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[patientprivacy]

There is a patient who suffers from intense knee pain after nail exchange. Can you think of any possible cause, taking into account that this patient didn't experience that pain in similar circumstances before? Also, what would you recommend for those moments when a given patient is in intense pain, drugs don't do their work and there is nobody to rely on? I would recommend seeking support from fellow LLers in this forum, but the toxic vibes from some users here prevent me from doing so. Do you think the advantages of sharing your experiences here outweigh the possible disadvantages, including lack of privacy?

[Life]

Diaries are bad for privacy but PMs are OK especially when addressed to people sharing the same experience

[myloginacct]

Medical questions should be addressed by medical professionals.

If one or your current doctor isn't giving you a satisfying opinion, look for a second one. If the second one still doesn't satisfy or come closer to solving the question for you, look for a third one. Repeat as much as needed.

[myloginacct]

Also, what would you recommend for those moments when a given patient is in intense pain, drugs don't do their work and there is nobody to rely on?

If their current doctor isn't treating or being able to handle the situation properly, a lot of other LL doctors are available by e-mail and consultation.

[myloginacct]

Do you think the advantages of sharing your experiences here outweigh the possible disadvantages, including lack of privacy?

The main advantage from posting questions here is that LL vets can reply to them (though it seems they almost never do). No one other people in the world, including the doctors, have undergone CLL. As long as you don't settle for opinions posted in an online forum where no one is a trained orthopedic surgeon and medical professional, it could be an option to talk about it, as long as you keep looking for professionals' opinions.

[patientprivacy]

Medical professionals' opinion comes first, of course, but I'm trying to get information from veterans. You're right that veterans can provide   first-hand information no one else has, including doctors. If anybody knows anything about intense knee pain, please share. The patient will check the forum for replies. You can also PM me.

[Microbe]

-Did this patient undergo femur or tibia LL?
-When you say "nail exchange", is the patient having their nail exchanged for another nail on the same leg or having the nail removed?

My personal experience is that nail removal from femur had very intense acute pain from the removal and incision sites, more than the insertion itself. However the pain is settling down day by day, unlike the continous pain from lengthening.

But I have read some studies and doctors mention that permanent knee pain is an issue, especially with tibia nail insertion. It would make sense that any additional trauma such as nail exchange or removal could worsen the pain.

[Life]

Antegrade or retrograde approach?

[Life]

Antegrade or retrograde approach?

[patientprivacy]

Femoral retrograde approach. The lengthening nail was exchanged for a trauma nail.

[Android]

Even veterans have only experienced LL in their own specific set of circumstances, such as only doing external tibias. Not to mention many don't stick around.

For serious questions like this I think it's fine to ask the community, but I wouldn't decide on anything based on the answers. If the patient believes that the doctor is stumped or incompetent, get a second opinion from a local orthopedic doctor while also asking other LL doctors.


Edit: changed "clueless" to "stumped," as the latter better conveys that the doctor has exhausted his options. Didn't mean to imply that they were unknowledgeable.

[patientprivacy]

The doctor is quite experienced, but he hadn't found a similar case until now. Other patients who are in touch with many veterans reported that they aren't familiar with that kind of pain either. We wanted to know if someone here had experienced that type of pain and if it finally subsided and how, as the patient suffering from this is quite stressed. It would be a relief for them.