Limb Lengthening Forum
Limb Lengthening Surgery => Limb Lengthening Discussions => Topic started by: overandover on July 12, 2021, 08:20:50 PM
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Planning for 6cm in femurs this year. I wanted to do tibia but then decided to do femurs first. What is a realistic timeline for recovery i.e ability to walk unaided.
I read some diaries for 7.5 cm and I think it took close to 9 months for unaided walking. Is it 1 month per cm + lengthening phase?
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Parihar says 1-2 months per cm. So conservatively 12 months.
Best case might be 4 months but you would probably be anxious about pre-consolidation throughout.
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Parihar says 1-2 months per cm. So conservatively 12 months.
Best case might be 4 months but you would probably be anxious about pre-consolidation throughout.
What is need is average case.
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Most precise patients do 1mm per day for femurs. That’s 2 months for lengthening. Consolidation is variable but often equal to amount of time lengthened. So say 2-3 months. So 4-5 months until you are at the bare minimum walking unaided. Not that it will be perfect gait, that could be many months later.
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I did exactly 6 CM on femurs with Precise 2:
.I was on a walker from 3 days post-op and never used a wheelchair again
. I finished lengthening in about 10 weeks.
. The day after finishing lengthening I was driving, going to work/gym on my own, just using a walker to weight-bear.
. I graduated to one crutch at around the 4-month mark
. I was full weight bearing with a minor limp at 5 months.
. At 6 months I drove solo cross country across the US and then back across with a friend.
. By 8 months I was still a little stiff, but had no noticeable limp and was walking long distances and even hiking in national parks.
My advice, if you are going to do femurs, try for 8 CM.
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Also, based on the people who lengthened with me, those who did 8 CM with precise were all full weight-bearing and functioning well by 6 months post-op. Remember it may take one month per CM to fully heal, but your bones don't have to be fully healed to WB, you just need them to have a solid bridge.
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Also, based on the people who lengthened with me, those who did 8 CM with precise were all full weight-bearing and functioning well by 6 months post-op. Remember it may take one month per CM to fully heal, but your bones don't have to be fully healed to WB, you just need them to have a solid bridge.
Have you ever considered rebreaking for the remaining 2cm? Dr Debiparshad said he sometimes gets patients who regret not maxing out the nail and he rebreaks if the nails are still functioning. Costs very little and you’d be only out of commission 2-3 months again
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Have you ever considered rebreaking for the remaining 2cm? Dr Debiparshad said he sometimes gets patients who regret not maxing out the nail and he rebreaks if the nails are still functioning. Costs very little and you’d be only out of commission 2-3 months again
Lol, ask Dr. D. about the guy who came to him and tried to do that after many years, and insisted that he try to retract them first to test if they still work. Spoiler: They didn't :)
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Lol, ask Dr. D. about the guy who came to him and tried to do that after many years, and insisted that he try to retract them first to test if they still work. Spoiler: They didn't :)
Yeah he mentioned something about that but iirc they were in there for a decade. I’m sure 2-3 years later (dunno how long ago yours was) they’ll still work!
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Yeah he mentioned something about that but iirc they were in there for a decade. I’m sure 2-3 years later (dunno how long ago yours was) they’ll still work!
Ya they were in for about 6.5 years.
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I did exactly 6 CM on femurs with Precise 2:
.I was on a walker from 3 days post-op and never used a wheelchair again
. I finished lengthening in about 10 weeks.
. The day after finishing lengthening I was driving, going to work/gym on my own, just using a walker to weight-bear.
. I graduated to one crutch at around the 4-month mark
. I was full weight bearing with a minor limp at 5 months.
. At 6 months I drove solo cross country across the US and then back across with a friend.
. By 8 months I was still a little stiff, but had no noticeable limp and was walking long distances and even hiking in national parks.
My advice, if you are going to do femurs, try for 8 CM.
My visa will get invalidated if I stay out of my country for more than a certain period so can't risk 8 cm.
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My visa will get invalidated if I stay out of my country for more than a certain period so can't risk 8 cm.
Many surgeons will let you fly home before lengthening finished. Dr Debiparshad usually wants Precise 2.2 patients to stay nearby for example but changed that recently and allowed me to fly home after 2 weeks as long as I visit every 4 weeks after for two visits and send regular X Rays
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Many surgeons will let you fly home before lengthening finished. Dr Debiparshad usually wants Precise 2.2 patients to stay nearby for example but changed that recently and allowed me to fly home after 2 weeks as long as I visit every 4 weeks after for two visits and send regular X Rays
It's not home. I live here alone and it'll be impossible to live if I live here alone without the ability to walk.
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I did exactly 6 CM on femurs with Precise 2:
.I was on a walker from 3 days post-op and never used a wheelchair again
. I finished lengthening in about 10 weeks.
. The day after finishing lengthening I was driving, going to work/gym on my own, just using a walker to weight-bear.
. I graduated to one crutch at around the 4-month mark
. I was full weight bearing with a minor limp at 5 months.
. At 6 months I drove solo cross country across the US and then back across with a friend.
. By 8 months I was still a little stiff, but had no noticeable limp and was walking long distances and even hiking in national parks.
My advice, if you are going to do femurs, try for 8 CM.
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Were you able to take care of yourself without any caretake or helper after returning back home?
I am staying alone...this worries me alot
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@leoth2: I lived with friends in Florida for the 10 weeks it took to lengthen. I had a ton of help from them as well as my Dad. I also moved back home for the 6 weeks it took me to fully WB when I got back to California, by that point though, I was pretty self sufficient, even on the walker/crutches.
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May I ask why you changed your mind about doing tibias?
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May I ask why you changed your mind about doing tibias?
I think femurs are more comfortable and quick compared to tibia. Also, I've heard that femurs heal faster. It's 3x expensive but I saved enough money so I can afford it now.
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I did exactly 6 CM on femurs with Precise 2:
.I was on a walker from 3 days post-op and never used a wheelchair again
. I finished lengthening in about 10 weeks.
. The day after finishing lengthening I was driving, going to work/gym on my own, just using a walker to weight-bear.
. I graduated to one crutch at around the 4-month mark
. I was full weight bearing with a minor limp at 5 months.
. At 6 months I drove solo cross country across the US and then back across with a friend.
. By 8 months I was still a little stiff, but had no noticeable limp and was walking long distances and even hiking in national parks.
My advice, if you are going to do femurs, try for 8 CM.
Did your stiffness at 8 months ever go away (and at what point) or do you still live with it?
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Several things
1) Even with Precise, you will be mobile with a walker. Thus you can finish lengthening back in your home country no problem.
2) Stiffness and most other post-lengthening symptoms mostly presist in people who are "lazy" with their stretching and strength training.
3) overandover is very accurate in his description. 10 weeks to lengthen 6cm, and then another 10 weeks of strength training / consolidation before you're fully mobile on precise.
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The question also is when will Precice be back lol
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Did your stiffness at 8 months ever go away (and at what point) or do you still live with it?
Stiffness has for the most part gone away, still have a little discomfort in my left hip.
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I think femurs are more comfortable and quick compared to tibia. Also, I've heard that femurs heal faster. It's 3x expensive but I saved enough money so I can afford it now.
I see, those are valid reasons I have been contemplating over aswell. However, my Tibia/Femur proportions would be closer to the ideal if I lenghten my tibias... Also Its cheaper and I 'm even able to afford it right now in Turkey. However, what I'm most afraid of is the damage and risk of permament knee pain :(