please help..Ankle Fusion, Fibula Misalignment, concerns, recommendations..??
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Hi there, thank you so much for giving up your time to read my post, if you have any kind of response please feel free to do so, I'd highly appreciate it!!
My name is Ivonn, I am 20 y/o. I had leg surgery done on my fibula and ankle the morning after the car accident I was involved in January 2016. I now have 6 screws and 1 plate and been having complications ever since.. On Febuary (second time going in for a check up) they told me things are actually not looking quite right. My foot wasn't in a proper position in my cast so they had me switch to a Cam Walker Boot to get it adjusted to a 90 degree angle but not allowed to walk with it until later on around March. They had me take x-rays and saw that my fibula is healing but my ankle wasn't. The doc that was checking up on my leg said "lets have some x rays done and see if there's any sign of healing next time" and that's how he had me up until May. On May 2016 I went for a CT scan which showed NO HEALING & MISALIGNMENT. He said I need to get surgery done again so I had to go back with my Primary Doctor to get referred to an Orthopaedic Surgeon. Once I met with the surgeon he said I have Arthritis now and I need to go see a Foot & Ankle Specialist instead. I went back to my Primary Doctor, got referred again, turns out where I got referred to wasn't the correct specialist so I had to go back again & wait, then finally OCTOBER 31, 2016 I finally met with the correct foot & ankle specialist. What my specialist said left me speechless.... he said he doesn't know why they made me go through such a long process because with the results that are shown on my CT scan I should've recieved surgery that same week that I got my scan done and no one should ever be in a boot for 8 months long.
He took x rays and said my fibula is not in the right place (it's more foward than the place it should be), my fibula is also short and not the right length as it should, my ankle is nonunion (never closed/healed),he also said for being in the boot for so long I lost movement and my foot is VERY stiff. Specialist also said my arthritis is developing very quick..He said what he can do is perform surgery on me but I have two options..
MASSIVE SURGERY can be done but there's only a 5% chance that my movement from the foot would be saved and this surgery would have to undo everything that's been done. He would have to re-break my fibula, push it back to the place it should be aligned at, get a piece of bone from somewhere else (pointing around the knee) put it on the fibula to get it to the length it should, then redo the plate & screw from my ankle. But the problem with this surgery is that there's only a 5% chance my movement will be saved, healing will take much longer, risk of infection, nerve damage, etc., and if it does become a success my specialist is sure I will still need an ANKLE FUSION done in the future.
the other option he gave me is an ANKLE FUSION. He said he would recommend I get the ankle fusion done because it'd be the fastest way to get me back on my feet & if I'm going to need it in the future why not just get it now and avoid going through the massive surgery with the risks involved..
I was left so shocked & worried I didn't know what to do..I was left froze I couldn't think of any questions at that very moment because of how shocked I was:-(.He gave me 2wks to think about what I want to do. I'm very confused becaused what if that 5% chance of saving my movement actually does become a success?! Also I have a question.. if I were to just get the Ankle Fusion now doesn't that also come with the same risks of infection, nerve damage, etc?? as well as with the massive surgery process? or am I incorrect??
I seen some stories where people had Ankle Fusion & still needed another type of surgery later ?
I know I'm not a teenager anymore but I'm barely going to start my 20's I still want to go to the gym, go hiking, be active, dance, and do things I like to do. & if I get ankle fusion I won't be able to do any of that ...but if it was to come to that I know I'd just have to accept the new lifestyle I'd have and learn to adjust..
Please if anyone can be kind enough to give me a reply I would really appreciate it!!! What would you recommend?? any advice? experience? any 1 going through the same thing or have ankle fusion already? I'd like to know how your experience is going.. please & thank you !
much love,
Ivonn.
1 like, 16 replies
mohamed33904 ivonn89
Posted
I wish you tell us you became better and got well.