I’ve been waiting to publish about my complications but was holding off because I don’t know from where I should start. Finally, I decided to muster some patience and courage, and share the details with you.
Note that I did my best to be as factual, honest and unbiased as I can. You would notice some emotional elements here, which are purely subjective and indicative of only my personality and how my brain responded to these emotional hurdles, but not the competence of my doctor.
To make it convenient to read, I’ll write about each leg separately.
May 31stRight Leg: I went to hospital to get X-Rays. He (Doctor) said that the callus formation looks good, and I have to keep up with the exercises. He said that he’ll perform bow leg correction while lengthening the next cm, and asked me to come to the clinic the coming weekend to perform calculations.
Left Leg: Nothing specific.
June 5thRight Leg: I didn’t lengthen from May 31th till now. I was waiting for the next distraction sheet from the doctor.
I was given the bow leg correction program for the next 1 cm. So I’m supposed to complete bow leg correction and 1 cm lengthening in the next 20 days.
Note:
To generate the distraction sheet, the doctor would have to run the TSF software from his laptop. Whenever there is a need to correct deformities like Varus or alignment, he performs some calculations on the X-Rays and then inputs those values to the TSF software, which gives us the distraction sheet to correct the deformity.Left Leg: Nothing specific.
June 23rdRight Leg:For the next few days, I continued distraction as provided. I stared noticing a hump developing on my right leg, near the area where the tibia was broken. It looked like lower segment of the broken bone is protruding outside, under the skin. So I went to a local X-Ray center near my home and took an X-Ray to see what’s happening. I saw that the bone was right under the skin, protruding out of the skin. The bones are way off, unaligned and very bad. I got scared and called the doctor, and explained what I saw. He told me to come on empty stomach next day at 9:00 am, because he suspected that I might need another surgery to fix that.
Left Leg: I noticed that my left legs going from bow to knock. I wanted to tell him this during our next consultation.
June 24th Right Leg:I went the next day at 9:00 am to the hospital on empty stomach. He wasn’t there and I was waiting in the hallway in front of his cabin. I would’ve started later, had I known he wasn’t there. I called him couple of times to ask how long it’s going to take, he told me to wait as I don’t have anything else to do. He finally arrived at 1:00pm. He checked everything and said surgery wasn’t required. The rod that was placed in the right leg were locking the lower bone, which prevent it from any angular movement. So he removed one of the rods (without anesthesia, and it wasn’t that painful). He took a new set of X-Rays to perform re-correction. He asked me to come to clinic next Sunday, on 26th, to run the software and give the new distraction sheet.
Left Leg: I told him that my legs look knock. He said that he might have over corrected it, and told me not to worry. He said when I come next time, he’ll reverse some of the correction during the next lengthening, and bring it back to normal.
June 26thRight Leg:I went to the clinic and he performed calculations on the X-Rays and gave me new distraction sheet.
Left Leg: Nothing new on this leg, he asked me to continue with the earlier program. Once that is complete, he said he’ll give a second correction sheet to bring the legs back to normal.
July 10thRight Leg:I completed the program given on June 26th but the hump was still there. He took a new X-Ray, and said that this is a complex correction and would take multiple corrections. So he gave me a new distraction sheet that includes 5mm lengthening and correction of the hump for the next 10 days. I insisted to do correction later and complete lengthening first, because there is a risk of pre-consolidation as we’re lengthening the bone very slowly. He said that it’s not the right way to do, and told me not to worry too much and everything will be alright, and to trust him.
Left Leg: He took X-Rays and performed calculations again to fix my Knock Knees, on left leg. He gave me a new distraction that includes 5mm lengthening and correction of knock knees.
July 19th Right Leg:I completed the distraction program that was given during the last visit but the hump was still there. I went for the consultation. He took X-rays and said that the bone pre-consolidated in a malunion state in the right leg – both tibia and fibula. He said I would need a second surgery to re-break the tibia and fibula. I asked him if there is a way to avoid the surgery, and I’m okay to stop the lengthening. He said no, and that this is a malunion so the distraction program wouldn’t work as the bones are fused.
We planned for the surgery to be on July 25th. He gave me few blood tests to be performed prior to the surgery. I reminded him again that I have history of seizures and I should be given spinal anesthesia during the surgery, instead of general anesthesia. He said he remembers it, and we can double check on the surgery day.
Left Leg: He took new X-Rays and said that the left leg looks straight, and knock knees is fixed. He said that he’ll continue lengthening after the surgery on my right leg. He told me not to distract until then. I asked if we should continue lengthening left leg, and waiting any longer, there is a risk of consolidation. He said that we should treat both the legs together, and the callus formation in my left leg is not as vigorous as my right, and there is little chance of union.
I was however skeptical because the X-Ray showed equal callus formation as my right leg, and worried about consolidation.
July 25thRight Leg:I got admitted at around 9:00am for the surgery. I spoke to the anesthesia team prior the surgery about my situation that I got seizures before and that I need spinal anesthesia.
The surgery happened at around 3:00pm. I was so sick of waiting on the bed in the recovery room from 9:00am to 3:00pm on empty stomach. I felt so hungry and on top of that Dhawan’s team members used to come once in a while and try to pass on judgmental comments, or brainwash me.
When I was taken to the surgery room, a guy tried to inject me something and I told him to hold off until doctor arrives. I was worried that this guy might be trying to knock me off with general anesthesia. However, he didn’t listen to me. He spoke to me a while ago while I was in the recovery room, and was furious that I got this surgery to increase height. He told me to be quiet and they know what they’re doing, and that he spoke to the anesthetist and will be proceeding accordingly. While this is happening, the doctor walked into the room. I told him to fixate the shattered bone as well, because it can slow down my recovery. He said he’ll see and ……… I got knocked off. When I woke up, I was in the recovery room again. It was around 6 pm. The surgery was over. I got so pissed that I was given general anesthesia, in spite of telling them repeatedly. I could’ve died there, if something had gone wrong.
After about an hour, the doctor arrived. He said that the surgery went fine. He said that he didn’t carry his laptop with him, so asked me to come to the hospital the next day to take new set of X-Rays to calculate for distraction sheet. I asked him why General anesthesia was given, and he said there is a slight miscommunication and that it’s no big deal because nothing happened. I asked him if he fixed the shattered piece of tibia, he said no and it’s not necessary. He said that the bone will remodel itself and I shouldn’t be worried about it. I said I agree but it’ll delay my consolidation period, but he disagreed. I was very pissed for multitude of reasons, and I have to come next day again in spite of the pain and trauma I went through today.
Left Leg: It’s been 6 days since I didn’t lengthen this leg. I was worried about pre-consolidation. I knew that if I turn all the distractors by 1mm, it equates to 1 mm lengthening without changing the alignment or angle. Moreover, I only had to do lengthening on this leg, as correction is already done. So I decided to lengthen this myself at 1mm per day, without waiting for him to run the software. The distractors were becoming very tight as I turn, which was an indication that the bones are starting to fuse. By this time, I only did 4.5 cm, so I knew it wasn’t my muscles stiffness. So I decided to lengthen this by 5mm by the time he completes surgery in right leg and gives me a new distraction sheet.
July 26thRight Leg:I went to the hospital. It was raining like hell, and it was very difficult for me to get out of the car and go inside the hospital. I just had the surgery yesterday and wounds are still fresh with stiches on. So I was worried about rain water getting onto the wounds and causing infection. I got lucky and somehow managed to get onto the wheelchair without wetting myself, and went into the hospital.
The doctor asked me to get new X-Rays which took about an hour. Then my wounds were cleaned and dressing was changed. Then the doctor said that he doesn’t have he forgot again to being his laptop, and asked me to come to the clinic tomorrow with those new X-Rays, to perform calculation again.
I said I don’t want to travel again tomorrow, because I had surgery yesterday and I’m in lot of pain and I’ve been travelling for the last two days back and forth to the hospital. I said I’ll come to the clinic tonight itself, and requested him to take some time out for me considering the situation I’m in. He agreed. I then waited in the hospital, sitting in the wheelchair near the corridor as people stare at me, for 3 hours and then took a cab to the clinic.
My house is in the middle of hospital and clinic. It takes an hour for me to go to the hospital, 30 mins when there is less traffic. So it took 2 hours to go from hospital to clinic. It was night 9pm by the time I reached clinic. The doctor ran the calculations and gave me a new distraction sheet for 14 days to fix he hump and lengthen by 7mm. I was out of the clinic by 10 pm.
Left Leg: When I met him at 9:00pm at his clinic, I told him that I continued lengthening without his sheet. He said not to do that again, and I shouldn’t take my own decisions. I said it’s just lengthening, and there is no need for the sheet as we know that turning all the struts by 1mm equates to 1mm lengthening. He said it’s alright, but not to do it again. He gave me a new distraction sheet for 1cm.
So I left the clinic. I was in a wheelchair, and my helper accompanied me. The clinic is situated in a dark roadway, and the network signal is usually very weak there, and cabs have hard time getting into this roadway (even with GPS) because it’s a very narrow way. So I had to go on wheelchair from the clinic to the main road, which is about 200 meters, and there we so many mosquitoes biting all over me. I couldn’t kill them by slapping against the skin because of the frames. I felt miserable. On top of that, there were street dogs all over that narrow roadway and some them were growling at us. My wounds were fresh, and I knew they could smell blood. Some dogs tried to come closer at the smell of blood, but my helper chased them away. I had a scary and emotional breakdown moment then, and almost had tears in my eyes. I felt like what the hell did I put myself in, and wished things to get better soon and my final height better be worth all the torture I had gone through.
August 7thRight Leg:So I went home and followed the distraction program that was given to me on July 26th, completed it and for consultation on August 7th.The hump was still there.
He took a new X-Ray and saw that the bone was still protruding out. He said that I need another correction to fix the hump, so he performed calculations again on the X-Ray, ran the TSF software, and gave me a new distraction sheet.
After I went home, I was worried whether the hump would be fixed or not. So I wanted to take opinion of another doctor. I emailed Dr. Parihar if he would be willing to do a Skype video consultation. He replied in couple of days that he’s okay with a skype call, but wanted to check my reports and X-Rays first. He said if he still couldn’t figure out by the reports the let’s do a Skype call. So I sent him my X-Rays and reports.
Left Leg: I completed lengthening 5.5 cm, and I told him that I’ll stop. Even though the bone gap shows 5.5 cm, If I calculate the entire tibia length and compare it against my original bone length, I found that the actual height achieved is only 5cm. I was however so pissed off at the way things are going with my right leg, and I don’t want to risk another surgery. Also, I started to develop ballerina in my left leg, so I decided to stop lengthening.
I told him to take a full length X-Ray and ensure that Bowness is completely fixed in my left leg, just a final check as lengthening is complete and I wouldn’t turn the distractors anymore. He took an X-Ray and said that it all looks good. However, when I look at my legs when still look curvy. I wasn’t convinced with his reply and asked him multiple times to double check, but he said it all looks good and I can rest the bone for consolidation.
August 24thRight Leg:By the time Parihar reviewed my reports and responded back, I noticed that the hump was receding (Finally!!). So I replied the same to Parihar, and requested him to give me couple of weeks and I would contact him I the issue still persists.
By August 24th, the distraction program was complete and the hump was almost gone. When I went for consultation, the doctor said that the hump is gone and bones are also aligned. He also said that the little hump I see is a trough caused by weak skin (weak because it was cut twice at the same place), and it will disappear in few more days.
He gave me a new distraction sheet for just lengthening.
Left Leg: Nothing specific.
Sept 6thRight Leg:I completed the distraction and went for consultation on September 6th. He took a new full length X-Ray to check for bow leg and leg length. He said that the right leg is smaller by 8mm, and would need further distraction. He gave me a new distraction sheet for 10days, for 8mm.
Left Leg: When he took the full length X-Ray and checked for Bowness, he said that I need further correction on my left leg. I said – I asked you multiple times 1 month ago and you said everything was fine. What changed now? He said that he would have to look at both the legs together to verify that, and that I need just a bit more correction on my left leg. I said I was worried that the bones are already fused, as it’s been a month. He said that it won’t be fused that told me not to worry too much. (I get pissed when someone tells me that. Of course I’m worried, these are my legs and my life on the line). He’s taken X-Ray of my left leg again, performed calculations and given me a distraction sheet for couple of days to correct bow leg.
September 18thRight Leg:I completed the distraction program that was given to me on Sept 6th, and went for the consultation to the clinic on September 18th.
He took full length X-Ray and said that the bow leg correction is complete and both the legs look good, and are of equal length. The left leg was shorter by 2 mm, but he said it’s not a big deal and ignore it.
Left Leg: My left leg was still looking curvy, so I wasn’t convinced that the bow leg was fixed. So I visited couple of other orthopedic doctors to confirm it. They both have confirmed that I don’t have bow leg, and that my bones have a natural curvature which gives it that curvy look.
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Topic: Bilateral Tibia Lengthening and Varus correction with TSF (Read 40319 times)