Re: First time posting...

December 11, 2005

I think he must be doing some version. When I originally found out that baby

had a

clubfoot in utero, I did some research and learned a little about the Ponseti

method, but

didn't go into great detail learning about it. When I spoke with this doc and

he explained

that there would be a series of castings and a tenotomy, it sounded just like

Ponseti to me,

so I was happy with the idea, especially since I know someone who's son was

treated by

him with good results.

Now that we're 11 weeks into the treatment, I'm a little upset with myself for

not

investigating much more thoroughly. I trust this doc and his results thus far

have been

good, but I'm very concerned about the AFO/KAFO/AKFO use vs the DBB. I intend

to call

Dr Lemke Monday morning and see her to get her opinion, and also call my current

doc to

see what he has to say--what explanation he has for the use of AFOs instead of

the DBB. I

am hoping to have a good comparison at that point and decide whether to continue

with

the current doc at all, or just move over to Dr Lemke and have her remove the

cast and

pick up treatment from now on.

I'm SOOOOOO FRUSTRATED that I didn't look into things better. We could have

been

DONE with the casting by now... and for weeks, to boot!! Hindsight's always

20/20, huh?

Thanks to all of you for the input. I will be checking into things tomorrow and

will post

back for everyone's advice and opinions!!

Stacee

> > >

> > > Hi Stacee, good to have you on board.

> > >

> > > Not sure what I can say about your baby's

> > treatment as it doesn't sound like Ponseti

> > Method to me. Sounds like he's had quite a few

> > casts, probably more than the Ponseti

> > Method would have required (average of 5 casts, five

> > to seven days between castings). My

> > last son was treated by Dr. Ponseti in Iowa - he

> > wore casts for 25 days pre-tenotomy, then

> > 17 days post-tenotomy (42 days total). He's been

> > wearing the FAB since then and has

> > completely normal feet.

> > >

> > > Have you been satisfied with all the results so

> > far though? Typically a child doesn't

> > need 7 weeks to heal from a tenotomy, only 3, and

> > often they out grow that cast and only

> > go 2 weeks with excellent results.

> > >

> > > Are you interested in hearing more about the

> > Ponseti Method or seeking a 2nd opinon

> > from a P.M. doctor?

> > >

> > > Typically speaking AFO and AKFO style braces have

> > had little success in maintaing the

> > club foot correction after the casting phase often

> > resulting in relapses, thus you'll notice

> > all of us here have babies that wear what is called

> > the Foot Abductin Brace (FAB, often

> > called a DBB) which is shoes connected to a bar as

> > that has been proven to maintain the

> > correction as the child grows.

> > >

> > > Anyway, I won't hound you - but if there is every

> > any question regarding your childs

> > treatment/progress, etc., please don't hesitate to

> > ask and know if he does not respond to

> > your current treatment methods, he's young enough to

> > back up and start over with the

> > Ponseti Method before any surgical cures are

> > attempted. Once he's operated on though

> > you'll be stuck wtih those results, either good or

> > bad (usually bad).

> > >

> > > If you haven't done so already I urge you to visit

> > our Files and Links for lots of really

> > great information about CF in general and

> > treatments, etc.

> > >

> > > Good luck,

> > > shawnee

> > > First time

> > posting...

> > >

> > > I have been reading over many of the previous

> > posts and thought I'd like to join in ...

> > My

> > > third child was born 9/24/05 with a right club

> > foot and has been sequentially casted

> > since

> > > he was 2 days old. He just had an achilles

> > tenotomy on Dec 6th and is currently in the

> > > cast for approx 4 weeks, then to another cast

> > for ~3 more weeks before moving to the

> > > AKFO.

> > >

> > > My husband also has a right club foot, but was

> > never treated the way kids are today.

> > He's

> > > fully functional and you'd never know he had a

> > club foot unless you looked closely. :-)

> > >

> > > I'm completely new to this process, and from

> > what I have seen on the boards, most of

> > the

> > > kids here have bilateral clubs, so I'm not sure

> > if the treatment post tenotomy is the

> > same

> > > for unilateral vs bilateral?

> > >

> > > It's my understanding that our ortho in

> > Arlington Heights, IL will be putting our son

> > into

> > > an AKFO as soon as he's done with approx 7 weeks

> > of casting post surgery and he'll be

> > in

> > > that orthotic 23/7 until he's walking, at which

> > point I'm foggy on the course of

> > treatment.

> > >

> > > I noticed another poster is seeing Dr Lemke in

> > Geneva--- Would love to chat with you

> > > directly if you see this message! We live in

> > Sugar Grove, but opted to see Dr Marty in

> > > Arlington Heights as he came highly recommended

> > by a friend who's son was treated

> > for

> > > bilateral foot issues (not club foot.)

> > >

> > > Anyway, I hope you all don't mind my jumping in

> > and I apologize if I ask questions that

> > > have been asked a thousand times before!! :-)

> > >

> > > Stacee

> > >

December 11, 2005

Stacee,

Don't beat your self up over this. When my son was born with bilateral club

foot we didn't know so it was a huge surprise. The hospital we had him in

called the ped. ortho in he explained to us he would be in casts and it was

treatable. We didn't know any better we trusted the dr. He put the first set of

casts on 20 mins. before we left the hospital, which made for a interesting 45

min. drive home.

In the first year he was recasted 4 times, due to relapses. So at this we

knew something was not right. As a mother I should have known ealier. That is

when I found this board. I relized the treatment of our dr. was not correct.

He never over corrected the feet, no tenotomy, and shoes were only set at 35

degrees, not 70. We are lucky enough that we only live an hour and 45 mins.

from dr Ponseti himself. We emailed him pictures and he called us back

personally and said he would see us as soon as we could get there.

So, to make a long story short. We started over at 13.5 months old. He was

recasted once again. This time correctly. The shoes now stay on they do not

slip at all. We did have some blisters, but those are under control now. He is

now 16 months old and walking. I really had my concerns that he would walk

funny, but Dr. Ponseti fixed them and they are the most beautiful feet I have

ever seen.

At least you are doing this now and not 12 months down the road. Good Luck to

you and please keep us posted.

Tabitha

Brittanie 6 years

Karter 16 months blcf

littleman1013 wrote:

I think he must be doing some version. When I originally found out that baby

had a

clubfoot in utero, I did some research and learned a little about the Ponseti

method, but

didn't go into great detail learning about it. When I spoke with this doc and

he explained

that there would be a series of castings and a tenotomy, it sounded just like

Ponseti to me,

so I was happy with the idea, especially since I know someone who's son was

treated by

him with good results.

Now that we're 11 weeks into the treatment, I'm a little upset with myself for

not

investigating much more thoroughly. I trust this doc and his results thus far

have been

good, but I'm very concerned about the AFO/KAFO/AKFO use vs the DBB. I intend

to call

Dr Lemke Monday morning and see her to get her opinion, and also call my current

doc to

see what he has to say--what explanation he has for the use of AFOs instead of

the DBB. I

am hoping to have a good comparison at that point and decide whether to continue

with

the current doc at all, or just move over to Dr Lemke and have her remove the

cast and

pick up treatment from now on.

I'm SOOOOOO FRUSTRATED that I didn't look into things better. We could have

been

DONE with the casting by now... and for weeks, to boot!! Hindsight's always

20/20, huh?

Thanks to all of you for the input. I will be checking into things tomorrow and

will post

back for everyone's advice and opinions!!

Stacee

> > >

> > > Hi Stacee, good to have you on board.

> > >

> > > Not sure what I can say about your baby's

> > treatment as it doesn't sound like Ponseti

> > Method to me. Sounds like he's had quite a few

> > casts, probably more than the Ponseti

> > Method would have required (average of 5 casts, five

> > to seven days between castings). My

> > last son was treated by Dr. Ponseti in Iowa - he

> > wore casts for 25 days pre-tenotomy, then

> > 17 days post-tenotomy (42 days total). He's been

> > wearing the FAB since then and has

> > completely normal feet.

> > >

> > > Have you been satisfied with all the results so

> > far though? Typically a child doesn't

> > need 7 weeks to heal from a tenotomy, only 3, and

> > often they out grow that cast and only

> > go 2 weeks with excellent results.

> > >

> > > Are you interested in hearing more about the

> > Ponseti Method or seeking a 2nd opinon

> > from a P.M. doctor?

> > >

> > > Typically speaking AFO and AKFO style braces have

> > had little success in maintaing the

> > club foot correction after the casting phase often

> > resulting in relapses, thus you'll notice

> > all of us here have babies that wear what is called

> > the Foot Abductin Brace (FAB, often

> > called a DBB) which is shoes connected to a bar as

> > that has been proven to maintain the

> > correction as the child grows.

> > >

> > > Anyway, I won't hound you - but if there is every

> > any question regarding your childs

> > treatment/progress, etc., please don't hesitate to

> > ask and know if he does not respond to

> > your current treatment methods, he's young enough to

> > back up and start over with the

> > Ponseti Method before any surgical cures are

> > attempted. Once he's operated on though

> > you'll be stuck wtih those results, either good or

> > bad (usually bad).

> > >

> > > If you haven't done so already I urge you to visit

> > our Files and Links for lots of really

> > great information about CF in general and

> > treatments, etc.

> > >

> > > Good luck,

> > > shawnee

> > > First time

> > posting...

> > >

> > > I have been reading over many of the previous

> > posts and thought I'd like to join in ...

> > My

> > > third child was born 9/24/05 with a right club

> > foot and has been sequentially casted

> > since

> > > he was 2 days old. He just had an achilles

> > tenotomy on Dec 6th and is currently in the

> > > cast for approx 4 weeks, then to another cast

> > for ~3 more weeks before moving to the

> > > AKFO.

> > >

> > > My husband also has a right club foot, but was

> > never treated the way kids are today.

> > He's

> > > fully functional and you'd never know he had a

> > club foot unless you looked closely. :-)

> > >

> > > I'm completely new to this process, and from

> > what I have seen on the boards, most of

> > the

> > > kids here have bilateral clubs, so I'm not sure

> > if the treatment post tenotomy is the

> > same

> > > for unilateral vs bilateral?

> > >

> > > It's my understanding that our ortho in

> > Arlington Heights, IL will be putting our son

> > into

> > > an AKFO as soon as he's done with approx 7 weeks

> > of casting post surgery and he'll be

> > in

> > > that orthotic 23/7 until he's walking, at which

> > point I'm foggy on the course of

> > treatment.

> > >

> > > I noticed another poster is seeing Dr Lemke in

> > Geneva--- Would love to chat with you

> > > directly if you see this message! We live in

> > Sugar Grove, but opted to see Dr Marty in

> > > Arlington Heights as he came highly recommended

> > by a friend who's son was treated

> > for

> > > bilateral foot issues (not club foot.)

> > >

> > > Anyway, I hope you all don't mind my jumping in

> > and I apologize if I ask questions that

> > > have been asked a thousand times before!! :-)

> > >

> > > Stacee

> > >

December 11, 2005

Stacee,

As I am reading your last post, it reminds me of myself a few weeks ago. We

did not know about the club foot until my son was born. I did some research

and just trusted our ped for referring us to the ortho. At that time I did

not know there was a list of dr's certified in the method. We were fine

until the orthotist fit us for shoes and the DBB. The first week was

horrible and Logan got terrible blisters that turned into bigger soars. We

kept going back to the orthotist with little change. Logan's soars got so

bad we had to take him out of the shoes for two weeks. It turns out the

shoes were outdated and too small and the bar was to short. Our ortho was

also giving us advice on how to get Logan back into the shoes that was not

part of the Ponseti method at all. That's when I found this board and with

the help of everyone's advice, we went to Dr. Herzenberg and Dr. Lamm in MD.

They were the ones that alerted us to the fact that the bar was too short.

So my soar screaming son became this regular happy baby with his DBB and new

shoes. The point of all this is that if you have any doubt at all, see a dr

on the list, and one that someone in this group recommends. While our old

ortho is a smart dr, he just doesn't do enough club foot. Good Luck,

Re: First time posting...

I think he must be doing some version. When I originally found out that

baby had a

clubfoot in utero, I did some research and learned a little about the

Ponseti method, but

didn't go into great detail learning about it. When I spoke with this doc

and he explained

that there would be a series of castings and a tenotomy, it sounded just

like Ponseti to me,

so I was happy with the idea, especially since I know someone who's son was

treated by

him with good results.

Now that we're 11 weeks into the treatment, I'm a little upset with myself

for not

investigating much more thoroughly. I trust this doc and his results thus

far have been

good, but I'm very concerned about the AFO/KAFO/AKFO use vs the DBB. I

intend to call

Dr Lemke Monday morning and see her to get her opinion, and also call my

current doc to

see what he has to say--what explanation he has for the use of AFOs instead

of the DBB. I

am hoping to have a good comparison at that point and decide whether to

continue with

the current doc at all, or just move over to Dr Lemke and have her remove

the cast and

pick up treatment from now on.

I'm SOOOOOO FRUSTRATED that I didn't look into things better. We could have

been

DONE with the casting by now... and for weeks, to boot!! Hindsight's always

20/20, huh?

Thanks to all of you for the input. I will be checking into things tomorrow

and will post

back for everyone's advice and opinions!!

Stacee

> > >

> > > Hi Stacee, good to have you on board.

> > >

> > > Not sure what I can say about your baby's

> > treatment as it doesn't sound like Ponseti

> > Method to me. Sounds like he's had quite a few

> > casts, probably more than the Ponseti

> > Method would have required (average of 5 casts, five

> > to seven days between castings). My

> > last son was treated by Dr. Ponseti in Iowa - he

> > wore casts for 25 days pre-tenotomy, then

> > 17 days post-tenotomy (42 days total). He's been

> > wearing the FAB since then and has

> > completely normal feet.

> > >

> > > Have you been satisfied with all the results so

> > far though? Typically a child doesn't

> > need 7 weeks to heal from a tenotomy, only 3, and

> > often they out grow that cast and only

> > go 2 weeks with excellent results.

> > >

> > > Are you interested in hearing more about the

> > Ponseti Method or seeking a 2nd opinon

> > from a P.M. doctor?

> > >

> > > Typically speaking AFO and AKFO style braces have

> > had little success in maintaing the

> > club foot correction after the casting phase often

> > resulting in relapses, thus you'll notice

> > all of us here have babies that wear what is called

> > the Foot Abductin Brace (FAB, often

> > called a DBB) which is shoes connected to a bar as

> > that has been proven to maintain the

> > correction as the child grows.

> > >

> > > Anyway, I won't hound you - but if there is every

> > any question regarding your childs

> > treatment/progress, etc., please don't hesitate to

> > ask and know if he does not respond to

> > your current treatment methods, he's young enough to

> > back up and start over with the

> > Ponseti Method before any surgical cures are

> > attempted. Once he's operated on though

> > you'll be stuck wtih those results, either good or

> > bad (usually bad).

> > >

> > > If you haven't done so already I urge you to visit

> > our Files and Links for lots of really

> > great information about CF in general and

> > treatments, etc.

> > >

> > > Good luck,

> > > shawnee

> > > First time

> > posting...

> > >

> > > I have been reading over many of the previous

> > posts and thought I'd like to join in ...

> > My

> > > third child was born 9/24/05 with a right club

> > foot and has been sequentially casted

> > since

> > > he was 2 days old. He just had an achilles

> > tenotomy on Dec 6th and is currently in the

> > > cast for approx 4 weeks, then to another cast

> > for ~3 more weeks before moving to the

> > > AKFO.

> > >

> > > My husband also has a right club foot, but was

> > never treated the way kids are today.

> > He's

> > > fully functional and you'd never know he had a

> > club foot unless you looked closely. :-)

> > >

> > > I'm completely new to this process, and from

> > what I have seen on the boards, most of

> > the

> > > kids here have bilateral clubs, so I'm not sure

> > if the treatment post tenotomy is the

> > same

> > > for unilateral vs bilateral?

> > >

> > > It's my understanding that our ortho in

> > Arlington Heights, IL will be putting our son

> > into

> > > an AKFO as soon as he's done with approx 7 weeks

> > of casting post surgery and he'll be

> > in

> > > that orthotic 23/7 until he's walking, at which

> > point I'm foggy on the course of

> > treatment.

> > >

> > > I noticed another poster is seeing Dr Lemke in

> > Geneva--- Would love to chat with you

> > > directly if you see this message! We live in

> > Sugar Grove, but opted to see Dr Marty in

> > > Arlington Heights as he came highly recommended

> > by a friend who's son was treated

> > for

> > > bilateral foot issues (not club foot.)

> > >

> > > Anyway, I hope you all don't mind my jumping in

> > and I apologize if I ask questions that

> > > have been asked a thousand times before!! :-)

> > >

> > > Stacee

> > >

December 11, 2005

Hi Stacee,

GREAT that you are taking your little guy to Dr. Lemke! You are

right! You should have seen much better results with casting and the

fact that your doc. uses AFO's...so glad that you are going to see

dr. Lemke!! I really think that you are saving your son from some

major problems down the road =) I am sure she will have you on the

right track in no time!

Try to remember that your baby is still so young - you have caught

this in plenty of time Stacee!! You will be finished casting and into

the FAB in no time now I am sure!

It still amazes me, the difference between 'true' Ponseti treatment

and non or modified Ponseti treatment! We are just so lucky to have

this board (kudos to Teressa =)) to help parents figure out the

difference - our kids deserve the best!

Make sure you explain the full situation to Dr. Lemke's assistant

when you call so that they get you in ASAP.

Good Luck and please let us know how it goes.

& Grace 16 mos

unilateral rcf corrected w/Ponseti method - 4 casts (no tenotomy)

FAB 13 hrs

> > > >

> > > > Hi Stacee, good to have you on board.

> > > >

> > > > Not sure what I can say about your baby's

> > > treatment as it doesn't sound like Ponseti

> > > Method to me. Sounds like he's had quite a few

> > > casts, probably more than the Ponseti

> > > Method would have required (average of 5 casts, five

> > > to seven days between castings). My

> > > last son was treated by Dr. Ponseti in Iowa - he

> > > wore casts for 25 days pre-tenotomy, then

> > > 17 days post-tenotomy (42 days total). He's been

> > > wearing the FAB since then and has

> > > completely normal feet.

> > > >

> > > > Have you been satisfied with all the results so

> > > far though? Typically a child doesn't

> > > need 7 weeks to heal from a tenotomy, only 3, and

> > > often they out grow that cast and only

> > > go 2 weeks with excellent results.

> > > >

> > > > Are you interested in hearing more about the

> > > Ponseti Method or seeking a 2nd opinon

> > > from a P.M. doctor?

> > > >

> > > > Typically speaking AFO and AKFO style braces have

> > > had little success in maintaing the

> > > club foot correction after the casting phase often

> > > resulting in relapses, thus you'll notice

> > > all of us here have babies that wear what is called

> > > the Foot Abductin Brace (FAB, often

> > > called a DBB) which is shoes connected to a bar as

> > > that has been proven to maintain the

> > > correction as the child grows.

> > > >

> > > > Anyway, I won't hound you - but if there is every

> > > any question regarding your childs

> > > treatment/progress, etc., please don't hesitate to

> > > ask and know if he does not respond to

> > > your current treatment methods, he's young enough to

> > > back up and start over with the

> > > Ponseti Method before any surgical cures are

> > > attempted. Once he's operated on though

> > > you'll be stuck wtih those results, either good or

> > > bad (usually bad).

> > > >

> > > > If you haven't done so already I urge you to visit

> > > our Files and Links for lots of really

> > > great information about CF in general and

> > > treatments, etc.

> > > >

> > > > Good luck,

> > > > shawnee

> > > > First time

> > > posting...

> > > >

> > > > I have been reading over many of the previous

> > > posts and thought I'd like to join in ...

> > > My

> > > > third child was born 9/24/05 with a right club

> > > foot and has been sequentially casted

> > > since

> > > > he was 2 days old. He just had an achilles

> > > tenotomy on Dec 6th and is currently in the

> > > > cast for approx 4 weeks, then to another cast

> > > for ~3 more weeks before moving to the

> > > > AKFO.

> > > >

> > > > My husband also has a right club foot, but was

> > > never treated the way kids are today.

> > > He's

> > > > fully functional and you'd never know he had a

> > > club foot unless you looked closely. :-)

> > > >

> > > > I'm completely new to this process, and from

> > > what I have seen on the boards, most of

> > > the

> > > > kids here have bilateral clubs, so I'm not sure

> > > if the treatment post tenotomy is the

> > > same

> > > > for unilateral vs bilateral?

> > > >

> > > > It's my understanding that our ortho in

> > > Arlington Heights, IL will be putting our son

> > > into

> > > > an AKFO as soon as he's done with approx 7 weeks

> > > of casting post surgery and he'll be

> > > in

> > > > that orthotic 23/7 until he's walking, at which

> > > point I'm foggy on the course of

> > > treatment.

> > > >

> > > > I noticed another poster is seeing Dr Lemke in

> > > Geneva--- Would love to chat with you

> > > > directly if you see this message! We live in

> > > Sugar Grove, but opted to see Dr Marty in

> > > > Arlington Heights as he came highly recommended

> > > by a friend who's son was treated

> > > for

> > > > bilateral foot issues (not club foot.)

> > > >

> > > > Anyway, I hope you all don't mind my jumping in

> > > and I apologize if I ask questions that

> > > > have been asked a thousand times before!! :-)

> > > >

> > > > Stacee

> > > >

December 11, 2005

I am reading today this list of " testimonials " from all you momma's lately who

have switched to a Ponseti Doctor and my heart is swelling with pride at your

courage.

It takes a lot to first admit to yourself perhaps you chose poorly to begin

with, to admit these things are not right and then to admit them loud and

publicly as you change doctors and change the courses of treatments and come

here facing others with your story.

I just want to hug you all today for being brave and wonderful mothers.

s.

First time

> > posting...

> > >

> > > I have been reading over many of the previous

> > posts and thought I'd like to join in ...

> > My

> > > third child was born 9/24/05 with a right club

> > foot and has been sequentially casted

> > since

> > > he was 2 days old. He just had an achilles

> > tenotomy on Dec 6th and is currently in the

> > > cast for approx 4 weeks, then to another cast

> > for ~3 more weeks before moving to the

> > > AKFO.

> > >

> > > My husband also has a right club foot, but was

> > never treated the way kids are today.

> > He's

> > > fully functional and you'd never know he had a

> > club foot unless you looked closely. :-)

> > >

> > > I'm completely new to this process, and from

> > what I have seen on the boards, most of

> > the

> > > kids here have bilateral clubs, so I'm not sure

> > if the treatment post tenotomy is the

> > same

> > > for unilateral vs bilateral?

> > >

> > > It's my understanding that our ortho in

> > Arlington Heights, IL will be putting our son

> > into

> > > an AKFO as soon as he's done with approx 7 weeks

> > of casting post surgery and he'll be

> > in

> > > that orthotic 23/7 until he's walking, at which

> > point I'm foggy on the course of

> > treatment.

> > >

> > > I noticed another poster is seeing Dr Lemke in

> > Geneva--- Would love to chat with you

> > > directly if you see this message! We live in

> > Sugar Grove, but opted to see Dr Marty in

> > > Arlington Heights as he came highly recommended

> > by a friend who's son was treated

> > for

> > > bilateral foot issues (not club foot.)

> > >

> > > Anyway, I hope you all don't mind my jumping in

> > and I apologize if I ask questions that

> > > have been asked a thousand times before!! :-)

> > >

> > > Stacee

> > >

December 11, 2005

No, don't be hard on yourself Stacee. It's not like babies are born with

instructional booklets, nor do their birth defects arrive with one. All of us,

we've done the best we could with the information we had at the time. So

instead of feeling down that you did not investigate further, pat yourself on

the back that you are investigating it further now. You honestly are early

enough in to the whole thing to change if you decide to change, and still expect

excellent results.

Anyway, follow your mommy instinct and don't let any doctor bully your or make

you feel inferior to his superior training and intellegence. Many times the

situation is that a parent has the time adn resources to investigate treatment

options a doctor has not even heard of yet. That is often the case with cf.

The Ponseti Method seems too good to be true and lots of doctors just have no

faith in it despite 50 years of success.

s.

First time

> > posting...

> > >

> > > I have been reading over many of the previous

> > posts and thought I'd like to join in ...

> > My

> > > third child was born 9/24/05 with a right club

> > foot and has been sequentially casted

> > since

> > > he was 2 days old. He just had an achilles

> > tenotomy on Dec 6th and is currently in the

> > > cast for approx 4 weeks, then to another cast

> > for ~3 more weeks before moving to the

> > > AKFO.

> > >

> > > My husband also has a right club foot, but was

> > never treated the way kids are today.

> > He's

> > > fully functional and you'd never know he had a

> > club foot unless you looked closely. :-)

> > >

> > > I'm completely new to this process, and from

> > what I have seen on the boards, most of

> > the

> > > kids here have bilateral clubs, so I'm not sure

> > if the treatment post tenotomy is the

> > same

> > > for unilateral vs bilateral?

> > >

> > > It's my understanding that our ortho in

> > Arlington Heights, IL will be putting our son

> > into

> > > an AKFO as soon as he's done with approx 7 weeks

> > of casting post surgery and he'll be

> > in

> > > that orthotic 23/7 until he's walking, at which

> > point I'm foggy on the course of

> > treatment.

> > >

> > > I noticed another poster is seeing Dr Lemke in

> > Geneva--- Would love to chat with you

> > > directly if you see this message! We live in

> > Sugar Grove, but opted to see Dr Marty in

> > > Arlington Heights as he came highly recommended

> > by a friend who's son was treated

> > for

> > > bilateral foot issues (not club foot.)

> > >

> > > Anyway, I hope you all don't mind my jumping in

> > and I apologize if I ask questions that

> > > have been asked a thousand times before!! :-)

> > >

> > > Stacee

> > >

December 11, 2005

ee,

The testimonials this past week have been very touching. For us we are very

greatful to this board and Dr. Ponseti (of course) that we could get our sons

feet where they should be. He is walking now and still in DBB 16 hours a day.

If our story can help just one family to not have the year of recasting and

the hopeless feeling that we felt. I will type it a thousand times. It has been

a long 16 months with Karter, but I finally feel like we are on a straight path

now thanks to this board and all the wonderful poeple on it. I do not post all

that much for I am just now getting the whole cf thing right. Hopefully in a

little while I will be the one that posts something that will help someone like

all of you have helped us.

Good luck to you and your boys. I give your great credit for your strength

and only hope that I have that someday. I would like someday, not soon, to have

another child and if he or she has cf I am sure that I will think of you and

your strength. THANK YOU.

Tabitha

Brittanie 6 years

Karter 16 months blcf

number23 wrote:

I am reading today this list of " testimonials " from all you momma's lately who

have switched to a Ponseti Doctor and my heart is swelling with pride at your

courage.

It takes a lot to first admit to yourself perhaps you chose poorly to begin

with, to admit these things are not right and then to admit them loud and

publicly as you change doctors and change the courses of treatments and come

here facing others with your story.

I just want to hug you all today for being brave and wonderful mothers.

s.

First time

> > posting...

> > >

> > > I have been reading over many of the previous

> > posts and thought I'd like to join in ...

> > My

> > > third child was born 9/24/05 with a right club

> > foot and has been sequentially casted

> > since

> > > he was 2 days old. He just had an achilles

> > tenotomy on Dec 6th and is currently in the

> > > cast for approx 4 weeks, then to another cast

> > for ~3 more weeks before moving to the

> > > AKFO.

> > >

> > > My husband also has a right club foot, but was

> > never treated the way kids are today.

> > He's

> > > fully functional and you'd never know he had a

> > club foot unless you looked closely. :-)

> > >

> > > I'm completely new to this process, and from

> > what I have seen on the boards, most of

> > the

> > > kids here have bilateral clubs, so I'm not sure

> > if the treatment post tenotomy is the

> > same

> > > for unilateral vs bilateral?

> > >

> > > It's my understanding that our ortho in

> > Arlington Heights, IL will be putting our son

> > into

> > > an AKFO as soon as he's done with approx 7 weeks

> > of casting post surgery and he'll be

> > in

> > > that orthotic 23/7 until he's walking, at which

> > point I'm foggy on the course of

> > treatment.

> > >

> > > I noticed another poster is seeing Dr Lemke in

> > Geneva--- Would love to chat with you

> > > directly if you see this message! We live in

> > Sugar Grove, but opted to see Dr Marty in

> > > Arlington Heights as he came highly recommended

> > by a friend who's son was treated

> > for

> > > bilateral foot issues (not club foot.)

> > >

> > > Anyway, I hope you all don't mind my jumping in

> > and I apologize if I ask questions that

> > > have been asked a thousand times before!! :-)

> > >

> > > Stacee

> > >

December 11, 2005

Stacee,

Hello and welcome to the group. You do have reason for concern, whereas the

AFO/KAFO's are not a part of the typical Ponseti protocol. I know Dr. Ponseti

has prescribed them in exteme, rare cases with different situations. However,

your situation would not fall into an extreme situation. At least not yet.

My daughter 's first doctor was not following the Ponseti protocol and

prescribed the KAFO's. Because we didn't know any better, we went along with

it. Also, just to give you some background; her first doctor was also very

highly recommended by her pediatrician and gyn. Please keep in mind just

because they are highly recommended doesn't necessarily mean they are the best

at the Ponseti method treatment for clubfoot. Anyway, after we went in the

KAFO's, her feet (bcf) relapsed almost immediately. That is when I discovered

this group and EVERYONE jumped on the bandwagon telling me to get a new doctor

ASAP and the (K)AFO's are not the protocol and they just simply don't work. So

we started treatment over with Dr. Herzenberg in Baltimore when she was 5 months

old. We had to do casting and tenotomy over again. My daughter is 21 months

old now, using the FAB/DBB as properly prescribed and her feet are doing great.

So please consider another doctor (I think you have

already, or I am trying to help you push your final decision if you haven't).

I find it very interesting your husband remembers wearing the DBB. Well his

(and yours) instincts are correct. There should be no AFO's if following the

Ponseti method correctly. And like I said before, they simply don't work.

One more thing I remember you mentioning was the final cast after the

tenotomy. He should only wear the final cast for 3 weeks not 4. Also, there

shouldn't be an additional cast after that. One the tenotomy 3-week cast is

removed, they should immediately start the FAB 23/7.

HTH.

Good luck!

littleman1013 wrote:

I have to be honest and say that I didn't investigate as thoroughly as many of

you did

before having my baby... I know someone whose son was treated by the doc we

chose with

excellent results, so I went with him. I had heard about Dr. Lemke, but she is

just so very

young that I preferred to go with the doc we're with because he's older and has

many more

years of experience treating club feet.

I'm starting to worry about the course of treatment after this cast comes off,

though. My

husband also has a club foot, as I posted earlier, and he remembers wearing the

DBB -- or

as he remembers, the shoes attached to the bar-- for many years. I'm almost

positive that

the doc we chose does not employ that method, and I don't know what his overall

success

rate is with the kids as they get older.

You said that even if we don't obtain the results we're striving for, we could

backtrack and

start over, with the exception of surgery. What about our son's already having

an achilles

tenotomy?

Are there any parents who did use the AKFO or AFO and obtained results that

lasted?

What is your recommendation, ee, as far as how to proceed now? What would

you

do if in our shoes? As far as I can tell, the doctor is using his own version

of the Ponseti

method. We have had 6 casts so far, including the one we're in now post

tenotomy, and

each looks almost identical to those shown in the sequential Ponseti

photographs... each

cast has turned the foot outward to the same approx degree as the Ponseti casts

would,

and they have been changed at either 7 or 10 day increments, with 2 short breaks

to let

the skin of my son's leg heal. (once for one week and once for 4 days)

I'd happily entertain any input the experienced mommies (and daddies) have for

us! My

son is currently only 11 weeks old, so we're still extremely young and pliable,

if you will!

Stacee

P.S. -- I may very well give you a call next week, if you really don't

mind. I'd love

to chat with someone who's going thru the same things!!

>

> Hi Stacee, good to have you on board.

>

> Not sure what I can say about your baby's treatment as it doesn't sound like

Ponseti

Method to me. Sounds like he's had quite a few casts, probably more than the

Ponseti

Method would have required (average of 5 casts, five to seven days between

castings). My

last son was treated by Dr. Ponseti in Iowa - he wore casts for 25 days

pre-tenotomy, then

17 days post-tenotomy (42 days total). He's been wearing the FAB since then and

has

completely normal feet.

>

> Have you been satisfied with all the results so far though? Typically a

child doesn't

need 7 weeks to heal from a tenotomy, only 3, and often they out grow that cast

and only

go 2 weeks with excellent results.

>

> Are you interested in hearing more about the Ponseti Method or seeking a 2nd

opinon

from a P.M. doctor?

>

> Typically speaking AFO and AKFO style braces have had little success in

maintaing the

club foot correction after the casting phase often resulting in relapses, thus

you'll notice

all of us here have babies that wear what is called the Foot Abductin Brace

(FAB, often

called a DBB) which is shoes connected to a bar as that has been proven to

maintain the

correction as the child grows.

>

> Anyway, I won't hound you - but if there is every any question regarding your

childs

treatment/progress, etc., please don't hesitate to ask and know if he does not

respond to

your current treatment methods, he's young enough to back up and start over with

the

Ponseti Method before any surgical cures are attempted. Once he's operated on

though

you'll be stuck wtih those results, either good or bad (usually bad).

>

> If you haven't done so already I urge you to visit our Files and Links for

lots of really

great information about CF in general and treatments, etc.

>

> Good luck,

> shawnee

> First time posting...

>

> I have been reading over many of the previous posts and thought I'd like to

join in ...

My

> third child was born 9/24/05 with a right club foot and has been

sequentially casted

since

> he was 2 days old. He just had an achilles tenotomy on Dec 6th and is

currently in the

> cast for approx 4 weeks, then to another cast for ~3 more weeks before

moving to the

> AKFO.

>

> My husband also has a right club foot, but was never treated the way kids

are today.

He's

> fully functional and you'd never know he had a club foot unless you looked

closely. :-)

>

> I'm completely new to this process, and from what I have seen on the boards,

most of

the

> kids here have bilateral clubs, so I'm not sure if the treatment post

tenotomy is the

same

> for unilateral vs bilateral?

>

> It's my understanding that our ortho in Arlington Heights, IL will be

putting our son

into

> an AKFO as soon as he's done with approx 7 weeks of casting post surgery and

he'll be

in

> that orthotic 23/7 until he's walking, at which point I'm foggy on the

course of

treatment.

>

> I noticed another poster is seeing Dr Lemke in Geneva--- Would love to chat

with you

> directly if you see this message! We live in Sugar Grove, but opted to see

Dr Marty in

> Arlington Heights as he came highly recommended by a friend who's son was

treated

for

> bilateral foot issues (not club foot.)

>

> Anyway, I hope you all don't mind my jumping in and I apologize if I ask

questions that

> have been asked a thousand times before!! :-)

>

> Stacee

>

December 11, 2005

I just emailed Dr. Ponseti for his opinion on our situation. I hate to play

devil's advocate,

but I'm curious where I might find success stories from people who have NOT used

the

Ponseti method? As you all well know, there are at least two sides to every

coin, and since

everyone here has had success, of course the stories are happy. I'd like to

hear from

others who have had what they consider success using methods other than

Ponseti's.

Does that make sense? Although I believe all of you and my gut tells me to move

ahead

with strict Ponseti, I want to feel as though I've investigated EVERY avenue

before jumping

ship with our current doctor...We've already invested so much time and effort,

not to

mention emotional stress, ya know?! I just don't want to make a rash decision.

I assume

you all will understand that, to some extent anyway.

I love reading the stories, though. It's so necessary to know that others are

in the same

boat and dealing with the same stresses as we are! It's wonderful to hear the

stories of

success, too! I can't wait to tell my own!

Stacee

> >

> > Hi Stacee, good to have you on board.

> >

> > Not sure what I can say about your baby's treatment as it doesn't sound like

Ponseti

> Method to me. Sounds like he's had quite a few casts, probably more than the

Ponseti

> Method would have required (average of 5 casts, five to seven days between

castings).

My

> last son was treated by Dr. Ponseti in Iowa - he wore casts for 25 days

pre-tenotomy,

then

> 17 days post-tenotomy (42 days total). He's been wearing the FAB since then

and has

> completely normal feet.

> >

> > Have you been satisfied with all the results so far though? Typically a

child doesn't

> need 7 weeks to heal from a tenotomy, only 3, and often they out grow that

cast and

only

> go 2 weeks with excellent results.

> >

> > Are you interested in hearing more about the Ponseti Method or seeking a 2nd

opinon

> from a P.M. doctor?

> >

> > Typically speaking AFO and AKFO style braces have had little success in

maintaing the

> club foot correction after the casting phase often resulting in relapses,

thus you'll

notice

> all of us here have babies that wear what is called the Foot Abductin Brace

(FAB, often

> called a DBB) which is shoes connected to a bar as that has been proven to

maintain the

> correction as the child grows.

> >

> > Anyway, I won't hound you - but if there is every any question regarding

your childs

> treatment/progress, etc., please don't hesitate to ask and know if he does not

respond

to

> your current treatment methods, he's young enough to back up and start over

with the

> Ponseti Method before any surgical cures are attempted. Once he's operated on

though

> you'll be stuck wtih those results, either good or bad (usually bad).

> >

> > If you haven't done so already I urge you to visit our Files and Links for

lots of really

> great information about CF in general and treatments, etc.

> >

> > Good luck,

> > shawnee

> > First time posting...

> >

> > I have been reading over many of the previous posts and thought I'd like

to join in ...

> My

> > third child was born 9/24/05 with a right club foot and has been

sequentially casted

> since

> > he was 2 days old. He just had an achilles tenotomy on Dec 6th and is

currently in

the

> > cast for approx 4 weeks, then to another cast for ~3 more weeks before

moving to

the

> > AKFO.

> >

> > My husband also has a right club foot, but was never treated the way kids

are today.

> He's

> > fully functional and you'd never know he had a club foot unless you looked

closely. :-)

> >

> > I'm completely new to this process, and from what I have seen on the

boards, most

of

> the

> > kids here have bilateral clubs, so I'm not sure if the treatment post

tenotomy is the

> same

> > for unilateral vs bilateral?

> >

> > It's my understanding that our ortho in Arlington Heights, IL will be

putting our son

> into

> > an AKFO as soon as he's done with approx 7 weeks of casting post surgery

and he'll

be

> in

> > that orthotic 23/7 until he's walking, at which point I'm foggy on the

course of

> treatment.

> >

> > I noticed another poster is seeing Dr Lemke in Geneva--- Would love to

chat with

you

> > directly if you see this message! We live in Sugar Grove, but opted to

see Dr Marty in

> > Arlington Heights as he came highly recommended by a friend who's son was

treated

> for

> > bilateral foot issues (not club foot.)

> >

> > Anyway, I hope you all don't mind my jumping in and I apologize if I ask

questions

that

> > have been asked a thousand times before!! :-)

> >

> > Stacee

> >

December 11, 2005

Stacee,

If you are going to be talking to your current doctor tomorrow, you

might also want to ask him to describe the tenotomy that was

performed on your baby. There are different kinds. Since your son

is supposed to be in a cast for quite a few weeks post-op (more than

what is typical here at least), you might want to ask just exactly

what kind of surgery he had. Most kids here have had a percutaneous

tenotomy, which is a small puncture made with the scalpel that

requires no stitches to close the wound (done under local anesthesia

or general based on the doctor's preference and age of child).

There are other types of open-incision tenotomies, such as " z-

lengthening " , that are considered more invasive and require stitches

to close the incision. And some doctors " release " more than just

the Achilles tendon when they're working " in there " .

It would be good for you to know what kind of procedure your son

had. If he had an open-incision tenotomy, he could still benefit

from the Ponseti method (that is if more correction would be

required), but there may be some challenges due to excess scar

tissue to deal with.

As for your question about good results using other methods- yes,

there are a handful of families on the boards who have used the

French Physiotherapy method that have had good results, and families

using surgical correction that are happy with their results, but

just like the majority of us, they're not too far along into their

clubfoot journey. It's hard to find " adults " who are happy with

their results who are on the internet because they're typically not

seeking out a clubfoot board if clubfoot is not an issue in their

life. There is a support board for adults who are having issues

with their feet- but I don't think this is what you were asking

for. Dr. Ponseti has published his long-term results (follow up on

patients that he treated starting in 1948) and that info is pretty

readily available for you to read. There were no " long-term "

surgical studies available until recently. Dr. Dobbs just recently

got permission from a retired surgeon to study the results of his

surgically treated patients. He presented this at the clubfoot

symposium held in Iowa in October. If you go to

http://members.tripod.com/ponseti_links-ivil under the messageboard

posts heading (http://members.tripod.com/ponseti_links-

ivil/id5.html) there's a place to download Egbert's personal

notes about the symposium and Dr. Dobbs' presentation about the

study.

I hope this helps!!

Glad you're here!

Regards,

& (3-16-00, left clubfoot)

http://ponseticlubfoot.freeservers.com/

December 11, 2005

Absolutely Stacee - you gotta do your home work on both sides of the fence and

have all the facts before you can make an intellegent decision that YOU are

content with! You won't hear me bashing you on this one at all. Unfortunately,

I do not know where to send you for such information as my non-Ponseti story

isn't " happy. " Good luck to you though on your quest.

s.

First time posting...

> >

> > I have been reading over many of the previous posts and thought I'd like

to join in ...

> My

> > third child was born 9/24/05 with a right club foot and has been

sequentially casted

> since

> > he was 2 days old. He just had an achilles tenotomy on Dec 6th and is

currently in

the

> > cast for approx 4 weeks, then to another cast for ~3 more weeks before

moving to

the

> > AKFO.

> >

> > My husband also has a right club foot, but was never treated the way

kids are today.

> He's

> > fully functional and you'd never know he had a club foot unless you

looked

closely. :-)

> >

> > I'm completely new to this process, and from what I have seen on the

boards, most

of

> the

> > kids here have bilateral clubs, so I'm not sure if the treatment post

tenotomy is the

> same

> > for unilateral vs bilateral?

> >

> > It's my understanding that our ortho in Arlington Heights, IL will be

putting our son

> into

> > an AKFO as soon as he's done with approx 7 weeks of casting post surgery

and he'll

be

> in

> > that orthotic 23/7 until he's walking, at which point I'm foggy on the

course of

> treatment.

> >

> > I noticed another poster is seeing Dr Lemke in Geneva--- Would love to

chat with

you

> > directly if you see this message! We live in Sugar Grove, but opted to

see Dr Marty in

> > Arlington Heights as he came highly recommended by a friend who's son

was

treated

> for

> > bilateral foot issues (not club foot.)

> >

> > Anyway, I hope you all don't mind my jumping in and I apologize if I ask

questions

that

> > have been asked a thousand times before!! :-)

> >

> > Stacee

> >

December 11, 2005

I agree and good luck with your search. I need some help here with joining the

group. I lost the e-mail that was sent to me. Please can someone send it back to

me. It was the one about my profile and all the ?'s I had to answer. Thank you!

Bri

number23 wrote:

Absolutely Stacee - you gotta do your home work on both sides of the fence and

have all the facts before you can make an intellegent decision that YOU are

content with! You won't hear me bashing you on this one at all. Unfortunately,

I do not know where to send you for such information as my non-Ponseti story

isn't " happy. " Good luck to you though on your quest.

s.

First time posting...

> >

> > I have been reading over many of the previous posts and thought I'd like

to join in ...

> My

> > third child was born 9/24/05 with a right club foot and has been

sequentially casted

> since

> > he was 2 days old. He just had an achilles tenotomy on Dec 6th and is

currently in

the

> > cast for approx 4 weeks, then to another cast for ~3 more weeks before

moving to

the

> > AKFO.

> >

> > My husband also has a right club foot, but was never treated the way

kids are today.

> He's

> > fully functional and you'd never know he had a club foot unless you

looked

closely. :-)

> >

> > I'm completely new to this process, and from what I have seen on the

boards, most

of

> the

> > kids here have bilateral clubs, so I'm not sure if the treatment post

tenotomy is the

> same

> > for unilateral vs bilateral?

> >

> > It's my understanding that our ortho in Arlington Heights, IL will be

putting our son

> into

> > an AKFO as soon as he's done with approx 7 weeks of casting post surgery

and he'll

be

> in

> > that orthotic 23/7 until he's walking, at which point I'm foggy on the

course of

> treatment.

> >

> > I noticed another poster is seeing Dr Lemke in Geneva--- Would love to

chat with

you

> > directly if you see this message! We live in Sugar Grove, but opted to

see Dr Marty in

> > Arlington Heights as he came highly recommended by a friend who's son

was

treated

> for

> > bilateral foot issues (not club foot.)

> >

> > Anyway, I hope you all don't mind my jumping in and I apologize if I ask

questions

that

> > have been asked a thousand times before!! :-)

> >

> > Stacee

> >

December 12, 2005

I will definitely ask about the type of tenotomy. My son did need stitches, and

I remember

the doc coming out and telling us that while he was in there, he used a tool to

help

separate the heel from the bone above it, which he said would help facilitate

the heel

moving downward. He was put under general anesthesia, though from the sounds of

your

post, that doesn't necessarily mean anything special. Any idea what the verdict

would be

if my son had a more invasive release than the Ponseti method calls for? I'm

trying to

figure out if we're at a point where we need to start over fresh or if we can

just continue

on. I suppose we won't be able to answer that until we've spoken with both

docs, and

hopefully also received a response from Dr Ponseti himself.

Thanks again for the ongoing support and suggestions!! I will be back often,

I'm sure.

Stacee

>

> Stacee,

> If you are going to be talking to your current doctor tomorrow, you

> might also want to ask him to describe the tenotomy that was

> performed on your baby. There are different kinds. Since your son

> is supposed to be in a cast for quite a few weeks post-op (more than

> what is typical here at least), you might want to ask just exactly

> what kind of surgery he had. Most kids here have had a percutaneous

> tenotomy, which is a small puncture made with the scalpel that

> requires no stitches to close the wound (done under local anesthesia

> or general based on the doctor's preference and age of child).

> There are other types of open-incision tenotomies, such as " z-

> lengthening " , that are considered more invasive and require stitches

> to close the incision. And some doctors " release " more than just

> the Achilles tendon when they're working " in there " .

> It would be good for you to know what kind of procedure your son

> had. If he had an open-incision tenotomy, he could still benefit

> from the Ponseti method (that is if more correction would be

> required), but there may be some challenges due to excess scar

> tissue to deal with.

> As for your question about good results using other methods- yes,

> there are a handful of families on the boards who have used the

> French Physiotherapy method that have had good results, and families

> using surgical correction that are happy with their results, but

> just like the majority of us, they're not too far along into their

> clubfoot journey. It's hard to find " adults " who are happy with

> their results who are on the internet because they're typically not

> seeking out a clubfoot board if clubfoot is not an issue in their

> life. There is a support board for adults who are having issues

> with their feet- but I don't think this is what you were asking

> for. Dr. Ponseti has published his long-term results (follow up on

> patients that he treated starting in 1948) and that info is pretty

> readily available for you to read. There were no " long-term "

> surgical studies available until recently. Dr. Dobbs just recently

> got permission from a retired surgeon to study the results of his

> surgically treated patients. He presented this at the clubfoot

> symposium held in Iowa in October. If you go to

> http://members.tripod.com/ponseti_links-ivil under the messageboard

> posts heading (http://members.tripod.com/ponseti_links-

> ivil/id5.html) there's a place to download Egbert's personal

> notes about the symposium and Dr. Dobbs' presentation about the

> study.

> I hope this helps!!

> Glad you're here!

> Regards,

> & (3-16-00, left clubfoot)

> http://ponseticlubfoot.freeservers.com/

>

December 12, 2005

Stacee,

It sounds like some kind of posterior release was performed, not just

a tenotomy. I don't know what all of the ramifications might be. For

sure there would be scar tissue to contend with. You probably won't

be able to get a good " second opinion " with just pictures/email at

this point as a doctor would probably want to physically examine the

foot to give you decent feedback and to make decisions on what (if

anything) more would need to be done.

I don't know if Dr. Lemke has treated any patients who have previously

undergone surgery- you might want to ask her this. I know that your

son could still benefit from the Ponseti method, but the approach may

be altered now. You're not too far from Iowa City either and might

consider a trip there to see Dr. Ponseti as well!

Keep us posted!

& (3-16-00, left clubfoot)

December 12, 2005

I just got off the phone with Dr Lemke's office and the secretary said that Dr

Lemke would

want to physically examine my son's foot, which would mean removing the cast.

I'm not

sure what to do and would love to hear everyone's input and opinions on the

situation as it

sits now.

Would you let a different doc remove the cast to examine, only one week post

tenotomy,

or would you wait until the week between christmas and new year's (that's when

her next

appt is if we opt not to go Thursday)... or would you let anyone remove the

cast at all?!

We're not absolutely certain that Dr Lemke is who we will choose to continue

treatment...

We've also sent emails to Dr Ponseti, and two docs in Madison, WI, so any of

those 3 docs

could be in contention to finish treatment, ya know?! Not to mention the

current doc.

I'm in tears over this because I don't want to mess things up further, assuming

things are

messed up in the first place. My husband doesn't want to jump into any other

treatment

at all until he talks with our current doc, and is leery of everything in

general, so I'm really

having to convince him to take a chance and see someone else. I feel like I

screwed up to

begin with and now I'm stuck with my hands tied... no good solution (with little

to no risk)

at this time.

Stacee

>

> Stacee,

> It sounds like some kind of posterior release was performed, not just

> a tenotomy. I don't know what all of the ramifications might be. For

> sure there would be scar tissue to contend with. You probably won't

> be able to get a good " second opinion " with just pictures/email at

> this point as a doctor would probably want to physically examine the

> foot to give you decent feedback and to make decisions on what (if

> anything) more would need to be done.

> I don't know if Dr. Lemke has treated any patients who have previously

> undergone surgery- you might want to ask her this. I know that your

> son could still benefit from the Ponseti method, but the approach may

> be altered now. You're not too far from Iowa City either and might

> consider a trip there to see Dr. Ponseti as well!

> Keep us posted!

> & (3-16-00, left clubfoot)

>

December 12, 2005

That sounds creepy to me Stacee, using a tool? But don't let my ignorance freak

you out, it's just not something I have heard of and the visual image I had was

creepy.

s.

Re: First time posting...

I will definitely ask about the type of tenotomy. My son did need stitches,

and I remember

the doc coming out and telling us that while he was in there, he used a tool

to help

separate the heel from the bone above it, which he said would help facilitate

the heel

moving downward. He was put under general anesthesia, though from the sounds

of your

post, that doesn't necessarily mean anything special. Any idea what the

verdict would be