Last post Tue, Aug 19 2008 10:20 PM by eltigra306. 53 replies.
HI every one. I am hoping that all of you out there that have gone through severe lower extremety fractures will be able to help me out. I am looking for as much info as posible related to the choice of having my left ankle fused or a below the knee amputaion. I have about 3 weeks before I get a cat scan to determin how bad or if there is any hind foot damage. After that comes the desision of weather or not to have one or the other done. So far I feel very aprehensive to have a fusion done based on some of what I have herd about it. But I am very interested in the below knee amputation to be able to get back to what I have enjoyed in the past. such as running, hicking, Hunting as well as normal life with out PAIN...
So if you have a thought either way please let me know about your experiances to help me give the best knowledge to make the best desision for my situation.
Understand where your coming from only mine is with the knee's. I've had 11 knee surgeries and was told nothing more could be done should they come apart again except to have my knee fused or have an amputation. I do not like the idea of having my leg fused at all and also think that I would be better off without the leg from the knee down. Of course someone with an amputation may disagree. Question I have is, have you checked with your insurance co., I would be afraid that they may conceder the amputation as elective, you know how they get, you may want to start there. What I can do for you is to pray for you and ask that he helps you make what is sure to be a hard decision. Just as an FYI I have left instructions with my doctor should I be in accident or something where I may not be able to make the decision that he is to remove the leg / legs, don't want my wife or kids to have to make that call.
I'll be thinking of you.
Ric
Thank you for your input. Due to the fact that this was a on the job accident I am under the care of the workers compinsation board, and that I am in Canada we have universal health care. I don't have to worry about an insurance companies concerns.
I have also told my wife that if something were to happen to me and the left leg again that I want to wait to see my surgeon before anything is done, so that my leg could be amputated. As for your prayers I really aprieciate it, As that is what I have asked for today in Church. Good luck with your situation and I will remember you as well.
I have pretty much been in the same situation. In 2003 my ladder whas knocked over with me on it and after initially breaking my ankle on the way down, I landed on it and shattered it. After the first surgery it all fell apart 8 months later. Had to have new hardware. This lasted a year then I needed to have a fusion or amputation. I chose the fusion. The fusion turned out to be the most painful, it caused the rest of the joints to wear out because of the extra abuse they recieve as they try to compensate for the ankle. I lasted 2 and 1/2 years and finally had a BKA in november. I know that every amputation is different and so are peoples recovery, but for me it was the best thing. After the fusion I couldnt do almost anything that I liked before. No hiking, or anything that involved un-level ground. The fusion was very limiting to me. I have also met others that didnt have any of those problems that are doing great. For me though the fusion was just a waste of a couple years of my life. 5 months out of the amputation I am almost as good as I was before the accident in 2003. Cant run yet but I am working on it. The best part is that I am doing all the things that you want to do except run. No pain. Ill be honest, the rocovery sucks big! Alot of ups and downs. I thought I would get it cut off, get a prosthetic and be 100 percent but it takes time. when I started walking again it was like only 3 or 4 feet and I was done. All in all I was on my feet doing household chores within 2 months and every day gets better. Even now, I can do way more, Im on my feet for 16 hours a day but I am still healing. I cant wait to see what happens 5 more months from now.
I guess the disclaimer is, talk to 10 different amputees and you get 10 different answers. I wouldnt change a thing but my results may not be typical. I just wish that I would have had it done sooner. I was 23 when I got hurt and lost all that time I could have been enjoying life. Im 27, a bka, and getting those years back.
Good luck on your descision and if you need to know more detail just ask. I will help in any way that I can. I understand what the pain is like. I too will keep you in my prayers.
Thank you so much Hoppy. My wife calls me limpy. Any way that is exactly the kind of thing that I was looking for. I have 3 weeks before my next apointment and I need more info just like that good or bad. I am so glad that I found this sight. My surgeon e-mailed me back after giving him my conserns, and basiclly his comments said that either way I go its my desision and that my case is a hard one because fusion is an iffy thing and amputation is for good. I was hoping to have something done to hold off till replacements are up to the level that they should be. But he say's that that is about 20 years away. I am not going to wait that long.
Thanks again and keep wrighting every one with this situation.
Well, I fell at work and broke my heel, developed a bone infection, had 20+ surgeries where they took my stomach muscle, veins and arteries from my arm, bone from my hip, skin grafts... on and on, and shoved em in my foot. My toes ended up haveing to be fused because they curled. My heel ended up with a non union fracture so it was basically broken forever. I lived this way for about seven years. My back started hurting constantly because of the limp. One day I had had enough and went to my docter and demanded he cut the piece of junk off. I was walking on a new foot as soon as the insision healed up.
Three months later a played softball for a season, my first hit was a homerun. Three months later I tryed out for an able bodied adult baseball team. I was drafted by the best team in the league and went on to play in national tournaments and was a mulitple all star team selection. None of this I could have done with my crappy old foot. My back pain went away and I was pain free for the first time in years. All I wish now is that I just would have undergone the amputaion right away and saved my self the missery of those years with the bad foot. They can do amazing things with prosthetics, and people are blown away when they find out I'm an amputee.
Another good thing about your situtation is that in these type of cirmumstance you will get the best residual limb possible, unlike say an accident that takes the leg off at a certain point. The doctors know exactly how to shape the bone and muscles to give the best results with a prosthesis.
Let us know if you have anymore questions, I think we'd all be happy to answer any of them.
did you ever regret or get depressed about the fact that your leg was gone? Regardless of the pain.
Thank you.
All of this info has been great and I need more. I forgot to ask about phanton pain or phantom limbs. Is this a problem that I should expect to deal with as well? One elderly lady I talked to that got it done, said that her surgeon (Witch is also mine.) had her on a high dose pain med to help in the? Elimination/ management of the phantom issues? She said she never had any. I have also read that it is only a temperary thing if it does occur at all.
Once again thatnk you for all your help everyone.!!!!! Eltigra
Hi Eltigra,
After loads of problems with my right knee and various surgeries it was put to me the next option was knee fusion or above knee amputation. I opted for the fusion, this was last November and it has made life even more difficult and I am due to have an above knee amputation in the next few weeks. Obviously I am getting rather nervous now as my other leg has lost a lot of muscle so will mainly be in a wheelchair, thing now is I have to use a wheelchair outside but my fused leg sticks out. Good luck with whatever you decide, my surgeon thinks my decision of amputation is a very positive way forward. Love to all. Jill (Peggy2512)
i have never had phantom pains in the ten years I have been an amp but it does leave you with a very strange sensation which I am really only aware of when I think of it, I can still wriggle my toes and feel my foot but luckily it never itches or hurts. I do however know people who do get very bad phantom pains which are really not nice at all. I don't know what advice to give you but whatever you do decide I really hope it all works out for you.
I am pretty much decided that from all I have heard, I will be getting the leg amputated. But I will make the final in 3 weeks once I get the cat scan. I have not heard any thing good about fusion yet. Is there anyone out there that has had a good experiance with fusion? any one at all ? My surgeon said that he has had patience that are very happy with fusion. But I like I said have not talked to/read about any one that is happy with it.
What happened to all the advise I was getting?? I need morer of it .....
