it is such a crucial tendon and will be made weaker. Isn't

this the same Dr that is claiming to perform 10-12 surgeries on

clubfeet per month? I just find that a bit *ss-nine to say its okay to

go cutting every other tendon, ligament and bone in the foot but that

its NOT okay to cut one that actually " regenerates " .

Sometimes parents take the Drs word for the gospel instead of using

their own judgement. Please do not allow yourself to fall into that

category. If the achilles tendon is in a sense useless to your child

in the condition it is (too short/too tight).......then by all means

what good is it going to be for your child if you choose to leave it

that way? Why not allow the tendon to be lengthened (which is what

will be done) The tendon will be BETTER than it was beafore because it

will be able to stretch. Leave it alone and in the future your child

could need alot more serious procedures done. I would also find another

Dr if the current one is not comfortable performing such a simple

procedure and you are not being reassured by him then I would definetly

not be going there. If the Drs not at ease then there is no way he is

going to make you feel that way either.

> I am so very interested in the Ponseti method, but the idea of cutting

> such a crucial tendon fills me with dread. Please help ease my fears

> on this topic. Does the achilles heal (no pun intended) or is there

> just scar tissue in it's place. Is it as strong as it was before?

>

> Thank you for indulging a mom who is scared and does not want to make

a

> wrong decision.

>

> Thank you,

> Sue

[Guest guest]

Sue,

I believe I had read another post you left regarding the tenotomy

and basically your Drs feelings that the achilles should not be cut

because it is such a crucial tendon and will be made weaker. Isn't

this the same Dr that is claiming to perform 10-12 surgeries on

clubfeet per month? I just find that a bit *ss-nine to say its okay to

go cutting every other tendon, ligament and bone in the foot but that

its NOT okay to cut one that actually " regenerates " .

Sometimes parents take the Drs word for the gospel instead of using

their own judgement. Please do not allow yourself to fall into that

category. If the achilles tendon is in a sense useless to your child

in the condition it is (too short/too tight).......then by all means

what good is it going to be for your child if you choose to leave it

that way? Why not allow the tendon to be lengthened (which is what

will be done) The tendon will be BETTER than it was beafore because it

will be able to stretch. Leave it alone and in the future your child

could need alot more serious procedures done. I would also find another

Dr if the current one is not comfortable performing such a simple

procedure and you are not being reassured by him then I would definetly

not be going there. If the Drs not at ease then there is no way he is

going to make you feel that way either.

> I am so very interested in the Ponseti method, but the idea of cutting

> such a crucial tendon fills me with dread. Please help ease my fears

> on this topic. Does the achilles heal (no pun intended) or is there

> just scar tissue in it's place. Is it as strong as it was before?

>

> Thank you for indulging a mom who is scared and does not want to make

a

> wrong decision.

>

> Thank you,

> Sue