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Author Topic: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019  (Read 50409 times)

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Kenda

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Re: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019
« Reply #186 on: July 03, 2019, 11:48:10 AM »

I had talked to Dr. Giotikas.

He gave me a few options.

I can shorten for 3-4 mm. BUT I'd rather not do that. Because the more length, the more worth this surgery is. I don't want to have waited for a year for only 4,3cm or sth.

Or I can do LATN.

OR I can wait. Probably 4 months +

I get testosterone from my doctor for medical reasons. Dr. Giotikas told me to ask my doctor if the dosage can be increased by a bit since testosterone seems to have a good impact on bone growth.

Sorry i forgot ur diary, so basically you lengthened 5cm tibia right?
And total time in frames will be how much if u dont do latn, 1 year?
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Nestor

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Re: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019
« Reply #187 on: July 20, 2019, 11:08:52 AM »

Hi Great321, I've been following your diary, how is your recovery going? Haven't seen any new posts from you in a while, hope you're doing okay
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TemakiSushi

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Re: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019
« Reply #188 on: July 22, 2019, 12:38:00 AM »

I had talked to Dr. Giotikas.

He gave me a few options.

I can shorten for 3-4 mm. BUT I'd rather not do that. Because the more length, the more worth this surgery is. I don't want to have waited for a year for only 4,3cm or sth.

Or I can do LATN.

OR I can wait. Probably 4 months +

I get testosterone from my doctor for medical reasons. Dr. Giotikas told me to ask my doctor if the dosage can be increased by a bit since testosterone seems to have a good impact on bone growth.

How about BMACS?
This bone marrow treatment works great for delayed consolidation in Korea
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Plan to have Stryde TIBIAS surgery with Donghoon
Welcome any NEGATIVE information of Donghoon
Any doctor with more than 5% complication rate is NOT acceptable

Heightmare

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Re: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019
« Reply #189 on: July 22, 2019, 09:39:03 AM »

One thing guys is a lack of consolidation due to the patient's own regenerative abilities or is it due to poor post op treatment?
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cheekycabs

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Re: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019
« Reply #190 on: July 22, 2019, 10:00:25 AM »

One thing guys is a lack of consolidation due to the patient's own regenerative abilities or is it due to poor post op treatment?

Diet and physio I feel play a greater role. And I am almost certain more than 50% don't treat it seriously.
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External Tib Ilizarov, Azerbaijan: http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=9418.0
Drugs, preparation, training: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1V2bNA_OsVwqR5Qp6fAWH7VFN6DaZPJ8YroUELsIy28k/edit

1 year post can run slowly, walking/gym everyday. Issues are zero, ankle tight waking up.

sylar94

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Re: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019
« Reply #191 on: July 26, 2019, 02:22:31 PM »

Great321, how is your consolidation?
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cheekycabs

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Re: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019
« Reply #192 on: August 10, 2019, 08:35:44 PM »

update?
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External Tib Ilizarov, Azerbaijan: http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=9418.0
Drugs, preparation, training: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1V2bNA_OsVwqR5Qp6fAWH7VFN6DaZPJ8YroUELsIy28k/edit

1 year post can run slowly, walking/gym everyday. Issues are zero, ankle tight waking up.

Nestor

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Re: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019
« Reply #193 on: August 18, 2019, 09:33:31 AM »

Still no reply from Great? Bit concerning he hasn't got back, hope he's doing okay
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Great321

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Re: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019
« Reply #194 on: August 18, 2019, 12:27:38 PM »

waiting for the next X-rays appointment next week, my expectations aren't high. I just hope that my bones will be consolidated by April next year so that I can start studying :-\
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Kenda

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Re: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019
« Reply #195 on: August 18, 2019, 12:36:16 PM »

waiting for the next X-rays appointment next week, my expectations aren't high. I just hope that my bones will be consolidated by April next year so that I can start studying :-\

So you wont be doing Stryde Femurs?
ALSO, Please tell us some honest words about dr giotikas, is he good or still not that experienced?
PT : you went to thesus center or something else?
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Great321

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Re: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019
« Reply #196 on: August 18, 2019, 01:05:14 PM »

Maybe in a few years. I have already said everything about him what I think. It hasn't changed. Also I have no knowledge about the whole medical part so I don't know if he could have handled sth better. Yes, thesus. 3-4 times a week. With the german PT who was very strict and later also on certain days with others.
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cheekycabs

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Re: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019
« Reply #197 on: August 18, 2019, 03:29:23 PM »

Maybe in a few years. I have already said everything about him what I think. It hasn't changed. Also I have no knowledge about the whole medical part so I don't know if he could have handled sth better. Yes, thesus. 3-4 times a week. With the german PT who was very strict and later also on certain days with others.

Mind if I ask what has changed in your PT regimen? Before you had just said you weren't doing well with PT, only walking and stretching. What kind of stuff are you doing with your German PT?

I'm rooting for your consolidation bro. Actually want to see your next X-rays. Did you try anything new with diet or anything else?
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External Tib Ilizarov, Azerbaijan: http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=9418.0
Drugs, preparation, training: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1V2bNA_OsVwqR5Qp6fAWH7VFN6DaZPJ8YroUELsIy28k/edit

1 year post can run slowly, walking/gym everyday. Issues are zero, ankle tight waking up.

Great321

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Re: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019
« Reply #198 on: August 18, 2019, 03:50:51 PM »

Mind if I ask what has changed in your PT regimen? Before you had just said you weren't doing well with PT, only walking and stretching. What kind of stuff are you doing with your German PT?

I'm rooting for your consolidation bro. Actually want to see your next X-rays. Did you try anything new with diet or anything else?

Yes I used to have PT in Athens with the German PT and so on. Now I'm not. I only stretch my Achilles Tendon and walk.
I will be able to explain why I stopped doing other PT exercises once the frames are off.

I did change my diet. I eat fruits and vegetables everyday and bought more supplements. Thanks for your support. I'll post the X-rays next week. I don't think that much has changed honestly. My body is so weird. But I don't want to shorten anything..

Maybe I could have lengthened slowly aswell but no one told me. And I shouldn't have stopped lengthening in the very beginning and lengthen months later again. Let's see.
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cheekycabs

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Re: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019
« Reply #199 on: August 19, 2019, 12:29:11 AM »

Hey we both have had fkups and complications, don't worry we are only going forward the best we can. I'm sure even my surgery would be considered a long recovery after almost a year after the surgery. One thing I feel like I should suggest however, is your body will really thank you if you try to do some PT now. My leg with the removed apparatus really is incredible, from range of motion, to balance, to strength. And I can't help but think the flexibility training and balance training I was doing only helped. I won't really know until the other frame is off but the leg feels as strong as ever. I'm sure you have your reasons for stopping PT, but even working out my toes by grabbing a piece of paper constantly with it has made my nerves heal amazingly, with no weird nerve jitters or imbalance.
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External Tib Ilizarov, Azerbaijan: http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=9418.0
Drugs, preparation, training: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1V2bNA_OsVwqR5Qp6fAWH7VFN6DaZPJ8YroUELsIy28k/edit

1 year post can run slowly, walking/gym everyday. Issues are zero, ankle tight waking up.

Great321

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Re: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019
« Reply #200 on: August 22, 2019, 02:33:49 PM »

@cheekycabs that sounds great! You're very lucky that you can leave both of your frames behind.

For me it doesn't look very good again. On the left side of the pictures you see the X-ray of today and on the right side you see the X-ray of two months ago.

Right Front:  https://i.imgur.com/ne7z2mj.png

Left Front: https://i.imgur.com/CzDEcNg.png

Left Side: https://i.imgur.com/HQ0dDMF.png

Right Side:
https://i.imgur.com/U30Tnnq.png

Do you see any difference? I wonder why the bone on the "left side"-picture isn't growing inside the gap but rather outside...

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daikioni

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Re: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019
« Reply #201 on: August 22, 2019, 03:39:14 PM »

hi great what did giotikas said to you about the xrays? and what he advise you to do?
« Last Edit: August 22, 2019, 04:23:49 PM by daikioni »
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Great321

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Re: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019
« Reply #202 on: August 24, 2019, 05:25:07 PM »

I just had a talk with Dr. Giotikas.

He gave me several options.

1. To do nothing (not really serious)
2. To shorten 2-4mm (To stimuli bone growth)
3. I don't remember the whole name. But it was about injecting my plasma into the callous to stimuli bone growth. (1000€)
4. To do LATN (6.000€) -> removing the frames and replacing them with the nails (which can also enhance bone growth)

I had also asked him if he can remove one pin of my right knee because that pin had caused pain over the last months. That pain made it impossible for me to put my whole weight on my right leg. Without that pin I could walk more and better which would improve my bone growth. He said he can do it.

But ultimately I have now decided to do LATN instead of all the other options. I don't want to shorten. And I don't want to spend money on trying other options if it could be for nothing. And in the end I might have to do LATN either way.

I told him that I'm afraid of permanent knee pain that could occur, he answered that there is a 15% chance of knee pain but that it isn't permanent. I think 10 months is enough and my bone growth is so slow that it would take too many more for me.

Also the day before yesterday I was sitting on my bed and sometime my left leg felt weird. It felt like my foot got a bad cramp. That day I couldn't walk at all. Every touch with my left foot with the floor was hurting like nothing before from my foot up to my hip. So I had to use my right leg which is already the weaker one in order to stand up and to sit on an office chair so that my mother could roll me to the bathroom. In the evening it got a bit better. I was able to slowly increase the weight on my left leg and use it again. But until today the feeling of a cramp in my foot is still there. Dr. Giotikas said that that's my body responding to the frames after such a long time.


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doomsday

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Re: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019
« Reply #203 on: August 24, 2019, 09:04:21 PM »

i would go with the plasma , which is actually stem cells
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jfk

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Re: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019
« Reply #204 on: August 24, 2019, 09:38:09 PM »

I was in a similar situation. I went with the nails, that was a great decision!
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KrP1

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Re: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019
« Reply #205 on: August 24, 2019, 09:50:10 PM »

Hope this serve as example to other LL'rs to avoid external only. You should have nailed your tibias long time ago.
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Great321

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Re: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019
« Reply #206 on: August 24, 2019, 09:58:10 PM »

I was in a similar situation. I went with the nails, that was a great decision!

How long did you have the frames on?

Hope this serve as example to other LL'rs to avoid external only. You should have nailed your tibias long time ago.

I hope others can learn from my experience as well. But if someone really wants to do fully externals they can try it and switch to LATN as soon as they notice that their bone growth is too slow. I recommend Stryde in any case though. If it has to be tibias which might be too narrow for a Stryde nail, LON or LATN then.
« Last Edit: August 25, 2019, 12:38:31 AM by Great321 »
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jfk

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Re: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019
« Reply #207 on: August 24, 2019, 10:14:13 PM »

How long did you have the frames on?



I hope others can learn from my experience as well. But if someone really wants to do fully externals they can try it and switch to LATN as soon as they notice if their bone growth is too slow. I recommend Stryde in any case though. If it has to be tibias that are too narrow for a Stryde nail, LON or LATN then.

For me it was about 8 months with the frames on until I decided to go with the nails. It was the greatest relief to not have the frames around anymore.
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Great321

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Re: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019
« Reply #208 on: August 24, 2019, 10:28:05 PM »

For me it was about 8 months with the frames on until I decided to go with the nails. It was the greatest relief to not have the frames around anymore.

I can imagine!! :)
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IwannaBeTaller

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Re: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019
« Reply #209 on: August 25, 2019, 07:53:39 AM »

Hope this serve as example to other LL'rs to avoid external only. You should have nailed your tibias long time ago.

Why? Do bones consolidate better with internals, and for what reasons?
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It's a long way to find peace of mind, peace of mind
It's a long way to find peace of mind, peace of mind.

Jim_dabarber

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Re: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019
« Reply #210 on: August 25, 2019, 02:35:43 PM »

Why? Do bones consolidate better with internals, and for what reasons?

Bones consolidate quicker when you walk on them. Walking and putting weight on your legs promotes healing. Latn, Lon, or stryde pretty much would all be good ideas. Never do fully externals.
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165 cm pre LL / 174 cm after undergoing 4cm on tibias and 5cm on femurs, Cross-Lengthening with Dr. Kulesh and Dr. Solomin / http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=5016.0

Great321

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Re: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019
« Reply #211 on: August 25, 2019, 09:08:24 PM »

Why? Do bones consolidate better with internals, and for what reasons?

I don't think that bone consolidation is better with nails or externals. It depends on each person. But if bone growth isn't good enough with externals, the LATN nail can help to enhance bone growth because of the reaming(?) of the bone marrow.



Last night I couldn't sleep until 3pm because I was excited by the thought of getting rid of my frames. It's a great relief. And I hope that it can be done as soon as possible. :)
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IwannaBeTaller

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Re: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019
« Reply #212 on: August 26, 2019, 01:52:54 PM »

Bones consolidate quicker when you walk on them. Walking and putting weight on your legs promotes healing. Latn, Lon, or stryde pretty much would all be good ideas. Never do fully externals.

Full externals are much less invasive though. There is no risk of permanent knee pain with them and also no risk of runaway nail.
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It's a long way to find peace of mind, peace of mind
It's a long way to find peace of mind, peace of mind.

Great321

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Re: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019
« Reply #213 on: August 30, 2019, 02:00:31 PM »

In two weeks I'll finally get rid of the frames through LATN surgery. :D

The last few days were rough because for the first time since the surgery both of my legs had problems at the same time. On the right the knee problem. On the left the muscle problem. Walking is very difficult to the point that I'm sweating (not because of the weather). I just hope that it gets better when the frames are off.
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azman

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Re: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019
« Reply #214 on: August 30, 2019, 06:13:05 PM »

Hey Great321

Will you be doing the LATN surgery with Dr. Giotikas in Athens in 2 weeks?
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Great321

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Re: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019
« Reply #215 on: August 30, 2019, 06:28:44 PM »

Hey Great321

Will you be doing the LATN surgery with Dr. Giotikas in Athens in 2 weeks?

Yes I will do it with Dr. Giotikas in Athens
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azman

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Re: Dr. Giotikas - external tibia/Stryde - Diary 2018/2019
« Reply #216 on: August 30, 2019, 08:59:06 PM »

That will be awesome.  I’ll at the Theseus Centre for PT during that time.  Not sure if I’ll run into you.  Will you be staying in Athens after surgery or will you be flying home?
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