need advice after meeting with ped ortho

[Guest guest]

I am throwing my two cents in ....I concur with Daiga's comments whole

heartedly.

Re: need advice after meeting with ped ortho

Hi Krishna,

Thank goodness that you have the opportunity to consult with ped.

orthos before you use them! Yes, you are right, this doctor's

answers certainly sent up some red flags:

1. This answer in and of itself is, in my opinion not indicative of

a necessarily 'bad' doctor. Many doctors who are using the method

successfully today are not 'Ponseti certified' but this is because

they have not yet met Dr. Ponseti's requirements for certification.

From what I understand they need to submit a number of their patient

cases (with correction results) to Dr. Ponseti for review before he

will list them on his website. We have however learned that there

are in fact some doctors who are listed on Dr. Ponseti's website who

are not using the method as it was written but are reinventing

certain aspects of the treatment. Certainly this makes it more

difficult for parents to find a doctor who truely uses the method

unmodified. Again, it's important to stress that parents need to

educated themselves about all components of the method so that they

can ensure that their child is receiving the proper care and

treatment.

2. Some doctors in fact are using fiberglass casts and achieving the

same 95% success rate. I think it depends upon the doctors ability

to mold the cast correctly. What I find upsetting is the fact that

this doctor stops using long leg casts and switches to (I'm assuming)

short leg casts. This is problematic and is one of doctors " common

errors " that Dr. Ponseti sites on his webpage. Short leg casts allow

for too much mobility within the cast which can lead to the

child 'undoing' the manipulation and possibly doing more harm than

good.

3. Yes, Dr. Ponseti overcorrects the foot in the last cast. He

explains why this is necessary on his website. It is because the

foot has a tendency to return to it's original position and the

overcorrection allows for the foot to return to 'neutral' rather than

turned back in once treatment is completed (after the follow-up

bracing period is over - 3-4 years).

4. Again, I refer to Dr. Ponseti's website and his quote: Parents

of infants born with clubfeet may be reassured that their baby, if

otherwise normal, when treated by expert hands will have normal

looking feet with normal function for all practical purposes. The

well-treated clubfoot is no handicap and is fully compatible with a

normal, active life. " This doctor is just covering his tracks in

case his method (which does not seem to be Ponseti) fails.

Meet with another doctor and don't settle until you feel comfortable

with the doctor who will be treating your child. Go with your gut

and peace of mind will follow!

Hope this helps,

Daiga and Owen, 02/04/03

Unilateral LCF, FAB 14/7

> Hi Everyone-

> I am a new to the group and I want your thoughts about my

experience

> with a pediatric ortho today. Just some background on myself, I am

> currently 33 weeks pregnant with our first child. We found out at

> our 26 week ultrasound that our baby has bcf (this was a second

> opinion ultrasound referred by doc). Met with ortho this morning.

I

> came geared with questions for him (thanks Naomi for the website of

> questions to ask). I have done a lot of research on my own and

> through these wonderful support groups-- I think the ortho was

> impressed by my knowledge and game plan of methods--but I have a

few

> concerns about his answers. Here goes:

> 1. ortho said he is not certified in Ponsetti, but uses method, he

> did internship using Ponsetti--I am not comfortable with this

> 2. I asked if he uses the long casts and plaster, he said he stops

> using the long casts if he sees the feet are correcting--but I

> thought plaster was the way to go? He says, he will have to use

saw

> to take off casts--scary for baby. He says he uses the soft

> casts/fiberglass, but I feel this will not help correct the feet at

a

> faster rate

> 3. Is there such a thing as overcorrection? He thinks Ponsetti

over

> corrects... He feels once you overcorrect feet, you can't bring

back

> to regular position and this may pose problems as the child becomes

> older.

> 4. This one is just my point of venting, but bothered me. He said

> my child does not have a disability, but don't expect him/her to be

> an athlete. Has he heard of Krisit Yamagouchi & Troy Aikman? My

> husband and I are very athletic and I was bothered when he told me

> that. It almost was like he was telling me that my child will not

> have healthy feet.

>

> *I knew today was just an appt to inform myself about this ortho,

but

> I think I am going to go through the Shriner's hospital here in

town

> once I speak to husband about the experience I had because we want

to

> use the Ponsetti method. I am really lucky we have the hospital

> here! Please lend me your thoughts about your experiences of

meeting

> orthos for your children and what methods you used and what you

were

> happy with.

> Thanks for support!

> Krishna

[Guest guest]

I am throwing my two cents in ....I concur with Daiga's comments whole

heartedly.

Re: need advice after meeting with ped ortho

Hi Krishna,

Thank goodness that you have the opportunity to consult with ped.

orthos before you use them! Yes, you are right, this doctor's

answers certainly sent up some red flags:

1. This answer in and of itself is, in my opinion not indicative of

a necessarily 'bad' doctor. Many doctors who are using the method

successfully today are not 'Ponseti certified' but this is because

they have not yet met Dr. Ponseti's requirements for certification.

From what I understand they need to submit a number of their patient

cases (with correction results) to Dr. Ponseti for review before he

will list them on his website. We have however learned that there

are in fact some doctors who are listed on Dr. Ponseti's website who

are not using the method as it was written but are reinventing

certain aspects of the treatment. Certainly this makes it more

difficult for parents to find a doctor who truely uses the method

unmodified. Again, it's important to stress that parents need to

educated themselves about all components of the method so that they

can ensure that their child is receiving the proper care and

treatment.

2. Some doctors in fact are using fiberglass casts and achieving the

same 95% success rate. I think it depends upon the doctors ability

to mold the cast correctly. What I find upsetting is the fact that

this doctor stops using long leg casts and switches to (I'm assuming)

short leg casts. This is problematic and is one of doctors " common

errors " that Dr. Ponseti sites on his webpage. Short leg casts allow

for too much mobility within the cast which can lead to the

child 'undoing' the manipulation and possibly doing more harm than

good.

3. Yes, Dr. Ponseti overcorrects the foot in the last cast. He

explains why this is necessary on his website. It is because the

foot has a tendency to return to it's original position and the

overcorrection allows for the foot to return to 'neutral' rather than

turned back in once treatment is completed (after the follow-up

bracing period is over - 3-4 years).

4. Again, I refer to Dr. Ponseti's website and his quote: Parents

of infants born with clubfeet may be reassured that their baby, if

otherwise normal, when treated by expert hands will have normal

looking feet with normal function for all practical purposes. The

well-treated clubfoot is no handicap and is fully compatible with a

normal, active life. " This doctor is just covering his tracks in

case his method (which does not seem to be Ponseti) fails.

Meet with another doctor and don't settle until you feel comfortable

with the doctor who will be treating your child. Go with your gut

and peace of mind will follow!

Hope this helps,

Daiga and Owen, 02/04/03

Unilateral LCF, FAB 14/7

> Hi Everyone-

> I am a new to the group and I want your thoughts about my

experience

> with a pediatric ortho today. Just some background on myself, I am

> currently 33 weeks pregnant with our first child. We found out at

> our 26 week ultrasound that our baby has bcf (this was a second

> opinion ultrasound referred by doc). Met with ortho this morning.

I

> came geared with questions for him (thanks Naomi for the website of

> questions to ask). I have done a lot of research on my own and

> through these wonderful support groups-- I think the ortho was

> impressed by my knowledge and game plan of methods--but I have a

few

> concerns about his answers. Here goes:

> 1. ortho said he is not certified in Ponsetti, but uses method, he

> did internship using Ponsetti--I am not comfortable with this

> 2. I asked if he uses the long casts and plaster, he said he stops

> using the long casts if he sees the feet are correcting--but I

> thought plaster was the way to go? He says, he will have to use

saw

> to take off casts--scary for baby. He says he uses the soft

> casts/fiberglass, but I feel this will not help correct the feet at

a

> faster rate

> 3. Is there such a thing as overcorrection? He thinks Ponsetti

over

> corrects... He feels once you overcorrect feet, you can't bring

back

> to regular position and this may pose problems as the child becomes

> older.

> 4. This one is just my point of venting, but bothered me. He said

> my child does not have a disability, but don't expect him/her to be

> an athlete. Has he heard of Krisit Yamagouchi & Troy Aikman? My

> husband and I are very athletic and I was bothered when he told me

> that. It almost was like he was telling me that my child will not

> have healthy feet.

>

> *I knew today was just an appt to inform myself about this ortho,

but

> I think I am going to go through the Shriner's hospital here in

town

> once I speak to husband about the experience I had because we want

to

> use the Ponsetti method. I am really lucky we have the hospital

> here! Please lend me your thoughts about your experiences of

meeting

> orthos for your children and what methods you used and what you

were

> happy with.

> Thanks for support!

> Krishna

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone-

I am a new to the group and I want your thoughts about my experience

with a pediatric ortho today. Just some background on myself, I am

currently 33 weeks pregnant with our first child. We found out at

our 26 week ultrasound that our baby has bcf (this was a second

opinion ultrasound referred by doc). Met with ortho this morning. I

came geared with questions for him (thanks Naomi for the website of

questions to ask). I have done a lot of research on my own and

through these wonderful support groups-- I think the ortho was

impressed by my knowledge and game plan of methods--but I have a few

concerns about his answers. Here goes:

1. ortho said he is not certified in Ponsetti, but uses method, he

did internship using Ponsetti--I am not comfortable with this

2. I asked if he uses the long casts and plaster, he said he stops

using the long casts if he sees the feet are correcting--but I

thought plaster was the way to go? He says, he will have to use saw

to take off casts--scary for baby. He says he uses the soft

casts/fiberglass, but I feel this will not help correct the feet at a

faster rate

3. Is there such a thing as overcorrection? He thinks Ponsetti over

corrects... He feels once you overcorrect feet, you can't bring back

to regular position and this may pose problems as the child becomes

older.

4. This one is just my point of venting, but bothered me. He said

my child does not have a disability, but don't expect him/her to be

an athlete. Has he heard of Krisit Yamagouchi & Troy Aikman? My

husband and I are very athletic and I was bothered when he told me

that. It almost was like he was telling me that my child will not

have healthy feet.

*I knew today was just an appt to inform myself about this ortho, but

I think I am going to go through the Shriner's hospital here in town

once I speak to husband about the experience I had because we want to

use the Ponsetti method. I am really lucky we have the hospital

here! Please lend me your thoughts about your experiences of meeting

orthos for your children and what methods you used and what you were

happy with.

Thanks for support!

Krishna

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone-

I am a new to the group and I want your thoughts about my experience

with a pediatric ortho today. Just some background on myself, I am

currently 33 weeks pregnant with our first child. We found out at

our 26 week ultrasound that our baby has bcf (this was a second

opinion ultrasound referred by doc). Met with ortho this morning. I

came geared with questions for him (thanks Naomi for the website of

questions to ask). I have done a lot of research on my own and

through these wonderful support groups-- I think the ortho was

impressed by my knowledge and game plan of methods--but I have a few

concerns about his answers. Here goes:

1. ortho said he is not certified in Ponsetti, but uses method, he

did internship using Ponsetti--I am not comfortable with this

2. I asked if he uses the long casts and plaster, he said he stops

using the long casts if he sees the feet are correcting--but I

thought plaster was the way to go? He says, he will have to use saw

to take off casts--scary for baby. He says he uses the soft

casts/fiberglass, but I feel this will not help correct the feet at a

faster rate

3. Is there such a thing as overcorrection? He thinks Ponsetti over

corrects... He feels once you overcorrect feet, you can't bring back

to regular position and this may pose problems as the child becomes

older.

4. This one is just my point of venting, but bothered me. He said

my child does not have a disability, but don't expect him/her to be

an athlete. Has he heard of Krisit Yamagouchi & Troy Aikman? My

husband and I are very athletic and I was bothered when he told me

that. It almost was like he was telling me that my child will not

have healthy feet.

*I knew today was just an appt to inform myself about this ortho, but

I think I am going to go through the Shriner's hospital here in town

once I speak to husband about the experience I had because we want to

use the Ponsetti method. I am really lucky we have the hospital

here! Please lend me your thoughts about your experiences of meeting

orthos for your children and what methods you used and what you were

happy with.

Thanks for support!

Krishna

[Guest guest]

Hi Krishna,

Thank goodness that you have the opportunity to consult with ped.

orthos before you use them! Yes, you are right, this doctor's

answers certainly sent up some red flags:

1. This answer in and of itself is, in my opinion not indicative of

a necessarily 'bad' doctor. Many doctors who are using the method

successfully today are not 'Ponseti certified' but this is because

they have not yet met Dr. Ponseti's requirements for certification.

From what I understand they need to submit a number of their patient

cases (with correction results) to Dr. Ponseti for review before he

will list them on his website. We have however learned that there

are in fact some doctors who are listed on Dr. Ponseti's website who

are not using the method as it was written but are reinventing

certain aspects of the treatment. Certainly this makes it more

difficult for parents to find a doctor who truely uses the method

unmodified. Again, it's important to stress that parents need to

educated themselves about all components of the method so that they

can ensure that their child is receiving the proper care and

treatment.

2. Some doctors in fact are using fiberglass casts and achieving the

same 95% success rate. I think it depends upon the doctors ability

to mold the cast correctly. What I find upsetting is the fact that

this doctor stops using long leg casts and switches to (I'm assuming)

short leg casts. This is problematic and is one of doctors " common

errors " that Dr. Ponseti sites on his webpage. Short leg casts allow

for too much mobility within the cast which can lead to the

child 'undoing' the manipulation and possibly doing more harm than

good.

3. Yes, Dr. Ponseti overcorrects the foot in the last cast. He

explains why this is necessary on his website. It is because the

foot has a tendency to return to it's original position and the

overcorrection allows for the foot to return to 'neutral' rather than

turned back in once treatment is completed (after the follow-up

bracing period is over - 3-4 years).

4. Again, I refer to Dr. Ponseti's website and his quote: Parents

of infants born with clubfeet may be reassured that their baby, if

otherwise normal, when treated by expert hands will have normal

looking feet with normal function for all practical purposes. The

well-treated clubfoot is no handicap and is fully compatible with a

normal, active life. " This doctor is just covering his tracks in

case his method (which does not seem to be Ponseti) fails.

Meet with another doctor and don't settle until you feel comfortable

with the doctor who will be treating your child. Go with your gut

and peace of mind will follow!

Hope this helps,

Daiga and Owen, 02/04/03

Unilateral LCF, FAB 14/7

> Hi Everyone-

> I am a new to the group and I want your thoughts about my

experience

> with a pediatric ortho today. Just some background on myself, I am

> currently 33 weeks pregnant with our first child. We found out at

> our 26 week ultrasound that our baby has bcf (this was a second

> opinion ultrasound referred by doc). Met with ortho this morning.

I

> came geared with questions for him (thanks Naomi for the website of

> questions to ask). I have done a lot of research on my own and

> through these wonderful support groups-- I think the ortho was

> impressed by my knowledge and game plan of methods--but I have a

few

> concerns about his answers. Here goes:

> 1. ortho said he is not certified in Ponsetti, but uses method, he

> did internship using Ponsetti--I am not comfortable with this

> 2. I asked if he uses the long casts and plaster, he said he stops

> using the long casts if he sees the feet are correcting--but I

> thought plaster was the way to go? He says, he will have to use

saw

> to take off casts--scary for baby. He says he uses the soft

> casts/fiberglass, but I feel this will not help correct the feet at

a

> faster rate

> 3. Is there such a thing as overcorrection? He thinks Ponsetti

over

> corrects... He feels once you overcorrect feet, you can't bring

back

> to regular position and this may pose problems as the child becomes

> older.

> 4. This one is just my point of venting, but bothered me. He said

> my child does not have a disability, but don't expect him/her to be

> an athlete. Has he heard of Krisit Yamagouchi & Troy Aikman? My

> husband and I are very athletic and I was bothered when he told me

> that. It almost was like he was telling me that my child will not

> have healthy feet.

>

> *I knew today was just an appt to inform myself about this ortho,

but

> I think I am going to go through the Shriner's hospital here in

town

> once I speak to husband about the experience I had because we want

to

> use the Ponsetti method. I am really lucky we have the hospital

> here! Please lend me your thoughts about your experiences of

meeting

> orthos for your children and what methods you used and what you

were

> happy with.

> Thanks for support!

> Krishna

[Guest guest]

Hi Krishna,

Thank goodness that you have the opportunity to consult with ped.

orthos before you use them! Yes, you are right, this doctor's

answers certainly sent up some red flags:

1. This answer in and of itself is, in my opinion not indicative of

a necessarily 'bad' doctor. Many doctors who are using the method

successfully today are not 'Ponseti certified' but this is because

they have not yet met Dr. Ponseti's requirements for certification.

From what I understand they need to submit a number of their patient

cases (with correction results) to Dr. Ponseti for review before he

will list them on his website. We have however learned that there

are in fact some doctors who are listed on Dr. Ponseti's website who

are not using the method as it was written but are reinventing

certain aspects of the treatment. Certainly this makes it more

difficult for parents to find a doctor who truely uses the method

unmodified. Again, it's important to stress that parents need to

educated themselves about all components of the method so that they

can ensure that their child is receiving the proper care and

treatment.

2. Some doctors in fact are using fiberglass casts and achieving the

same 95% success rate. I think it depends upon the doctors ability

to mold the cast correctly. What I find upsetting is the fact that

this doctor stops using long leg casts and switches to (I'm assuming)

short leg casts. This is problematic and is one of doctors " common

errors " that Dr. Ponseti sites on his webpage. Short leg casts allow

for too much mobility within the cast which can lead to the

child 'undoing' the manipulation and possibly doing more harm than

good.

3. Yes, Dr. Ponseti overcorrects the foot in the last cast. He

explains why this is necessary on his website. It is because the

foot has a tendency to return to it's original position and the

overcorrection allows for the foot to return to 'neutral' rather than

turned back in once treatment is completed (after the follow-up

bracing period is over - 3-4 years).

4. Again, I refer to Dr. Ponseti's website and his quote: Parents

of infants born with clubfeet may be reassured that their baby, if

otherwise normal, when treated by expert hands will have normal

looking feet with normal function for all practical purposes. The

well-treated clubfoot is no handicap and is fully compatible with a

normal, active life. " This doctor is just covering his tracks in

case his method (which does not seem to be Ponseti) fails.

Meet with another doctor and don't settle until you feel comfortable

with the doctor who will be treating your child. Go with your gut

and peace of mind will follow!

Hope this helps,

Daiga and Owen, 02/04/03

Unilateral LCF, FAB 14/7

> Hi Everyone-

> I am a new to the group and I want your thoughts about my

experience

> with a pediatric ortho today. Just some background on myself, I am

> currently 33 weeks pregnant with our first child. We found out at

> our 26 week ultrasound that our baby has bcf (this was a second

> opinion ultrasound referred by doc). Met with ortho this morning.

I

> came geared with questions for him (thanks Naomi for the website of

> questions to ask). I have done a lot of research on my own and

> through these wonderful support groups-- I think the ortho was

> impressed by my knowledge and game plan of methods--but I have a

few

> concerns about his answers. Here goes:

> 1. ortho said he is not certified in Ponsetti, but uses method, he

> did internship using Ponsetti--I am not comfortable with this

> 2. I asked if he uses the long casts and plaster, he said he stops

> using the long casts if he sees the feet are correcting--but I

> thought plaster was the way to go? He says, he will have to use

saw

> to take off casts--scary for baby. He says he uses the soft

> casts/fiberglass, but I feel this will not help correct the feet at

a

> faster rate

> 3. Is there such a thing as overcorrection? He thinks Ponsetti

over

> corrects... He feels once you overcorrect feet, you can't bring

back

> to regular position and this may pose problems as the child becomes

> older.

> 4. This one is just my point of venting, but bothered me. He said

> my child does not have a disability, but don't expect him/her to be

> an athlete. Has he heard of Krisit Yamagouchi & Troy Aikman? My

> husband and I are very athletic and I was bothered when he told me

> that. It almost was like he was telling me that my child will not

> have healthy feet.

>

> *I knew today was just an appt to inform myself about this ortho,

but

> I think I am going to go through the Shriner's hospital here in

town

> once I speak to husband about the experience I had because we want

to

> use the Ponsetti method. I am really lucky we have the hospital

> here! Please lend me your thoughts about your experiences of

meeting

> orthos for your children and what methods you used and what you

were

> happy with.

> Thanks for support!

> Krishna

[Guest guest]

where are you located at? We just went through

shriner's and they are so womderful

--- kcmsge wrote:

> Hi Everyone-

> I am a new to the group and I want your thoughts

> about my experience

> with a pediatric ortho today. Just some background

> on myself, I am

> currently 33 weeks pregnant with our first child.

> We found out at

> our 26 week ultrasound that our baby has bcf (this

> was a second

> opinion ultrasound referred by doc). Met with ortho

> this morning. I

> came geared with questions for him (thanks Naomi for

> the website of

> questions to ask). I have done a lot of research on

> my own and

> through these wonderful support groups-- I think the

> ortho was

> impressed by my knowledge and game plan of

> methods--but I have a few

> concerns about his answers. Here goes:

> 1. ortho said he is not certified in Ponsetti, but

> uses method, he

> did internship using Ponsetti--I am not comfortable

> with this

> 2. I asked if he uses the long casts and plaster,

> he said he stops

> using the long casts if he sees the feet are

> correcting--but I

> thought plaster was the way to go? He says, he will

> have to use saw

> to take off casts--scary for baby. He says he uses

> the soft

> casts/fiberglass, but I feel this will not help

> correct the feet at a

> faster rate

> 3. Is there such a thing as overcorrection? He

> thinks Ponsetti over

> corrects... He feels once you overcorrect feet, you

> can't bring back

> to regular position and this may pose problems as

> the child becomes

> older.

> 4. This one is just my point of venting, but

> bothered me. He said

> my child does not have a disability, but don't

> expect him/her to be

> an athlete. Has he heard of Krisit Yamagouchi &

> Troy Aikman? My

> husband and I are very athletic and I was bothered

> when he told me

> that. It almost was like he was telling me that my

> child will not

> have healthy feet.

>

> *I knew today was just an appt to inform myself

> about this ortho, but

> I think I am going to go through the Shriner's

> hospital here in town

> once I speak to husband about the experience I had

> because we want to

> use the Ponsetti method. I am really lucky we have

> the hospital

> here! Please lend me your thoughts about your

> experiences of meeting

> orthos for your children and what methods you used

> and what you were

> happy with.

> Thanks for support!

> Krishna

>

>

>

____________________________________________________

Sell on Yahoo! Auctions – no fees. Bid on great items.

http://auctions.yahoo.com/

[Guest guest]

where are you located at? We just went through

shriner's and they are so womderful

--- kcmsge wrote:

> Hi Everyone-

> I am a new to the group and I want your thoughts

> about my experience

> with a pediatric ortho today. Just some background

> on myself, I am

> currently 33 weeks pregnant with our first child.

> We found out at

> our 26 week ultrasound that our baby has bcf (this

> was a second

> opinion ultrasound referred by doc). Met with ortho

> this morning. I

> came geared with questions for him (thanks Naomi for

> the website of

> questions to ask). I have done a lot of research on

> my own and

> through these wonderful support groups-- I think the

> ortho was

> impressed by my knowledge and game plan of

> methods--but I have a few

> concerns about his answers. Here goes:

> 1. ortho said he is not certified in Ponsetti, but

> uses method, he

> did internship using Ponsetti--I am not comfortable

> with this

> 2. I asked if he uses the long casts and plaster,

> he said he stops

> using the long casts if he sees the feet are

> correcting--but I

> thought plaster was the way to go? He says, he will

> have to use saw

> to take off casts--scary for baby. He says he uses

> the soft

> casts/fiberglass, but I feel this will not help

> correct the feet at a

> faster rate

> 3. Is there such a thing as overcorrection? He

> thinks Ponsetti over

> corrects... He feels once you overcorrect feet, you

> can't bring back

> to regular position and this may pose problems as

> the child becomes

> older.

> 4. This one is just my point of venting, but

> bothered me. He said

> my child does not have a disability, but don't

> expect him/her to be

> an athlete. Has he heard of Krisit Yamagouchi &

> Troy Aikman? My

> husband and I are very athletic and I was bothered

> when he told me

> that. It almost was like he was telling me that my

> child will not

> have healthy feet.

>

> *I knew today was just an appt to inform myself

> about this ortho, but

> I think I am going to go through the Shriner's

> hospital here in town

> once I speak to husband about the experience I had

> because we want to

> use the Ponsetti method. I am really lucky we have

> the hospital

> here! Please lend me your thoughts about your

> experiences of meeting

> orthos for your children and what methods you used

> and what you were

> happy with.

> Thanks for support!

> Krishna

>

>

>

____________________________________________________

Sell on Yahoo! Auctions – no fees. Bid on great items.

http://auctions.yahoo.com/

[Guest guest]

Well, first off, regardless of what he said, I would strongly advise that you

listen to your gut. If you are not comfortable with him then don't use him,

period. I know for us the casting was nerve wracking because, for some reason dd

would scream during the whole entire thing and for about a day after and if we

did not trust our ortho I would have felt like something was severely wrong. (In

our case I think she is just overly sensitive about her foot. The dr. would just

barely touch her with the the tip of a finger and she would scream, when he

wasn't even doing anything. He was very gentle in his positioning of her foot

and in molding the cast - it wasn't him.) The reason Ponsetti overcorrects is

due to the cf's natural tendency to turn back in, this way it is in the correct

position when this happens over time. Also, I don't know about others, but dd

did not even seem to notice when they took the cast off, most of the time. And,

if that concerns you the plaster can be soaked off at home prior to the

appointment, if your dr. is o.k. with that. We always had it sawed off and it

wasn't difficult for her at all. The plaster is important, I think, because it

is easier for them to mold and shape and it provides a firmer hold. It is

important that they make an " indentation " at the ankle, just above the heel, to

keep this shaped the way it should be. Oh, I have met several people in real

life who have been born with club feet and their feet look beautiful and then I

hear their stories about playing football, running track, etc. Maybe your child

won't be in the Olympics, but maybe it will. Most of us don't make it there

anyway, lol!

Most of all TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS!

Marcia

need advice after meeting with ped ortho

Hi Everyone-

I am a new to the group and I want your thoughts about my experience

with a pediatric ortho today. Just some background on myself, I am

currently 33 weeks pregnant with our first child. We found out at

our 26 week ultrasound that our baby has bcf (this was a second

opinion ultrasound referred by doc). Met with ortho this morning. I

came geared with questions for him (thanks Naomi for the website of

questions to ask). I have done a lot of research on my own and

through these wonderful support groups-- I think the ortho was

impressed by my knowledge and game plan of methods--but I have a few

concerns about his answers. Here goes:

1. ortho said he is not certified in Ponsetti, but uses method, he

did internship using Ponsetti--I am not comfortable with this

2. I asked if he uses the long casts and plaster, he said he stops

using the long casts if he sees the feet are correcting--but I

thought plaster was the way to go? He says, he will have to use saw

to take off casts--scary for baby. He says he uses the soft

casts/fiberglass, but I feel this will not help correct the feet at a

faster rate

3. Is there such a thing as overcorrection? He thinks Ponsetti over

corrects... He feels once you overcorrect feet, you can't bring back

to regular position and this may pose problems as the child becomes

older.

4. This one is just my point of venting, but bothered me. He said

my child does not have a disability, but don't expect him/her to be

an athlete. Has he heard of Krisit Yamagouchi & Troy Aikman? My

husband and I are very athletic and I was bothered when he told me

that. It almost was like he was telling me that my child will not

have healthy feet.

*I knew today was just an appt to inform myself about this ortho, but

I think I am going to go through the Shriner's hospital here in town

once I speak to husband about the experience I had because we want to

use the Ponsetti method. I am really lucky we have the hospital

here! Please lend me your thoughts about your experiences of meeting

orthos for your children and what methods you used and what you were

happy with.

Thanks for support!

Krishna

[Guest guest]

Well, first off, regardless of what he said, I would strongly advise that you

listen to your gut. If you are not comfortable with him then don't use him,

period. I know for us the casting was nerve wracking because, for some reason dd

would scream during the whole entire thing and for about a day after and if we

did not trust our ortho I would have felt like something was severely wrong. (In

our case I think she is just overly sensitive about her foot. The dr. would just

barely touch her with the the tip of a finger and she would scream, when he

wasn't even doing anything. He was very gentle in his positioning of her foot

and in molding the cast - it wasn't him.) The reason Ponsetti overcorrects is

due to the cf's natural tendency to turn back in, this way it is in the correct

position when this happens over time. Also, I don't know about others, but dd

did not even seem to notice when they took the cast off, most of the time. And,

if that concerns you the plaster can be soaked off at home prior to the

appointment, if your dr. is o.k. with that. We always had it sawed off and it

wasn't difficult for her at all. The plaster is important, I think, because it

is easier for them to mold and shape and it provides a firmer hold. It is

important that they make an " indentation " at the ankle, just above the heel, to

keep this shaped the way it should be. Oh, I have met several people in real

life who have been born with club feet and their feet look beautiful and then I

hear their stories about playing football, running track, etc. Maybe your child

won't be in the Olympics, but maybe it will. Most of us don't make it there

anyway, lol!

Most of all TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS!

Marcia

need advice after meeting with ped ortho

Hi Everyone-

I am a new to the group and I want your thoughts about my experience

with a pediatric ortho today. Just some background on myself, I am

currently 33 weeks pregnant with our first child. We found out at

our 26 week ultrasound that our baby has bcf (this was a second

opinion ultrasound referred by doc). Met with ortho this morning. I

came geared with questions for him (thanks Naomi for the website of

questions to ask). I have done a lot of research on my own and

through these wonderful support groups-- I think the ortho was

impressed by my knowledge and game plan of methods--but I have a few

concerns about his answers. Here goes:

1. ortho said he is not certified in Ponsetti, but uses method, he

did internship using Ponsetti--I am not comfortable with this

2. I asked if he uses the long casts and plaster, he said he stops

using the long casts if he sees the feet are correcting--but I

thought plaster was the way to go? He says, he will have to use saw

to take off casts--scary for baby. He says he uses the soft

casts/fiberglass, but I feel this will not help correct the feet at a

faster rate

3. Is there such a thing as overcorrection? He thinks Ponsetti over

corrects... He feels once you overcorrect feet, you can't bring back

to regular position and this may pose problems as the child becomes

older.

4. This one is just my point of venting, but bothered me. He said

my child does not have a disability, but don't expect him/her to be

an athlete. Has he heard of Krisit Yamagouchi & Troy Aikman? My

husband and I are very athletic and I was bothered when he told me

that. It almost was like he was telling me that my child will not

have healthy feet.

*I knew today was just an appt to inform myself about this ortho, but

I think I am going to go through the Shriner's hospital here in town

once I speak to husband about the experience I had because we want to

use the Ponsetti method. I am really lucky we have the hospital

here! Please lend me your thoughts about your experiences of meeting

orthos for your children and what methods you used and what you were

happy with.

Thanks for support!

Krishna

[Guest guest]

Hi Krishna! You have an awesome name by the way...I have to agree with Daiga on

all aspects. Ponseti doesnt like the soft fiberglass cast because he feels like

he loses some ability to mold them just-so, but several docs have switched to

them and seem quite plese withthe results.Gabe had both. He HATED the plaster

cast Ponseti used beause they were so heavy and bulky... the fiberglass he was

fine with wearing. I haven't really formulated about either... Ponseti like

plaster, so in the end that's what we went with... On the other hand, Gabe's

feet never looked better than they did after Ponseti's plaster casting... So,...

As for the short casts: If your child needs a tenotomy, which he/she probably

will, without the long casts, they will never stay on... especially before the

tenotomy is done. You be in the office nearly constanly because of slipped

casts, although the fiberglass casts did seem to stay on better, due , I think,

in part to the sheer weight of the plaster casts (pulling

on them during diaper changes...the yanking motion of your child kicking). As

for athletics, stay on the board for a while and you'll notice several adult

clubfooters who not only lead athletic lives, but were treated with surgical

methods, although must write in during their mid-twenties to complain of chronic

foot pain now.

Daiga Grady wrote:Hi Krishna,

Thank goodness that you have the opportunity to consult with ped.

orthos before you use them! Yes, you are right, this doctor's

answers certainly sent up some red flags:

1. This answer in and of itself is, in my opinion not indicative of

a necessarily 'bad' doctor. Many doctors who are using the method

successfully today are not 'Ponseti certified' but this is because

they have not yet met Dr. Ponseti's requirements for certification.

From what I understand they need to submit a number of their patient

cases (with correction results) to Dr. Ponseti for review before he

will list them on his website. We have however learned that there

are in fact some doctors who are listed on Dr. Ponseti's website who

are not using the method as it was written but are reinventing

certain aspects of the treatment. Certainly this makes it more

difficult for parents to find a doctor who truely uses the method

unmodified. Again, it's important to stress that parents need to

educated themselves about all components of the method so that they

can ensure that their child is receiving the proper care and

treatment.

2. Some doctors in fact are using fiberglass casts and achieving the

same 95% success rate. I think it depends upon the doctors ability

to mold the cast correctly. What I find upsetting is the fact that

this doctor stops using long leg casts and switches to (I'm assuming)

short leg casts. This is problematic and is one of doctors " common

errors " that Dr. Ponseti sites on his webpage. Short leg casts allow

for too much mobility within the cast which can lead to the

child 'undoing' the manipulation and possibly doing more harm than

good.

3. Yes, Dr. Ponseti overcorrects the foot in the last cast. He

explains why this is necessary on his website. It is because the

foot has a tendency to return to it's original position and the

overcorrection allows for the foot to return to 'neutral' rather than

turned back in once treatment is completed (after the follow-up

bracing period is over - 3-4 years).

4. Again, I refer to Dr. Ponseti's website and his quote: Parents

of infants born with clubfeet may be reassured that their baby, if

otherwise normal, when treated by expert hands will have normal

looking feet with normal function for all practical purposes. The

well-treated clubfoot is no handicap and is fully compatible with a

normal, active life. " This doctor is just covering his tracks in

case his method (which does not seem to be Ponseti) fails.

Meet with another doctor and don't settle until you feel comfortable

with the doctor who will be treating your child. Go with your gut

and peace of mind will follow!

Hope this helps,

Daiga and Owen, 02/04/03

Unilateral LCF, FAB 14/7

> Hi Everyone-

> I am a new to the group and I want your thoughts about my

experience

> with a pediatric ortho today. Just some background on myself, I am

> currently 33 weeks pregnant with our first child. We found out at

> our 26 week ultrasound that our baby has bcf (this was a second

> opinion ultrasound referred by doc). Met with ortho this morning.

I

> came geared with questions for him (thanks Naomi for the website of

> questions to ask). I have done a lot of research on my own and

> through these wonderful support groups-- I think the ortho was

> impressed by my knowledge and game plan of methods--but I have a

few

> concerns about his answers. Here goes:

> 1. ortho said he is not certified in Ponsetti, but uses method, he

> did internship using Ponsetti--I am not comfortable with this

> 2. I asked if he uses the long casts and plaster, he said he stops

> using the long casts if he sees the feet are correcting--but I

> thought plaster was the way to go? He says, he will have to use

saw

> to take off casts--scary for baby. He says he uses the soft

> casts/fiberglass, but I feel this will not help correct the feet at

a

> faster rate

> 3. Is there such a thing as overcorrection? He thinks Ponsetti

over

> corrects... He feels once you overcorrect feet, you can't bring

back

> to regular position and this may pose problems as the child becomes

> older.

> 4. This one is just my point of venting, but bothered me. He said

> my child does not have a disability, but don't expect him/her to be

> an athlete. Has he heard of Krisit Yamagouchi & Troy Aikman? My

> husband and I are very athletic and I was bothered when he told me

> that. It almost was like he was telling me that my child will not

> have healthy feet.

>

> *I knew today was just an appt to inform myself about this ortho,

but

> I think I am going to go through the Shriner's hospital here in

town

> once I speak to husband about the experience I had because we want

to

> use the Ponsetti method. I am really lucky we have the hospital

> here! Please lend me your thoughts about your experiences of

meeting

> orthos for your children and what methods you used and what you

were

> happy with.

> Thanks for support!

> Krishna

[Guest guest]

Hi Krishna! You have an awesome name by the way...I have to agree with Daiga on

all aspects. Ponseti doesnt like the soft fiberglass cast because he feels like

he loses some ability to mold them just-so, but several docs have switched to

them and seem quite plese withthe results.Gabe had both. He HATED the plaster

cast Ponseti used beause they were so heavy and bulky... the fiberglass he was

fine with wearing. I haven't really formulated about either... Ponseti like

plaster, so in the end that's what we went with... On the other hand, Gabe's

feet never looked better than they did after Ponseti's plaster casting... So,...

As for the short casts: If your child needs a tenotomy, which he/she probably

will, without the long casts, they will never stay on... especially before the

tenotomy is done. You be in the office nearly constanly because of slipped

casts, although the fiberglass casts did seem to stay on better, due , I think,

in part to the sheer weight of the plaster casts (pulling

on them during diaper changes...the yanking motion of your child kicking). As

for athletics, stay on the board for a while and you'll notice several adult

clubfooters who not only lead athletic lives, but were treated with surgical

methods, although must write in during their mid-twenties to complain of chronic

foot pain now.

Daiga Grady wrote:Hi Krishna,

Thank goodness that you have the opportunity to consult with ped.

orthos before you use them! Yes, you are right, this doctor's

answers certainly sent up some red flags:

1. This answer in and of itself is, in my opinion not indicative of

a necessarily 'bad' doctor. Many doctors who are using the method

successfully today are not 'Ponseti certified' but this is because

they have not yet met Dr. Ponseti's requirements for certification.

From what I understand they need to submit a number of their patient

cases (with correction results) to Dr. Ponseti for review before he

will list them on his website. We have however learned that there

are in fact some doctors who are listed on Dr. Ponseti's website who

are not using the method as it was written but are reinventing

certain aspects of the treatment. Certainly this makes it more

difficult for parents to find a doctor who truely uses the method

unmodified. Again, it's important to stress that parents need to

educated themselves about all components of the method so that they

can ensure that their child is receiving the proper care and

treatment.

2. Some doctors in fact are using fiberglass casts and achieving the

same 95% success rate. I think it depends upon the doctors ability

to mold the cast correctly. What I find upsetting is the fact that

this doctor stops using long leg casts and switches to (I'm assuming)

short leg casts. This is problematic and is one of doctors " common

errors " that Dr. Ponseti sites on his webpage. Short leg casts allow

for too much mobility within the cast which can lead to the

child 'undoing' the manipulation and possibly doing more harm than

good.

3. Yes, Dr. Ponseti overcorrects the foot in the last cast. He

explains why this is necessary on his website. It is because the

foot has a tendency to return to it's original position and the

overcorrection allows for the foot to return to 'neutral' rather than

turned back in once treatment is completed (after the follow-up

bracing period is over - 3-4 years).

4. Again, I refer to Dr. Ponseti's website and his quote: Parents

of infants born with clubfeet may be reassured that their baby, if

otherwise normal, when treated by expert hands will have normal

looking feet with normal function for all practical purposes. The

well-treated clubfoot is no handicap and is fully compatible with a

normal, active life. " This doctor is just covering his tracks in

case his method (which does not seem to be Ponseti) fails.

Meet with another doctor and don't settle until you feel comfortable

with the doctor who will be treating your child. Go with your gut

and peace of mind will follow!

Hope this helps,

Daiga and Owen, 02/04/03

Unilateral LCF, FAB 14/7

> Hi Everyone-

> I am a new to the group and I want your thoughts about my

experience

> with a pediatric ortho today. Just some background on myself, I am

> currently 33 weeks pregnant with our first child. We found out at

> our 26 week ultrasound that our baby has bcf (this was a second

> opinion ultrasound referred by doc). Met with ortho this morning.

I

> came geared with questions for him (thanks Naomi for the website of

> questions to ask). I have done a lot of research on my own and

> through these wonderful support groups-- I think the ortho was

> impressed by my knowledge and game plan of methods--but I have a

few

> concerns about his answers. Here goes:

> 1. ortho said he is not certified in Ponsetti, but uses method, he

> did internship using Ponsetti--I am not comfortable with this

> 2. I asked if he uses the long casts and plaster, he said he stops

> using the long casts if he sees the feet are correcting--but I

> thought plaster was the way to go? He says, he will have to use

saw

> to take off casts--scary for baby. He says he uses the soft

> casts/fiberglass, but I feel this will not help correct the feet at

a

> faster rate

> 3. Is there such a thing as overcorrection? He thinks Ponsetti

over

> corrects... He feels once you overcorrect feet, you can't bring

back

> to regular position and this may pose problems as the child becomes

> older.

> 4. This one is just my point of venting, but bothered me. He said

> my child does not have a disability, but don't expect him/her to be

> an athlete. Has he heard of Krisit Yamagouchi & Troy Aikman? My

> husband and I are very athletic and I was bothered when he told me

> that. It almost was like he was telling me that my child will not

> have healthy feet.

>

> *I knew today was just an appt to inform myself about this ortho,

but

> I think I am going to go through the Shriner's hospital here in

town

> once I speak to husband about the experience I had because we want

to

> use the Ponsetti method. I am really lucky we have the hospital

> here! Please lend me your thoughts about your experiences of

meeting

> orthos for your children and what methods you used and what you

were

> happy with.

> Thanks for support!

> Krishna

[Guest guest]

Oh, one thing about plaster casts and that wretched saw: Gabe HATED the saw! You

really have to make sure that the tech who does the cutting is Super careful.

They can burn their little-over-sensetive legs with it or even cut them. Gabe

has 4 scars on his legs from a tech being careless.. he wwent right past buring

and on to cutting... That was a year ago and the scars from it are still very

apparent. The way Ponseti does it, you soak the casts till they are soft, them

wrap them in plastic bags. Then the casts are unwrapped right there in the

office.

faith slattery wrote:Hi Krishna! You have an awesome name

by the way...I have to agree with Daiga on all aspects. Ponseti doesnt like the

soft fiberglass cast because he feels like he loses some ability to mold them

just-so, but several docs have switched to them and seem quite plese withthe

results.Gabe had both. He HATED the plaster cast Ponseti used beause they were

so heavy and bulky... the fiberglass he was fine with wearing. I haven't really

formulated about either... Ponseti like plaster, so in the end that's what we

went with... On the other hand, Gabe's feet never looked better than they did

after Ponseti's plaster casting... So,... As for the short casts: If your child

needs a tenotomy, which he/she probably will, without the long casts, they will

never stay on... especially before the tenotomy is done. You be in the office

nearly constanly because of slipped casts, although the fiberglass casts did

seem to stay on better, due , I think, in part to the

sheer weight of the plaster casts (pulling

on them during diaper changes...the yanking motion of your child kicking). As

for athletics, stay on the board for a while and you'll notice several adult

clubfooters who not only lead athletic lives, but were treated with surgical

methods, although must write in during their mid-twenties to complain of chronic

foot pain now.

Daiga Grady wrote:Hi Krishna,

Thank goodness that you have the opportunity to consult with ped.

orthos before you use them! Yes, you are right, this doctor's

answers certainly sent up some red flags:

1. This answer in and of itself is, in my opinion not indicative of

a necessarily 'bad' doctor. Many doctors who are using the method

successfully today are not 'Ponseti certified' but this is because

they have not yet met Dr. Ponseti's requirements for certification.

From what I understand they need to submit a number of their patient

cases (with correction results) to Dr. Ponseti for review before he

will list them on his website. We have however learned that there

are in fact some doctors who are listed on Dr. Ponseti's website who

are not using the method as it was written but are reinventing

certain aspects of the treatment. Certainly this makes it more

difficult for parents to find a doctor who truely uses the method

unmodified. Again, it's important to stress that parents need to

educated themselves about all components of the method so that they

can ensure that their child is receiving the proper care and

treatment.

2. Some doctors in fact are using fiberglass casts and achieving the

same 95% success rate. I think it depends upon the doctors ability

to mold the cast correctly. What I find upsetting is the fact that

this doctor stops using long leg casts and switches to (I'm assuming)

short leg casts. This is problematic and is one of doctors " common

errors " that Dr. Ponseti sites on his webpage. Short leg casts allow

for too much mobility within the cast which can lead to the

child 'undoing' the manipulation and possibly doing more harm than

good.

3. Yes, Dr. Ponseti overcorrects the foot in the last cast. He

explains why this is necessary on his website. It is because the

foot has a tendency to return to it's original position and the

overcorrection allows for the foot to return to 'neutral' rather than

turned back in once treatment is completed (after the follow-up

bracing period is over - 3-4 years).

4. Again, I refer to Dr. Ponseti's website and his quote: Parents

of infants born with clubfeet may be reassured that their baby, if

otherwise normal, when treated by expert hands will have normal

looking feet with normal function for all practical purposes. The

well-treated clubfoot is no handicap and is fully compatible with a

normal, active life. " This doctor is just covering his tracks in

case his method (which does not seem to be Ponseti) fails.

Meet with another doctor and don't settle until you feel comfortable

with the doctor who will be treating your child. Go with your gut

and peace of mind will follow!

Hope this helps,

Daiga and Owen, 02/04/03

Unilateral LCF, FAB 14/7

> Hi Everyone-

> I am a new to the group and I want your thoughts about my

experience

> with a pediatric ortho today. Just some background on myself, I am

> currently 33 weeks pregnant with our first child. We found out at

> our 26 week ultrasound that our baby has bcf (this was a second

> opinion ultrasound referred by doc). Met with ortho this morning.

I

> came geared with questions for him (thanks Naomi for the website of

> questions to ask). I have done a lot of research on my own and

> through these wonderful support groups-- I think the ortho was

> impressed by my knowledge and game plan of methods--but I have a

few

> concerns about his answers. Here goes:

> 1. ortho said he is not certified in Ponsetti, but uses method, he

> did internship using Ponsetti--I am not comfortable with this

> 2. I asked if he uses the long casts and plaster, he said he stops

> using the long casts if he sees the feet are correcting--but I

> thought plaster was the way to go? He says, he will have to use

saw

> to take off casts--scary for baby. He says he uses the soft

> casts/fiberglass, but I feel this will not help correct the feet at

a

> faster rate

> 3. Is there such a thing as overcorrection? He thinks Ponsetti

over

> corrects... He feels once you overcorrect feet, you can't bring

back

> to regular position and this may pose problems as the child becomes

> older.

> 4. This one is just my point of venting, but bothered me. He said

> my child does not have a disability, but don't expect him/her to be

> an athlete. Has he heard of Krisit Yamagouchi & Troy Aikman? My

> husband and I are very athletic and I was bothered when he told me

> that. It almost was like he was telling me that my child will not

> have healthy feet.

>

> *I knew today was just an appt to inform myself about this ortho,

but

> I think I am going to go through the Shriner's hospital here in

town

> once I speak to husband about the experience I had because we want

to

> use the Ponsetti method. I am really lucky we have the hospital

> here! Please lend me your thoughts about your experiences of

meeting

> orthos for your children and what methods you used and what you

were

> happy with.

> Thanks for support!

> Krishna

[Guest guest]

Oh, one thing about plaster casts and that wretched saw: Gabe HATED the saw! You

really have to make sure that the tech who does the cutting is Super careful.

They can burn their little-over-sensetive legs with it or even cut them. Gabe

has 4 scars on his legs from a tech being careless.. he wwent right past buring

and on to cutting... That was a year ago and the scars from it are still very

apparent. The way Ponseti does it, you soak the casts till they are soft, them

wrap them in plastic bags. Then the casts are unwrapped right there in the

office.

faith slattery wrote:Hi Krishna! You have an awesome name

by the way...I have to agree with Daiga on all aspects. Ponseti doesnt like the

soft fiberglass cast because he feels like he loses some ability to mold them

just-so, but several docs have switched to them and seem quite plese withthe

results.Gabe had both. He HATED the plaster cast Ponseti used beause they were

so heavy and bulky... the fiberglass he was fine with wearing. I haven't really

formulated about either... Ponseti like plaster, so in the end that's what we

went with... On the other hand, Gabe's feet never looked better than they did

after Ponseti's plaster casting... So,... As for the short casts: If your child

needs a tenotomy, which he/she probably will, without the long casts, they will

never stay on... especially before the tenotomy is done. You be in the office

nearly constanly because of slipped casts, although the fiberglass casts did

seem to stay on better, due , I think, in part to the

sheer weight of the plaster casts (pulling

on them during diaper changes...the yanking motion of your child kicking). As

for athletics, stay on the board for a while and you'll notice several adult

clubfooters who not only lead athletic lives, but were treated with surgical

methods, although must write in during their mid-twenties to complain of chronic

foot pain now.

Daiga Grady wrote:Hi Krishna,

Thank goodness that you have the opportunity to consult with ped.

orthos before you use them! Yes, you are right, this doctor's

answers certainly sent up some red flags:

1. This answer in and of itself is, in my opinion not indicative of

a necessarily 'bad' doctor. Many doctors who are using the method

successfully today are not 'Ponseti certified' but this is because

they have not yet met Dr. Ponseti's requirements for certification.

From what I understand they need to submit a number of their patient

cases (with correction results) to Dr. Ponseti for review before he

will list them on his website. We have however learned that there

are in fact some doctors who are listed on Dr. Ponseti's website who

are not using the method as it was written but are reinventing

certain aspects of the treatment. Certainly this makes it more

difficult for parents to find a doctor who truely uses the method

unmodified. Again, it's important to stress that parents need to

educated themselves about all components of the method so that they

can ensure that their child is receiving the proper care and

treatment.

2. Some doctors in fact are using fiberglass casts and achieving the

same 95% success rate. I think it depends upon the doctors ability

to mold the cast correctly. What I find upsetting is the fact that

this doctor stops using long leg casts and switches to (I'm assuming)

short leg casts. This is problematic and is one of doctors " common

errors " that Dr. Ponseti sites on his webpage. Short leg casts allow

for too much mobility within the cast which can lead to the

child 'undoing' the manipulation and possibly doing more harm than

good.

3. Yes, Dr. Ponseti overcorrects the foot in the last cast. He

explains why this is necessary on his website. It is because the

foot has a tendency to return to it's original position and the

overcorrection allows for the foot to return to 'neutral' rather than

turned back in once treatment is completed (after the follow-up

bracing period is over - 3-4 years).

4. Again, I refer to Dr. Ponseti's website and his quote: Parents

of infants born with clubfeet may be reassured that their baby, if

otherwise normal, when treated by expert hands will have normal

looking feet with normal function for all practical purposes. The

well-treated clubfoot is no handicap and is fully compatible with a

normal, active life. " This doctor is just covering his tracks in

case his method (which does not seem to be Ponseti) fails.

Meet with another doctor and don't settle until you feel comfortable

with the doctor who will be treating your child. Go with your gut

and peace of mind will follow!

Hope this helps,

Daiga and Owen, 02/04/03

Unilateral LCF, FAB 14/7

> Hi Everyone-

> I am a new to the group and I want your thoughts about my

experience

> with a pediatric ortho today. Just some background on myself, I am

> currently 33 weeks pregnant with our first child. We found out at

> our 26 week ultrasound that our baby has bcf (this was a second

> opinion ultrasound referred by doc). Met with ortho this morning.

I

> came geared with questions for him (thanks Naomi for the website of

> questions to ask). I have done a lot of research on my own and

> through these wonderful support groups-- I think the ortho was

> impressed by my knowledge and game plan of methods--but I have a

few

> concerns about his answers. Here goes:

> 1. ortho said he is not certified in Ponsetti, but uses method, he

> did internship using Ponsetti--I am not comfortable with this

> 2. I asked if he uses the long casts and plaster, he said he stops

> using the long casts if he sees the feet are correcting--but I

> thought plaster was the way to go? He says, he will have to use

saw

> to take off casts--scary for baby. He says he uses the soft

> casts/fiberglass, but I feel this will not help correct the feet at

a

> faster rate

> 3. Is there such a thing as overcorrection? He thinks Ponsetti

over

> corrects... He feels once you overcorrect feet, you can't bring

back

> to regular position and this may pose problems as the child becomes

> older.

> 4. This one is just my point of venting, but bothered me. He said

> my child does not have a disability, but don't expect him/her to be

> an athlete. Has he heard of Krisit Yamagouchi & Troy Aikman? My

> husband and I are very athletic and I was bothered when he told me

> that. It almost was like he was telling me that my child will not

> have healthy feet.

>

> *I knew today was just an appt to inform myself about this ortho,

but

> I think I am going to go through the Shriner's hospital here in

town

> once I speak to husband about the experience I had because we want

to

> use the Ponsetti method. I am really lucky we have the hospital

> here! Please lend me your thoughts about your experiences of

meeting

> orthos for your children and what methods you used and what you

were

> happy with.

> Thanks for support!

> Krishna

[Guest guest]

Actually, they are not unwrapped, they are cut with a knife.

How the casts are removed is something that you need to question your doctor

about. Having had both methods done, we actually prefer the saw. Livie had her

casts sawn off with her first ortho. She hated the sound of the saw, but it was

over relatively quickly. She does have one scar from a saw burn, but it is not

so apparent 3.5 years later.

Dr. Ponseti had us soak her casts before each appointment. Doesn't sound so

bad, but Livie absolutely hated it. She screamed uncontrollably through all

20-30 minutes of soaking. Then we had to wrap them in plastic bags and/or wet

towels for transport to the hospital. She would quiet down on the way there,

but invariably ended up with a soaking wet outfit, diaper, car seat, etc., no

matter how well we kept them covered. We took extra clothes to change into and

padded her car seat to try to keep it from getting wet, but we usually had to

change her again when we got back as the moisture in the seat soaked into her

dry clothes. She also hated the cutting with a knife. No loud noise, but the

nurse would stick her fingers down into the top of the cast and feel while she

was cutting so that she didn't cut Livie's leg. Livie hated that too. She

would work herself all up again and it got difficult to keep her still the older

she got. And it took longer to get it off than just sawing did.

Both methods have advantages and disadvantages. I understand Dr. Ponseti's

preference for soaking because presumably it is less stressful for the baby

without the loud noise of the cast saw, but some babies are going to have

problems no matter how you take that cast off. Some babies just don't like to

be messed with.

Jen & Livie (10-18-01 severe left clubfoot)

Re: Re: need advice after meeting with ped ortho

Oh, one thing about plaster casts and that wretched saw: Gabe HATED the saw!

You really have to make sure that the tech who does the cutting is Super

careful. They can burn their little-over-sensetive legs with it or even cut

them. Gabe has 4 scars on his legs from a tech being careless.. he wwent right

past buring and on to cutting... That was a year ago and the scars from it are

still very apparent. The way Ponseti does it, you soak the casts till they are

soft, them wrap them in plastic bags. Then the casts are unwrapped right there

in the office.

faith slattery wrote:Hi Krishna! You have an awesome

name by the way...I have to agree with Daiga on all aspects. Ponseti doesnt like

the soft fiberglass cast because he feels like he loses some ability to mold

them just-so, but several docs have switched to them and seem quite plese

withthe results.Gabe had both. He HATED the plaster cast Ponseti used beause

they were so heavy and bulky... the fiberglass he was fine with wearing. I

haven't really formulated about either... Ponseti like plaster, so in the end

that's what we went with... On the other hand, Gabe's feet never looked better

than they did after Ponseti's plaster casting... So,... As for the short casts:

If your child needs a tenotomy, which he/she probably will, without the long

casts, they will never stay on... especially before the tenotomy is done. You be

in the office nearly constanly because of slipped casts, although the fiberglass

casts did seem to stay on better, due , I think, in part to the

sheer weight of the plaster casts (pulling

on them during diaper changes...the yanking motion of your child kicking). As

for athletics, stay on the board for a while and you'll notice several adult

clubfooters who not only lead athletic lives, but were treated with surgical

methods, although must write in during their mid-twenties to complain of chronic

foot pain now.

Daiga Grady wrote:Hi Krishna,

Thank goodness that you have the opportunity to consult with ped.

orthos before you use them! Yes, you are right, this doctor's

answers certainly sent up some red flags:

1. This answer in and of itself is, in my opinion not indicative of

a necessarily 'bad' doctor. Many doctors who are using the method

successfully today are not 'Ponseti certified' but this is because

they have not yet met Dr. Ponseti's requirements for certification.

From what I understand they need to submit a number of their patient

cases (with correction results) to Dr. Ponseti for review before he

will list them on his website. We have however learned that there

are in fact some doctors who are listed on Dr. Ponseti's website who

are not using the method as it was written but are reinventing

certain aspects of the treatment. Certainly this makes it more

difficult for parents to find a doctor who truely uses the method

unmodified. Again, it's important to stress that parents need to

educated themselves about all components of the method so that they

can ensure that their child is receiving the proper care and

treatment.

2. Some doctors in fact are using fiberglass casts and achieving the

same 95% success rate. I think it depends upon the doctors ability

to mold the cast correctly. What I find upsetting is the fact that

this doctor stops using long leg casts and switches to (I'm assuming)

short leg casts. This is problematic and is one of doctors " common

errors " that Dr. Ponseti sites on his webpage. Short leg casts allow

for too much mobility within the cast which can lead to the

child 'undoing' the manipulation and possibly doing more harm than

good.

3. Yes, Dr. Ponseti overcorrects the foot in the last cast. He

explains why this is necessary on his website. It is because the

foot has a tendency to return to it's original position and the

overcorrection allows for the foot to return to 'neutral' rather than

turned back in once treatment is completed (after the follow-up

bracing period is over - 3-4 years).

4. Again, I refer to Dr. Ponseti's website and his quote: Parents

of infants born with clubfeet may be reassured that their baby, if

otherwise normal, when treated by expert hands will have normal

looking feet with normal function for all practical purposes. The

well-treated clubfoot is no handicap and is fully compatible with a

normal, active life. " This doctor is just covering his tracks in

case his method (which does not seem to be Ponseti) fails.

Meet with another doctor and don't settle until you feel comfortable

with the doctor who will be treating your child. Go with your gut

and peace of mind will follow!

Hope this helps,

Daiga and Owen, 02/04/03

Unilateral LCF, FAB 14/7

> Hi Everyone-

> I am a new to the group and I want your thoughts about my

experience

> with a pediatric ortho today. Just some background on myself, I am

> currently 33 weeks pregnant with our first child. We found out at

> our 26 week ultrasound that our baby has bcf (this was a second

> opinion ultrasound referred by doc). Met with ortho this morning.

I

> came geared with questions for him (thanks Naomi for the website of

> questions to ask). I have done a lot of research on my own and

> through these wonderful support groups-- I think the ortho was

> impressed by my knowledge and game plan of methods--but I have a

few

> concerns about his answers. Here goes:

> 1. ortho said he is not certified in Ponsetti, but uses method, he

> did internship using Ponsetti--I am not comfortable with this

> 2. I asked if he uses the long casts and plaster, he said he stops

> using the long casts if he sees the feet are correcting--but I

> thought plaster was the way to go? He says, he will have to use

saw

> to take off casts--scary for baby. He says he uses the soft

> casts/fiberglass, but I feel this will not help correct the feet at

a

> faster rate

> 3. Is there such a thing as overcorrection? He thinks Ponsetti

over

> corrects... He feels once you overcorrect feet, you can't bring

back

> to regular position and this may pose problems as the child becomes

> older.

> 4. This one is just my point of venting, but bothered me. He said

> my child does not have a disability, but don't expect him/her to be

> an athlete. Has he heard of Krisit Yamagouchi & Troy Aikman? My

> husband and I are very athletic and I was bothered when he told me

> that. It almost was like he was telling me that my child will not

> have healthy feet.

>

> *I knew today was just an appt to inform myself about this ortho,

but

> I think I am going to go through the Shriner's hospital here in

town

> once I speak to husband about the experience I had because we want

to

> use the Ponsetti method. I am really lucky we have the hospital

> here! Please lend me your thoughts about your experiences of

meeting

> orthos for your children and what methods you used and what you

were

> happy with.

> Thanks for support!

> Krishna

[Guest guest]

Actually, they are not unwrapped, they are cut with a knife.

How the casts are removed is something that you need to question your doctor

about. Having had both methods done, we actually prefer the saw. Livie had her

casts sawn off with her first ortho. She hated the sound of the saw, but it was

over relatively quickly. She does have one scar from a saw burn, but it is not

so apparent 3.5 years later.

Dr. Ponseti had us soak her casts before each appointment. Doesn't sound so

bad, but Livie absolutely hated it. She screamed uncontrollably through all

20-30 minutes of soaking. Then we had to wrap them in plastic bags and/or wet

towels for transport to the hospital. She would quiet down on the way there,

but invariably ended up with a soaking wet outfit, diaper, car seat, etc., no

matter how well we kept them covered. We took extra clothes to change into and

padded her car seat to try to keep it from getting wet, but we usually had to

change her again when we got back as the moisture in the seat soaked into her

dry clothes. She also hated the cutting with a knife. No loud noise, but the

nurse would stick her fingers down into the top of the cast and feel while she

was cutting so that she didn't cut Livie's leg. Livie hated that too. She

would work herself all up again and it got difficult to keep her still the older

she got. And it took longer to get it off than just sawing did.

Both methods have advantages and disadvantages. I understand Dr. Ponseti's

preference for soaking because presumably it is less stressful for the baby

without the loud noise of the cast saw, but some babies are going to have

problems no matter how you take that cast off. Some babies just don't like to

be messed with.

Jen & Livie (10-18-01 severe left clubfoot)

Re: Re: need advice after meeting with ped ortho

Oh, one thing about plaster casts and that wretched saw: Gabe HATED the saw!

You really have to make sure that the tech who does the cutting is Super

careful. They can burn their little-over-sensetive legs with it or even cut

them. Gabe has 4 scars on his legs from a tech being careless.. he wwent right

past buring and on to cutting... That was a year ago and the scars from it are

still very apparent. The way Ponseti does it, you soak the casts till they are

soft, them wrap them in plastic bags. Then the casts are unwrapped right there

in the office.

faith slattery wrote:Hi Krishna! You have an awesome

name by the way...I have to agree with Daiga on all aspects. Ponseti doesnt like

the soft fiberglass cast because he feels like he loses some ability to mold

them just-so, but several docs have switched to them and seem quite plese

withthe results.Gabe had both. He HATED the plaster cast Ponseti used beause

they were so heavy and bulky... the fiberglass he was fine with wearing. I

haven't really formulated about either... Ponseti like plaster, so in the end

that's what we went with... On the other hand, Gabe's feet never looked better

than they did after Ponseti's plaster casting... So,... As for the short casts:

If your child needs a tenotomy, which he/she probably will, without the long

casts, they will never stay on... especially before the tenotomy is done. You be

in the office nearly constanly because of slipped casts, although the fiberglass

casts did seem to stay on better, due , I think, in part to the

sheer weight of the plaster casts (pulling

on them during diaper changes...the yanking motion of your child kicking). As

for athletics, stay on the board for a while and you'll notice several adult

clubfooters who not only lead athletic lives, but were treated with surgical

methods, although must write in during their mid-twenties to complain of chronic

foot pain now.

Daiga Grady wrote:Hi Krishna,

Thank goodness that you have the opportunity to consult with ped.

orthos before you use them! Yes, you are right, this doctor's

answers certainly sent up some red flags:

1. This answer in and of itself is, in my opinion not indicative of

a necessarily 'bad' doctor. Many doctors who are using the method

successfully today are not 'Ponseti certified' but this is because

they have not yet met Dr. Ponseti's requirements for certification.

From what I understand they need to submit a number of their patient

cases (with correction results) to Dr. Ponseti for review before he

will list them on his website. We have however learned that there

are in fact some doctors who are listed on Dr. Ponseti's website who

are not using the method as it was written but are reinventing

certain aspects of the treatment. Certainly this makes it more

difficult for parents to find a doctor who truely uses the method

unmodified. Again, it's important to stress that parents need to

educated themselves about all components of the method so that they

can ensure that their child is receiving the proper care and

treatment.

2. Some doctors in fact are using fiberglass casts and achieving the

same 95% success rate. I think it depends upon the doctors ability

to mold the cast correctly. What I find upsetting is the fact that

this doctor stops using long leg casts and switches to (I'm assuming)

short leg casts. This is problematic and is one of doctors " common

errors " that Dr. Ponseti sites on his webpage. Short leg casts allow

for too much mobility within the cast which can lead to the

child 'undoing' the manipulation and possibly doing more harm than

good.

3. Yes, Dr. Ponseti overcorrects the foot in the last cast. He

explains why this is necessary on his website. It is because the

foot has a tendency to return to it's original position and the

overcorrection allows for the foot to return to 'neutral' rather than

turned back in once treatment is completed (after the follow-up

bracing period is over - 3-4 years).

4. Again, I refer to Dr. Ponseti's website and his quote: Parents

of infants born with clubfeet may be reassured that their baby, if

otherwise normal, when treated by expert hands will have normal

looking feet with normal function for all practical purposes. The

well-treated clubfoot is no handicap and is fully compatible with a

normal, active life. " This doctor is just covering his tracks in

case his method (which does not seem to be Ponseti) fails.

Meet with another doctor and don't settle until you feel comfortable

with the doctor who will be treating your child. Go with your gut

and peace of mind will follow!

Hope this helps,

Daiga and Owen, 02/04/03

Unilateral LCF, FAB 14/7

> Hi Everyone-

> I am a new to the group and I want your thoughts about my

experience

> with a pediatric ortho today. Just some background on myself, I am

> currently 33 weeks pregnant with our first child. We found out at

> our 26 week ultrasound that our baby has bcf (this was a second

> opinion ultrasound referred by doc). Met with ortho this morning.

I

> came geared with questions for him (thanks Naomi for the website of

> questions to ask). I have done a lot of research on my own and

> through these wonderful support groups-- I think the ortho was

> impressed by my knowledge and game plan of methods--but I have a

few

> concerns about his answers. Here goes:

> 1. ortho said he is not certified in Ponsetti, but uses method, he

> did internship using Ponsetti--I am not comfortable with this

> 2. I asked if he uses the long casts and plaster, he said he stops

> using the long casts if he sees the feet are correcting--but I

> thought plaster was the way to go? He says, he will have to use

saw

> to take off casts--scary for baby. He says he uses the soft

> casts/fiberglass, but I feel this will not help correct the feet at

a

> faster rate

> 3. Is there such a thing as overcorrection? He thinks Ponsetti

over

> corrects... He feels once you overcorrect feet, you can't bring

back

> to regular position and this may pose problems as the child becomes

> older.

> 4. This one is just my point of venting, but bothered me. He said

> my child does not have a disability, but don't expect him/her to be

> an athlete. Has he heard of Krisit Yamagouchi & Troy Aikman? My

> husband and I are very athletic and I was bothered when he told me

> that. It almost was like he was telling me that my child will not

> have healthy feet.

>

> *I knew today was just an appt to inform myself about this ortho,

but

> I think I am going to go through the Shriner's hospital here in

town

> once I speak to husband about the experience I had because we want

to

> use the Ponsetti method. I am really lucky we have the hospital

> here! Please lend me your thoughts about your experiences of

meeting

> orthos for your children and what methods you used and what you

were

> happy with.

> Thanks for support!

> Krishna

[Guest guest]

Hi Krishna,

You have already gotten some excellent opinions from other parents and I concur

completely with all that was said.

I just wanted to add that if you are uncomfortable, then maybe you should seek

another option. We learned the hard way through three different doctors, failed

treatment, and a relapse that we needed to trust our instincts. Thankfully,

Livie is none the worse for wear and has a beautifully corrected clubfoot at 3.5

years old. Had we listened to our inner voices a little sooner though, it would

have been a much easier road.

Good Luck to you in whatever you decide to do! This board has been an

invaluable source of information and support to me in the past few years and I

hope that we can be for you too!

Jen & Livie (10-18-01 severe left clubfoot)

need advice after meeting with ped ortho

Hi Everyone-

I am a new to the group and I want your thoughts about my experience

with a pediatric ortho today. Just some background on myself, I am

currently 33 weeks pregnant with our first child. We found out at

our 26 week ultrasound that our baby has bcf (this was a second

opinion ultrasound referred by doc). Met with ortho this morning. I

came geared with questions for him (thanks Naomi for the website of

questions to ask). I have done a lot of research on my own and

through these wonderful support groups-- I think the ortho was

impressed by my knowledge and game plan of methods--but I have a few

concerns about his answers. Here goes:

1. ortho said he is not certified in Ponsetti, but uses method, he

did internship using Ponsetti--I am not comfortable with this

2. I asked if he uses the long casts and plaster, he said he stops

using the long casts if he sees the feet are correcting--but I

thought plaster was the way to go? He says, he will have to use saw

to take off casts--scary for baby. He says he uses the soft

casts/fiberglass, but I feel this will not help correct the feet at a

faster rate

3. Is there such a thing as overcorrection? He thinks Ponsetti over

corrects... He feels once you overcorrect feet, you can't bring back

to regular position and this may pose problems as the child becomes

older.

4. This one is just my point of venting, but bothered me. He said

my child does not have a disability, but don't expect him/her to be

an athlete. Has he heard of Krisit Yamagouchi & Troy Aikman? My

husband and I are very athletic and I was bothered when he told me

that. It almost was like he was telling me that my child will not

have healthy feet.

*I knew today was just an appt to inform myself about this ortho, but

I think I am going to go through the Shriner's hospital here in town

once I speak to husband about the experience I had because we want to

use the Ponsetti method. I am really lucky we have the hospital

here! Please lend me your thoughts about your experiences of meeting

orthos for your children and what methods you used and what you were

happy with.

Thanks for support!

Krishna

[Guest guest]

Hi Krishna,

You have already gotten some excellent opinions from other parents and I concur

completely with all that was said.

I just wanted to add that if you are uncomfortable, then maybe you should seek

another option. We learned the hard way through three different doctors, failed

treatment, and a relapse that we needed to trust our instincts. Thankfully,

Livie is none the worse for wear and has a beautifully corrected clubfoot at 3.5

years old. Had we listened to our inner voices a little sooner though, it would

have been a much easier road.

Good Luck to you in whatever you decide to do! This board has been an

invaluable source of information and support to me in the past few years and I

hope that we can be for you too!

Jen & Livie (10-18-01 severe left clubfoot)

need advice after meeting with ped ortho

Hi Everyone-

I am a new to the group and I want your thoughts about my experience

with a pediatric ortho today. Just some background on myself, I am

currently 33 weeks pregnant with our first child. We found out at

our 26 week ultrasound that our baby has bcf (this was a second

opinion ultrasound referred by doc). Met with ortho this morning. I

came geared with questions for him (thanks Naomi for the website of

questions to ask). I have done a lot of research on my own and

through these wonderful support groups-- I think the ortho was

impressed by my knowledge and game plan of methods--but I have a few

concerns about his answers. Here goes:

1. ortho said he is not certified in Ponsetti, but uses method, he

did internship using Ponsetti--I am not comfortable with this

2. I asked if he uses the long casts and plaster, he said he stops

using the long casts if he sees the feet are correcting--but I

thought plaster was the way to go? He says, he will have to use saw

to take off casts--scary for baby. He says he uses the soft

casts/fiberglass, but I feel this will not help correct the feet at a

faster rate

3. Is there such a thing as overcorrection? He thinks Ponsetti over

corrects... He feels once you overcorrect feet, you can't bring back

to regular position and this may pose problems as the child becomes

older.

4. This one is just my point of venting, but bothered me. He said

my child does not have a disability, but don't expect him/her to be

an athlete. Has he heard of Krisit Yamagouchi & Troy Aikman? My

husband and I are very athletic and I was bothered when he told me

that. It almost was like he was telling me that my child will not

have healthy feet.

*I knew today was just an appt to inform myself about this ortho, but

I think I am going to go through the Shriner's hospital here in town

once I speak to husband about the experience I had because we want to

use the Ponsetti method. I am really lucky we have the hospital

here! Please lend me your thoughts about your experiences of meeting

orthos for your children and what methods you used and what you were

happy with.

Thanks for support!

Krishna

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone - Henry's casts were unwrapped - worked really well after a

10 - 20 min warm bath - we really enjoyed this because it was the only

chance he and we had to give him a bath - are you all talking about the

0 - 3 month casts?? The unwrapping was tricky, but OK done

slowly....rgds, Pete

> Actually, they are not unwrapped, they are cut with a knife.

>

> How the casts are removed is something that you need to question your

> doctor about. Having had both methods done, we actually prefer the

> saw. Livie had her casts sawn off with her first ortho. She hated

> the sound of the saw, but it was over relatively quickly. She does

> have one scar from a saw burn, but it is not so apparent 3.5 years

> later.

>

> Dr. Ponseti had us soak her casts before each appointment. Doesn't

> sound so bad, but Livie absolutely hated it. She screamed

> uncontrollably through all 20-30 minutes of soaking. Then we had to

> wrap them in plastic bags and/or wet towels for transport to the

> hospital. She would quiet down on the way there, but invariably ended

> up with a soaking wet outfit, diaper, car seat, etc., no matter how

> well we kept them covered. We took extra clothes to change into and

> padded her car seat to try to keep it from getting wet, but we usually

> had to change her again when we got back as the moisture in the seat

> soaked into her dry clothes. She also hated the cutting with a knife.

> No loud noise, but the nurse would stick her fingers down into the

> top of the cast and feel while she was cutting so that she didn't cut

> Livie's leg. Livie hated that too. She would work herself all up

> again and it got difficult to keep her still the older she got. And

> it took longer to get it off than just sawing did.

>

> Both methods have advantages and disadvantages. I understand Dr.

> Ponseti's preference for soaking because presumably it is less

> stressful for the baby without the loud noise of the cast saw, but

> some babies are going to have problems no matter how you take that

> cast off. Some babies just don't like to be messed with.

>

> Jen & Livie (10-18-01 severe left clubfoot)

> Re: Re: need advice after meeting with

> ped ortho

>

>

> Oh, one thing about plaster casts and that wretched saw: Gabe HATED

> the saw! You really have to make sure that the tech who does the

> cutting is Super careful. They can burn their little-over-sensetive

> legs with it or even cut them. Gabe has 4 scars on his legs from a

> tech being careless.. he wwent right past buring and on to cutting...

> That was a year ago and the scars from it are still very apparent.

> The way Ponseti does it, you soak the casts till they are soft, them

> wrap them in plastic bags. Then the casts are unwrapped right there in

> the office.

> faith slattery wrote:Hi Krishna! You have an

> awesome name by the way...I have to agree with Daiga on all aspects.

> Ponseti doesnt like the soft fiberglass cast because he feels like he

> loses some ability to mold them just-so, but several docs have

> switched to them and seem quite plese withthe results.Gabe had both.

> He HATED the plaster cast Ponseti used beause they were so heavy and

> bulky... the fiberglass he was fine with wearing. I haven't really

> formulated about either... Ponseti like plaster, so in the end that's

> what we went with... On the other hand, Gabe's feet never looked

> better than they did after Ponseti's plaster casting... So,... As for

> the short casts: If your child needs a tenotomy, which he/she probably

> will, without the long casts, they will never stay on... especially

> before the tenotomy is done. You be in the office nearly constanly

> because of slipped casts, although the fiberglass casts did seem to

> stay on better, due , I think, in part to the

> sheer weight of the plaster casts (pulling

> on them during diaper changes...the yanking motion of your child

> kicking). As for athletics, stay on the board for a while and you'll

> notice several adult clubfooters who not only lead athletic lives, but

> were treated with surgical methods, although must write in during

> their mid-twenties to complain of chronic foot pain now.

>

> Daiga Grady wrote:Hi Krishna,

>

> Thank goodness that you have the opportunity to consult with ped.

> orthos before you use them! Yes, you are right, this doctor's

> answers certainly sent up some red flags:

>

> 1. This answer in and of itself is, in my opinion not indicative of

> a necessarily 'bad' doctor. Many doctors who are using the method

> successfully today are not 'Ponseti certified' but this is because

> they have not yet met Dr. Ponseti's requirements for certification.

> From what I understand they need to submit a number of their patient

> cases (with correction results) to Dr. Ponseti for review before he

> will list them on his website. We have however learned that there

> are in fact some doctors who are listed on Dr. Ponseti's website who

> are not using the method as it was written but are reinventing

> certain aspects of the treatment. Certainly this makes it more

> difficult for parents to find a doctor who truely uses the method

> unmodified. Again, it's important to stress that parents need to

> educated themselves about all components of the method so that they

> can ensure that their child is receiving the proper care and

> treatment.

>

> 2. Some doctors in fact are using fiberglass casts and achieving the

> same 95% success rate. I think it depends upon the doctors ability

> to mold the cast correctly. What I find upsetting is the fact that

> this doctor stops using long leg casts and switches to (I'm assuming)

> short leg casts. This is problematic and is one of doctors " common

> errors " that Dr. Ponseti sites on his webpage. Short leg casts allow

> for too much mobility within the cast which can lead to the

> child 'undoing' the manipulation and possibly doing more harm than

> good.

>

> 3. Yes, Dr. Ponseti overcorrects the foot in the last cast. He

> explains why this is necessary on his website. It is because the

> foot has a tendency to return to it's original position and the

> overcorrection allows for the foot to return to 'neutral' rather than

> turned back in once treatment is completed (after the follow-up

> bracing period is over - 3-4 years).

>

> 4. Again, I refer to Dr. Ponseti's website and his quote: Parents

> of infants born with clubfeet may be reassured that their baby, if

> otherwise normal, when treated by expert hands will have normal

> looking feet with normal function for all practical purposes. The

> well-treated clubfoot is no handicap and is fully compatible with a

> normal, active life. " This doctor is just covering his tracks in

> case his method (which does not seem to be Ponseti) fails.

>

> Meet with another doctor and don't settle until you feel comfortable

> with the doctor who will be treating your child. Go with your gut

> and peace of mind will follow!

>

> Hope this helps,

>

> Daiga and Owen, 02/04/03

> Unilateral LCF, FAB 14/7

>

>

>> Hi Everyone-

>> I am a new to the group and I want your thoughts about my

> experience

>> with a pediatric ortho today. Just some background on myself, I am

>> currently 33 weeks pregnant with our first child. We found out at

>> our 26 week ultrasound that our baby has bcf (this was a second

>> opinion ultrasound referred by doc). Met with ortho this morning.

> I

>> came geared with questions for him (thanks Naomi for the website of

>> questions to ask). I have done a lot of research on my own and

>> through these wonderful support groups-- I think the ortho was

>> impressed by my knowledge and game plan of methods--but I have a

> few

>> concerns about his answers. Here goes:

>> 1. ortho said he is not certified in Ponsetti, but uses method, he

>> did internship using Ponsetti--I am not comfortable with this

>> 2. I asked if he uses the long casts and plaster, he said he stops

>> using the long casts if he sees the feet are correcting--but I

>> thought plaster was the way to go? He says, he will have to use

> saw

>> to take off casts--scary for baby. He says he uses the soft

>> casts/fiberglass, but I feel this will not help correct the feet at

> a

>> faster rate

>> 3. Is there such a thing as overcorrection? He thinks Ponsetti

> over

>> corrects... He feels once you overcorrect feet, you can't bring

> back

>> to regular position and this may pose problems as the child becomes

>> older.

>> 4. This one is just my point of venting, but bothered me. He said

>> my child does not have a disability, but don't expect him/her to be

>> an athlete. Has he heard of Krisit Yamagouchi & Troy Aikman? My

>> husband and I are very athletic and I was bothered when he told me

>> that. It almost was like he was telling me that my child will not

>> have healthy feet.

>>

>> *I knew today was just an appt to inform myself about this ortho,

> but

>> I think I am going to go through the Shriner's hospital here in

> town

>> once I speak to husband about the experience I had because we want

> to

>> use the Ponsetti method. I am really lucky we have the hospital

>> here! Please lend me your thoughts about your experiences of

> meeting

>> orthos for your children and what methods you used and what you

> were

>> happy with.

>> Thanks for support!

>> Krishna

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone - Henry's casts were unwrapped - worked really well after a

10 - 20 min warm bath - we really enjoyed this because it was the only

chance he and we had to give him a bath - are you all talking about the

0 - 3 month casts?? The unwrapping was tricky, but OK done

slowly....rgds, Pete

> Actually, they are not unwrapped, they are cut with a knife.

>

> How the casts are removed is something that you need to question your

> doctor about. Having had both methods done, we actually prefer the

> saw. Livie had her casts sawn off with her first ortho. She hated

> the sound of the saw, but it was over relatively quickly. She does

> have one scar from a saw burn, but it is not so apparent 3.5 years

> later.

>

> Dr. Ponseti had us soak her casts before each appointment. Doesn't

> sound so bad, but Livie absolutely hated it. She screamed

> uncontrollably through all 20-30 minutes of soaking. Then we had to

> wrap them in plastic bags and/or wet towels for transport to the

> hospital. She would quiet down on the way there, but invariably ended

> up with a soaking wet outfit, diaper, car seat, etc., no matter how

> well we kept them covered. We took extra clothes to change into and

> padded her car seat to try to keep it from getting wet, but we usually

> had to change her again when we got back as the moisture in the seat

> soaked into her dry clothes. She also hated the cutting with a knife.

> No loud noise, but the nurse would stick her fingers down into the

> top of the cast and feel while she was cutting so that she didn't cut

> Livie's leg. Livie hated that too. She would work herself all up

> again and it got difficult to keep her still the older she got. And

> it took longer to get it off than just sawing did.

>

> Both methods have advantages and disadvantages. I understand Dr.

> Ponseti's preference for soaking because presumably it is less

> stressful for the baby without the loud noise of the cast saw, but

> some babies are going to have problems no matter how you take that

> cast off. Some babies just don't like to be messed with.

>

> Jen & Livie (10-18-01 severe left clubfoot)

> Re: Re: need advice after meeting with

> ped ortho

>

>

> Oh, one thing about plaster casts and that wretched saw: Gabe HATED

> the saw! You really have to make sure that the tech who does the

> cutting is Super careful. They can burn their little-over-sensetive

> legs with it or even cut them. Gabe has 4 scars on his legs from a

> tech being careless.. he wwent right past buring and on to cutting...

> That was a year ago and the scars from it are still very apparent.

> The way Ponseti does it, you soak the casts till they are soft, them

> wrap them in plastic bags. Then the casts are unwrapped right there in

> the office.

> faith slattery wrote:Hi Krishna! You have an

> awesome name by the way...I have to agree with Daiga on all aspects.

> Ponseti doesnt like the soft fiberglass cast because he feels like he

> loses some ability to mold them just-so, but several docs have

> switched to them and seem quite plese withthe results.Gabe had both.

> He HATED the plaster cast Ponseti used beause they were so heavy and

> bulky... the fiberglass he was fine with wearing. I haven't really

> formulated about either... Ponseti like plaster, so in the end that's

> what we went with... On the other hand, Gabe's feet never looked

> better than they did after Ponseti's plaster casting... So,... As for

> the short casts: If your child needs a tenotomy, which he/she probably

> will, without the long casts, they will never stay on... especially

> before the tenotomy is done. You be in the office nearly constanly

> because of slipped casts, although the fiberglass casts did seem to

> stay on better, due , I think, in part to the

> sheer weight of the plaster casts (pulling

> on them during diaper changes...the yanking motion of your child

> kicking). As for athletics, stay on the board for a while and you'll

> notice several adult clubfooters who not only lead athletic lives, but

> were treated with surgical methods, although must write in during

> their mid-twenties to complain of chronic foot pain now.

>

> Daiga Grady wrote:Hi Krishna,

>

> Thank goodness that you have the opportunity to consult with ped.

> orthos before you use them! Yes, you are right, this doctor's

> answers certainly sent up some red flags:

>

> 1. This answer in and of itself is, in my opinion not indicative of

> a necessarily 'bad' doctor. Many doctors who are using the method

> successfully today are not 'Ponseti certified' but this is because

> they have not yet met Dr. Ponseti's requirements for certification.

> From what I understand they need to submit a number of their patient

> cases (with correction results) to Dr. Ponseti for review before he

> will list them on his website. We have however learned that there

> are in fact some doctors who are listed on Dr. Ponseti's website who

> are not using the method as it was written but are reinventing

> certain aspects of the treatment. Certainly this makes it more

> difficult for parents to find a doctor who truely uses the method

> unmodified. Again, it's important to stress that parents need to

> educated themselves about all components of the method so that they

> can ensure that their child is receiving the proper care and

> treatment.

>

> 2. Some doctors in fact are using fiberglass casts and achieving the

> same 95% success rate. I think it depends upon the doctors ability

> to mold the cast correctly. What I find upsetting is the fact that

> this doctor stops using long leg casts and switches to (I'm assuming)

> short leg casts. This is problematic and is one of doctors " common

> errors " that Dr. Ponseti sites on his webpage. Short leg casts allow

> for too much mobility within the cast which can lead to the

> child 'undoing' the manipulation and possibly doing more harm than

> good.

>

> 3. Yes, Dr. Ponseti overcorrects the foot in the last cast. He

> explains why this is necessary on his website. It is because the

> foot has a tendency to return to it's original position and the

> overcorrection allows for the foot to return to 'neutral' rather than

> turned back in once treatment is completed (after the follow-up

> bracing period is over - 3-4 years).

>

> 4. Again, I refer to Dr. Ponseti's website and his quote: Parents

> of infants born with clubfeet may be reassured that their baby, if

> otherwise normal, when treated by expert hands will have normal

> looking feet with normal function for all practical purposes. The

> well-treated clubfoot is no handicap and is fully compatible with a

> normal, active life. " This doctor is just covering his tracks in

> case his method (which does not seem to be Ponseti) fails.

>

> Meet with another doctor and don't settle until you feel comfortable

> with the doctor who will be treating your child. Go with your gut

> and peace of mind will follow!

>

> Hope this helps,

>

> Daiga and Owen, 02/04/03

> Unilateral LCF, FAB 14/7

>

>

>> Hi Everyone-

>> I am a new to the group and I want your thoughts about my

> experience

>> with a pediatric ortho today. Just some background on myself, I am

>> currently 33 weeks pregnant with our first child. We found out at

>> our 26 week ultrasound that our baby has bcf (this was a second

>> opinion ultrasound referred by doc). Met with ortho this morning.

> I

>> came geared with questions for him (thanks Naomi for the website of

>> questions to ask). I have done a lot of research on my own and

>> through these wonderful support groups-- I think the ortho was

>> impressed by my knowledge and game plan of methods--but I have a

> few

>> concerns about his answers. Here goes:

>> 1. ortho said he is not certified in Ponsetti, but uses method, he

>> did internship using Ponsetti--I am not comfortable with this

>> 2. I asked if he uses the long casts and plaster, he said he stops

>> using the long casts if he sees the feet are correcting--but I

>> thought plaster was the way to go? He says, he will have to use

> saw

>> to take off casts--scary for baby. He says he uses the soft

>> casts/fiberglass, but I feel this will not help correct the feet at

> a

>> faster rate

>> 3. Is there such a thing as overcorrection? He thinks Ponsetti

> over

>> corrects... He feels once you overcorrect feet, you can't bring

> back

>> to regular position and this may pose problems as the child becomes

>> older.

>> 4. This one is just my point of venting, but bothered me. He said

>> my child does not have a disability, but don't expect him/her to be

>> an athlete. Has he heard of Krisit Yamagouchi & Troy Aikman? My

>> husband and I are very athletic and I was bothered when he told me

>> that. It almost was like he was telling me that my child will not

>> have healthy feet.

>>

>> *I knew today was just an appt to inform myself about this ortho,

> but

>> I think I am going to go through the Shriner's hospital here in

> town

>> once I speak to husband about the experience I had because we want

> to

>> use the Ponsetti method. I am really lucky we have the hospital

>> here! Please lend me your thoughts about your experiences of

> meeting

>> orthos for your children and what methods you used and what you

> were

>> happy with.

>> Thanks for support!

>> Krishna

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi kcmsge - I agree with all the other replies you-ve had - Ponseti is

only Ponseti if it is 110% Ponseti - No " Oh, in my opinion the short

cast is better " or " You can go down to 2 hrs a day with the boots if

the correction looks good " .

Plaster only is generally used for babies, and are usually unwrapped.

Sometimes fibreglass for an ATTT at 3 - 4 yrs old, if required.

Ponseti childrens' feet always have normal foot functionality - no

stiffness, no early arthritis, no restricted mobility.

In London, at Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, we went for an

opinion after learning about Henry's clubfeet at 20 weeks. The surgeon

there, who is now at Bath and whom I will not name (unless someone from

the UK needs to know) told us that he had great success with a

technique he developed and amended after spending a brief internship

with Ponseti in Iowa. It involved some casting, he told us, of a

varying nature over a different number of weeks. What was his success

rate? we asked. Very good, he replied - up to 60%!!!!!

We ran a mile from this great London hospital on this one! Ponseti has

75 - 85% full correction with casts, tenotomy, and boots and bar for 4

- 5 yrs. The remaining 15 - 20% need further minor surgery called an

ATTT (tendon transfer) which our Herny has just had. These %'s change

according to the length of time the bar has been worn, and the types of

clubfoot.

The proof is in the pudding, as they say, and myself and my wife thank

God for Ponseti and his wonderful technique.

Good on you for trusting in your gut instinct - mother's (and Dad's)

instinct is always 100% spot on.

Good luck - Pete

> Hi Everyone-

> I am a new to the group and I want your thoughts about my experience

> with a pediatric ortho today. Just some background on myself, I am

> currently 33 weeks pregnant with our first child. We found out at

> our 26 week ultrasound that our baby has bcf (this was a second

> opinion ultrasound referred by doc). Met with ortho this morning. I

> came geared with questions for him (thanks Naomi for the website of

> questions to ask). I have done a lot of research on my own and

> through these wonderful support groups-- I think the ortho was

> impressed by my knowledge and game plan of methods--but I have a few

> concerns about his answers. Here goes:

> 1. ortho said he is not certified in Ponsetti, but uses method, he

> did internship using Ponsetti--I am not comfortable with this

> 2. I asked if he uses the long casts and plaster, he said he stops

> using the long casts if he sees the feet are correcting--but I

> thought plaster was the way to go? He says, he will have to use saw

> to take off casts--scary for baby. He says he uses the soft

> casts/fiberglass, but I feel this will not help correct the feet at a

> faster rate

> 3. Is there such a thing as overcorrection? He thinks Ponsetti over

> corrects... He feels once you overcorrect feet, you can't bring back

> to regular position and this may pose problems as the child becomes

> older.

> 4. This one is just my point of venting, but bothered me. He said

> my child does not have a disability, but don't expect him/her to be

> an athlete. Has he heard of Krisit Yamagouchi & Troy Aikman? My

> husband and I are very athletic and I was bothered when he told me

> that. It almost was like he was telling me that my child will not

> have healthy feet.

>

> *I knew today was just an appt to inform myself about this ortho, but

> I think I am going to go through the Shriner's hospital here in town

> once I speak to husband about the experience I had because we want to

> use the Ponsetti method. I am really lucky we have the hospital

> here! Please lend me your thoughts about your experiences of meeting

> orthos for your children and what methods you used and what you were

> happy with.

> Thanks for support!

> Krishna

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi kcmsge - I agree with all the other replies you-ve had - Ponseti is

only Ponseti if it is 110% Ponseti - No " Oh, in my opinion the short

cast is better " or " You can go down to 2 hrs a day with the boots if

the correction looks good " .

Plaster only is generally used for babies, and are usually unwrapped.

Sometimes fibreglass for an ATTT at 3 - 4 yrs old, if required.

Ponseti childrens' feet always have normal foot functionality - no

stiffness, no early arthritis, no restricted mobility.

In London, at Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, we went for an

opinion after learning about Henry's clubfeet at 20 weeks. The surgeon

there, who is now at Bath and whom I will not name (unless someone from

the UK needs to know) told us that he had great success with a

technique he developed and amended after spending a brief internship

with Ponseti in Iowa. It involved some casting, he told us, of a

varying nature over a different number of weeks. What was his success

rate? we asked. Very good, he replied - up to 60%!!!!!

We ran a mile from this great London hospital on this one! Ponseti has

75 - 85% full correction with casts, tenotomy, and boots and bar for 4

- 5 yrs. The remaining 15 - 20% need further minor surgery called an

ATTT (tendon transfer) which our Herny has just had. These %'s change

according to the length of time the bar has been worn, and the types of

clubfoot.

The proof is in the pudding, as they say, and myself and my wife thank

God for Ponseti and his wonderful technique.

Good on you for trusting in your gut instinct - mother's (and Dad's)

instinct is always 100% spot on.

Good luck - Pete

> Hi Everyone-

> I am a new to the group and I want your thoughts about my experience

> with a pediatric ortho today. Just some background on myself, I am

> currently 33 weeks pregnant with our first child. We found out at

> our 26 week ultrasound that our baby has bcf (this was a second

> opinion ultrasound referred by doc). Met with ortho this morning. I

> came geared with questions for him (thanks Naomi for the website of

> questions to ask). I have done a lot of research on my own and

> through these wonderful support groups-- I think the ortho was

> impressed by my knowledge and game plan of methods--but I have a few

> concerns about his answers. Here goes:

> 1. ortho said he is not certified in Ponsetti, but uses method, he

> did internship using Ponsetti--I am not comfortable with this

> 2. I asked if he uses the long casts and plaster, he said he stops

> using the long casts if he sees the feet are correcting--but I

> thought plaster was the way to go? He says, he will have to use saw

> to take off casts--scary for baby. He says he uses the soft

> casts/fiberglass, but I feel this will not help correct the feet at a

> faster rate

> 3. Is there such a thing as overcorrection? He thinks Ponsetti over

> corrects... He feels once you overcorrect feet, you can't bring back

> to regular position and this may pose problems as the child becomes

> older.

> 4. This one is just my point of venting, but bothered me. He said

> my child does not have a disability, but don't expect him/her to be

> an athlete. Has he heard of Krisit Yamagouchi & Troy Aikman? My

> husband and I are very athletic and I was bothered when he told me

> that. It almost was like he was telling me that my child will not

> have healthy feet.

>

> *I knew today was just an appt to inform myself about this ortho, but

> I think I am going to go through the Shriner's hospital here in town

> once I speak to husband about the experience I had because we want to

> use the Ponsetti method. I am really lucky we have the hospital

> here! Please lend me your thoughts about your experiences of meeting

> orthos for your children and what methods you used and what you were

> happy with.

> Thanks for support!

> Krishna

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Kelsey's casts were removed in the office after we

soaked them prior to removal. Dr. Von Stein said that

she does not use the saw to cut off because to get the

right mild with the foot, they cannot use enough

padding under the plaster to make it safe for removal

with the saw. Because of Kelsey's older age, for our

3-week cast we had to have plaster wrapped in the

fiberglass to make it strong enough for her to not

break the plaster. That one they did cut off.

Jenni

--- faith slattery wrote:

> Oh, one thing about plaster casts and that wretched

> saw: Gabe HATED the saw! You really have to make

> sure that the tech who does the cutting is Super

> careful. They can burn their little-over-sensetive

> legs with it or even cut them. Gabe has 4 scars on

> his legs from a tech being careless.. he wwent right

> past buring and on to cutting... That was a year ago

> and the scars from it are still very apparent. The

> way Ponseti does it, you soak the casts till they

> are soft, them wrap them in plastic bags. Then the

> casts are unwrapped right there in the office.

> faith slattery wrote:Hi

> Krishna! You have an awesome name by the way...I

> have to agree with Daiga on all aspects. Ponseti

> doesnt like the soft fiberglass cast because he

> feels like he loses some ability to mold them

> just-so, but several docs have switched to them and

> seem quite plese withthe results.Gabe had both. He

> HATED the plaster cast Ponseti used beause they were

> so heavy and bulky... the fiberglass he was fine

> with wearing. I haven't really formulated about

> either... Ponseti like plaster, so in the end that's

> what we went with... On the other hand, Gabe's feet

> never looked better than they did after Ponseti's

> plaster casting... So,... As for the short casts: If

> your child needs a tenotomy, which he/she probably

> will, without the long casts, they will never stay

> on... especially before the tenotomy is done. You be

> in the office nearly constanly because of slipped

> casts, although the fiberglass casts did seem to

> stay on better, due , I think, in part to the

> sheer weight of the plaster casts (pulling

> on them during diaper changes...the yanking motion

> of your child kicking). As for athletics, stay on

> the board for a while and you'll notice several

> adult clubfooters who not only lead athletic lives,

> but were treated with surgical methods, although

> must write in during their mid-twenties to complain

> of chronic foot pain now.

>

> Daiga Grady wrote:Hi

> Krishna,

>

> Thank goodness that you have the opportunity to

> consult with ped.

> orthos before you use them! Yes, you are right,

> this doctor's

> answers certainly sent up some red flags:

>

> 1. This answer in and of itself is, in my opinion

> not indicative of

> a necessarily 'bad' doctor. Many doctors who are

> using the method

> successfully today are not 'Ponseti certified' but

> this is because

> they have not yet met Dr. Ponseti's requirements for

> certification.

> From what I understand they need to submit a number

> of their patient

> cases (with correction results) to Dr. Ponseti for

> review before he

> will list them on his website. We have however

> learned that there

> are in fact some doctors who are listed on Dr.

> Ponseti's website who

> are not using the method as it was written but are

> reinventing

> certain aspects of the treatment. Certainly this

> makes it more

> difficult for parents to find a doctor who truely

> uses the method

> unmodified. Again, it's important to stress that

> parents need to

> educated themselves about all components of the

> method so that they

> can ensure that their child is receiving the proper

> care and

> treatment.

>

> 2. Some doctors in fact are using fiberglass casts

> and achieving the

> same 95% success rate. I think it depends upon the

> doctors ability

> to mold the cast correctly. What I find upsetting

> is the fact that

> this doctor stops using long leg casts and switches

> to (I'm assuming)

> short leg casts. This is problematic and is one of

> doctors " common

> errors " that Dr. Ponseti sites on his webpage.

> Short leg casts allow

> for too much mobility within the cast which can lead

> to the

> child 'undoing' the manipulation and possibly doing

> more harm than

> good.

>

> 3. Yes, Dr. Ponseti overcorrects the foot in the

> last cast. He

> explains why this is necessary on his website. It

> is because the

> foot has a tendency to return to it's original

> position and the

> overcorrection allows for the foot to return to

> 'neutral' rather than

> turned back in once treatment is completed (after

> the follow-up

> bracing period is over - 3-4 years).

>

> 4. Again, I refer to Dr. Ponseti's website and his

> quote: Parents

> of infants born with clubfeet may be reassured that

> their baby, if

> otherwise normal, when treated by expert hands will

> have normal

> looking feet with normal function for all practical

> purposes. The

> well-treated clubfoot is no handicap and is fully

> compatible with a

> normal, active life. " This doctor is just covering

> his tracks in

> case his method (which does not seem to be Ponseti)

> fails.

>

> Meet with another doctor and don't settle until you

> feel comfortable

> with the doctor who will be treating your child. Go

> with your gut

> and peace of mind will follow!

>

> Hope this helps,

>

> Daiga and Owen, 02/04/03

> Unilateral LCF, FAB 14/7

>

>

> > Hi Everyone-

> > I am a new to the group and I want your thoughts

> about my

> experience

> > with a pediatric ortho today. Just some

> background on myself, I am

> > currently 33 weeks pregnant with our first child.

> We found out at

> > our 26 week ultrasound that our baby has bcf (this

> was a second

> > opinion ultrasound referred by doc). Met with

> ortho this morning.

> I

> > came geared with questions for him (thanks Naomi

> for the website of

> > questions to ask). I have done a lot of research

> on my own and

> > through these wonderful support groups-- I think

> the ortho was

> > impressed by my knowledge and game plan of

> methods--but I have a

> few

> > concerns about his answers. Here goes:

> > 1. ortho said he is not certified in Ponsetti,

> but uses method, he

> > did internship using Ponsetti--I am not

> comfortable with this

> > 2. I asked if he uses the long casts and plaster,

> he said he stops

> > using the long casts if he sees the feet are

> correcting--but I

> > thought plaster was the way to go? He says, he

> will have to use

> saw

> > to take off casts--scary for baby. He says he

> uses the soft

> > casts/fiberglass, but I feel this will not help

> correct the feet at

> a

> > faster rate

> > 3. Is there such a thing as overcorrection? He

> thinks Ponsetti

> over

> > corrects... He feels once you overcorrect feet,

> you can't bring

> back

> > to regular position and this may pose problems as

> the child becomes

> > older.

> > 4. This one is just my point of venting, but

> bothered me. He said

> > my child does not have a disability, but don't

> expect him/her to be

> > an athlete. Has he heard of Krisit Yamagouchi &

> Troy Aikman? My

> > husband and I are very athletic and I was bothered

> when he told me

> > that. It almost was like he was telling me that

> my child will not

> > have healthy feet.

> >

> > *I knew today was just an appt to inform myself

> about this ortho,

>

=== message truncated ===

Jenni-

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

left clubfoot.

____________________________________________________

Sell on Yahoo! Auctions – no fees. Bid on great items.

http://auctions.yahoo.com/

[Guest guest]

Kelsey's casts were removed in the office after we

soaked them prior to removal. Dr. Von Stein said that

she does not use the saw to cut off because to get the

right mild with the foot, they cannot use enough

padding under the plaster to make it safe for removal

with the saw. Because of Kelsey's older age, for our

3-week cast we had to have plaster wrapped in the

fiberglass to make it strong enough for her to not

break the plaster. That one they did cut off.

Jenni

--- faith slattery wrote:

> Oh, one thing about plaster casts and that wretched

> saw: Gabe HATED the saw! You really have to make

> sure that the tech who does the cutting is Super

> careful. They can burn their little-over-sensetive

> legs with it or even cut them. Gabe has 4 scars on

> his legs from a tech being careless.. he wwent right

> past buring and on to cutting... That was a year ago

> and the scars from it are still very apparent. The

> way Ponseti does it, you soak the casts till they

> are soft, them wrap them in plastic bags. Then the

> casts are unwrapped right there in the office.

> faith slattery wrote:Hi

> Krishna! You have an awesome name by the way...I

> have to agree with Daiga on all aspects. Ponseti

> doesnt like the soft fiberglass cast because he

> feels like he loses some ability to mold them

> just-so, but several docs have switched to them and

> seem quite plese withthe results.Gabe had both. He

> HATED the plaster cast Ponseti used beause they were

> so heavy and bulky... the fiberglass he was fine

> with wearing. I haven't really formulated about

> either... Ponseti like plaster, so in the end that's

> what we went with... On the other hand, Gabe's feet

> never looked better than they did after Ponseti's

> plaster casting... So,... As for the short casts: If

> your child needs a tenotomy, which he/she probably

> will, without the long casts, they will never stay

> on... especially before the tenotomy is done. You be

> in the office nearly constanly because of slipped

> casts, although the fiberglass casts did seem to

> stay on better, due , I think, in part to the

> sheer weight of the plaster casts (pulling

> on them during diaper changes...the yanking motion

> of your child kicking). As for athletics, stay on

> the board for a while and you'll notice several

> adult clubfooters who not only lead athletic lives,

> but were treated with surgical methods, although

> must write in during their mid-twenties to complain

> of chronic foot pain now.

>

> Daiga Grady wrote:Hi

> Krishna,

>

> Thank goodness that you have the opportunity to

> consult with ped.

> orthos before you use them! Yes, you are right,

> this doctor's

> answers certainly sent up some red flags:

>

> 1. This answer in and of itself is, in my opinion

> not indicative of

> a necessarily 'bad' doctor. Many doctors who are

> using the method

> successfully today are not 'Ponseti certified' but

> this is because

> they have not yet met Dr. Ponseti's requirements for

> certification.

> From what I understand they need to submit a number

> of their patient

> cases (with correction results) to Dr. Ponseti for

> review before he

> will list them on his website. We have however

> learned that there

> are in fact some doctors who are listed on Dr.

> Ponseti's website who

> are not using the method as it was written but are

> reinventing

> certain aspects of the treatment. Certainly this

> makes it more

> difficult for parents to find a doctor who truely

> uses the method

> unmodified. Again, it's important to stress that

> parents need to

> educated themselves about all components of the

> method so that they

> can ensure that their child is receiving the proper

> care and

> treatment.

>

> 2. Some doctors in fact are using fiberglass casts

> and achieving the

> same 95% success rate. I think it depends upon the

> doctors ability

> to mold the cast correctly. What I find upsetting

> is the fact that

> this doctor stops using long leg casts and switches

> to (I'm assuming)

> short leg casts. This is problematic and is one of

> doctors " common

> errors " that Dr. Ponseti sites on his webpage.

> Short leg casts allow

> for too much mobility within the cast which can lead

> to the

> child 'undoing' the manipulation and possibly doing

> more harm than

> good.

>

> 3. Yes, Dr. Ponseti overcorrects the foot in the

> last cast. He

> explains why this is necessary on his website. It

> is because the

> foot has a tendency to return to it's original

> position and the

> overcorrection allows for the foot to return to

> 'neutral' rather than

> turned back in once treatment is completed (after

> the follow-up

> bracing period is over - 3-4 years).

>

> 4. Again, I refer to Dr. Ponseti's website and his

> quote: Parents

> of infants born with clubfeet may be reassured that

> their baby, if

> otherwise normal, when treated by expert hands will

> have normal

> looking feet with normal function for all practical

> purposes. The

> well-treated clubfoot is no handicap and is fully

> compatible with a

> normal, active life. " This doctor is just covering

> his tracks in

> case his method (which does not seem to be Ponseti)

> fails.

>

> Meet with another doctor and don't settle until you

> feel comfortable

> with the doctor who will be treating your child. Go

> with your gut

> and peace of mind will follow!

>

> Hope this helps,

>

> Daiga and Owen, 02/04/03

> Unilateral LCF, FAB 14/7

>

>

> > Hi Everyone-

> > I am a new to the group and I want your thoughts

> about my

> experience

> > with a pediatric ortho today. Just some

> background on myself, I am

> > currently 33 weeks pregnant with our first child.

> We found out at

> > our 26 week ultrasound that our baby has bcf (this

> was a second

> > opinion ultrasound referred by doc). Met with

> ortho this morning.

> I

> > came geared with questions for him (thanks Naomi

> for the website of

> > questions to ask). I have done a lot of research

> on my own and

> > through these wonderful support groups-- I think

> the ortho was

> > impressed by my knowledge and game plan of

> methods--but I have a

> few

> > concerns about his answers. Here goes:

> > 1. ortho said he is not certified in Ponsetti,

> but uses method, he

> > did internship using Ponsetti--I am not

> comfortable with this

> > 2. I asked if he uses the long casts and plaster,

> he said he stops

> > using the long casts if he sees the feet are

> correcting--but I

> > thought plaster was the way to go? He says, he

> will have to use

> saw

> > to take off casts--scary for baby. He says he

> uses the soft

> > casts/fiberglass, but I feel this will not help

> correct the feet at

> a

> > faster rate

> > 3. Is there such a thing as overcorrection? He

> thinks Ponsetti

> over

> > corrects... He feels once you overcorrect feet,

> you can't bring

> back

> > to regular position and this may pose problems as

> the child becomes

> > older.

> > 4. This one is just my point of venting, but

> bothered me. He said

> > my child does not have a disability, but don't

> expect him/her to be

> > an athlete. Has he heard of Krisit Yamagouchi &

> Troy Aikman? My

> > husband and I are very athletic and I was bothered

> when he told me

> > that. It almost was like he was telling me that

> my child will not

> > have healthy feet.

> >

> > *I knew today was just an appt to inform myself

> about this ortho,

>

=== message truncated ===

Jenni-

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

left clubfoot.

____________________________________________________

Sell on Yahoo! Auctions – no fees. Bid on great items.

http://auctions.yahoo.com/

[Guest guest]

Kelsey's casts were unwrapped or snipped with scissors

for removal. The only time they used the saw was for

the fiberglass. I much preferred the soaking and

removal in this manner in the office as compared to

the saw even though we did have a wet trip (we live 1

hour from Doctor's office).

Jenni

--- and Jen wrote:

> Actually, they are not unwrapped, they are cut with

> a knife.

>

> How the casts are removed is something that you need

> to question your doctor about. Having had both

> methods done, we actually prefer the saw. Livie had

> her casts sawn off with her first ortho. She hated

> the sound of the saw, but it was over relatively

> quickly. She does have one scar from a saw burn,

> but it is not so apparent 3.5 years later.

>

> Dr. Ponseti had us soak her casts before each

> appointment. Doesn't sound so bad, but Livie

> absolutely hated it. She screamed uncontrollably

> through all 20-30 minutes of soaking. Then we had

> to wrap them in plastic bags and/or wet towels for

> transport to the hospital. She would quiet down on

> the way there, but invariably ended up with a

> soaking wet outfit, diaper, car seat, etc., no

> matter how well we kept them covered. We took extra

> clothes to change into and padded her car seat to

> try to keep it from getting wet, but we usually had

> to change her again when we got back as the moisture

> in the seat soaked into her dry clothes. She also

> hated the cutting with a knife. No loud noise, but

> the nurse would stick her fingers down into the top

> of the cast and feel while she was cutting so that

> she didn't cut Livie's leg. Livie hated that too.

> She would work herself all up again and it got

> difficult to keep her still the older she got. And

> it took longer to get it off than just sawing did.

>

> Both methods have advantages and disadvantages. I

> understand Dr. Ponseti's preference for soaking

> because presumably it is less stressful for the baby

> without the loud noise of the cast saw, but some

> babies are going to have problems no matter how you

> take that cast off. Some babies just don't like to

> be messed with.

>

> Jen & Livie (10-18-01 severe left clubfoot)

> Re: Re: need advice

> after meeting with ped ortho

>

>

> Oh, one thing about plaster casts and that

> wretched saw: Gabe HATED the saw! You really have to

> make sure that the tech who does the cutting is

> Super careful. They can burn their

> little-over-sensetive legs with it or even cut them.

> Gabe has 4 scars on his legs from a tech being

> careless.. he wwent right past buring and on to

> cutting... That was a year ago and the scars from it

> are still very apparent. The way Ponseti does it,

> you soak the casts till they are soft, them wrap

> them in plastic bags. Then the casts are unwrapped

> right there in the office.

> faith slattery wrote:Hi

> Krishna! You have an awesome name by the way...I

> have to agree with Daiga on all aspects. Ponseti

> doesnt like the soft fiberglass cast because he

> feels like he loses some ability to mold them

> just-so, but several docs have switched to them and

> seem quite plese withthe results.Gabe had both. He

> HATED the plaster cast Ponseti used beause they were

> so heavy and bulky... the fiberglass he was fine

> with wearing. I haven't really formulated about

> either... Ponseti like plaster, so in the end that's

> what we went with... On the other hand, Gabe's feet

> never looked better than they did after Ponseti's

> plaster casting... So,... As for the short casts: If

> your child needs a tenotomy, which he/she probably

> will, without the long casts, they will never stay

> on... especially before the tenotomy is done. You be

> in the office nearly constanly because of slipped

> casts, although the fiberglass casts did seem to

> stay on better, due , I think, in part to the

> sheer weight of the plaster casts (pulling

> on them during diaper changes...the yanking motion

> of your child kicking). As for athletics, stay on

> the board for a while and you'll notice several

> adult clubfooters who not only lead athletic lives,

> but were treated with surgical methods, although

> must write in during their mid-twenties to complain

> of chronic foot pain now.

>

> Daiga Grady wrote:Hi

> Krishna,

>

> Thank goodness that you have the opportunity to

> consult with ped.

> orthos before you use them! Yes, you are right,

> this doctor's

> answers certainly sent up some red flags:

>

> 1. This answer in and of itself is, in my opinion

> not indicative of

> a necessarily 'bad' doctor. Many doctors who are

> using the method

> successfully today are not 'Ponseti certified' but

> this is because

> they have not yet met Dr. Ponseti's requirements

> for certification.

> From what I understand they need to submit a

> number of their patient

> cases (with correction results) to Dr. Ponseti for

> review before he

> will list them on his website. We have however

> learned that there

> are in fact some doctors who are listed on Dr.

> Ponseti's website who

> are not using the method as it was written but are

> reinventing

> certain aspects of the treatment. Certainly this

> makes it more

> difficult for parents to find a doctor who truely

> uses the method

> unmodified. Again, it's important to stress that

> parents need to

> educated themselves about all components of the

> method so that they

> can ensure that their child is receiving the

> proper care and

> treatment.

>

> 2. Some doctors in fact are using fiberglass

> casts and achieving the

> same 95% success rate. I think it depends upon

> the doctors ability

> to mold the cast correctly. What I find upsetting

> is the fact that

> this doctor stops using long leg casts and

> switches to (I'm assuming)

> short leg casts. This is problematic and is one

> of doctors " common

> errors " that Dr. Ponseti sites on his webpage.

> Short leg casts allow

> for too much mobility within the cast which can

> lead to the

> child 'undoing' the manipulation and possibly

> doing more harm than

> good.

>

> 3. Yes, Dr. Ponseti overcorrects the foot in the

> last cast. He

> explains why this is necessary on his website. It

> is because the

> foot has a tendency to return to it's original

> position and the

> overcorrection allows for the foot to return to

> 'neutral' rather than

> turned back in once treatment is completed (after

> the follow-up

> bracing period is over - 3-4 years).

>

> 4. Again, I refer to Dr. Ponseti's website and

> his quote: Parents

> of infants born with clubfeet may be reassured

> that their baby, if

> otherwise normal, when treated by expert hands

> will have normal

> looking feet with normal function for all

> practical purposes. The

> well-treated clubfoot is no handicap and is fully

> compatible with a

> normal, active life. " This doctor is just

> covering his tracks in

> case his method (which does not seem to be

> Ponseti) fails.

>

> Meet with another doctor and don't settle until

> you feel comfortable

> with the doctor who will be treating your child.

> Go with your gut

> and peace of mind will follow!

>

> Hope this helps,

>

> Daiga and Owen, 02/04/03

> Unilateral LCF, FAB 14/7

>

>

> > Hi Everyone-

> > I am a new to the group and I want your thoughts

> about my

> experience

> > with a pediatric ortho today. Just some

> background on myself, I am

> > currently 33 weeks pregnant with our first

> child. We found out at

> > our 26 week ultrasound that our baby has bcf

> (this was a second

> > opinion ultrasound referred by doc). Met with

> ortho this morning.

> I

>

=== message truncated ===

Jenni-

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

left clubfoot.

____________________________________________________

Sell on Yahoo! Auctions – no fees. Bid on great items.

http://auctions.yahoo.com/