Charcot Foot

[livingwith]

Hello my name is Fred, I am 64 years old white male and have had type 2 diabetes for 25 years at least, the last 8 or 9 years I have nerve damage to both my legs and feet from the knee to my toes.
14 weeks ago I had severe swelling in my left foot and leg. 3 years ago I had a kidney transplant so I was concerned that my Kidney was falling, I went to my post transplant doctor to show him my condition, he said it was not my Kidney but there might be a blood clot pressing on a nerve in turn he sent...Read the full article

[hdeitrich]

i saw a lecture given at a diabetic foot presentation at the jacob javits center last year. there was a doc not sure if he is a podiatrist or orthopedic surgeon. im pretty sure he works out of nyc also presented on external fixators for sharcot foot. i was very impressed with some of the videos he showed with people walking around with these metal contraptions on their feet. if i remember correctly he didnt keep them in the fixators for so long either.i think i can look up his name in the pamphlets i got there (still in the bag that was given to me that day) if youre interested.
-howard

[freddamico]

Hi Howard,
Yes I am interested, I would like to get all the info I can before I have the surgery
Thank You

[hdeitrich]

im pretty sure this is his name , David Gitlin DPM, (guess that means podiatry) there is no number on here but there is web site address www.lowerextremity.com. i would ask them if he does charcot surgery just in case im wrong.
good luck

[Tj12761]

Fred,

My husband had the surgery on August 11, 2008. It lasted 5 1/2 hours during which he had 3 bone grafts/fusions to repair his foot. They also lengthened the Achilles Tendon to alleviate the curve in his foot. He was put in one of the external fixators and was not permitted to walk while this was on his foot. Hubby was in it for 3 months and at the end of that time put into a total contact cast for a month. After that, he was back into shoes that were custom made for him with inserts.

You can see what hubby's fixator looked like by going here:
http://www.dlife.com/diabetes-forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=12615&sid=3853c90ae68de47dd4b5582db872515c

The Doctor who did hubby's surgery has traveled to Canada and across the US to teach other Doctors here and abroad on his method of surgery. One of his papers is here: Developing a Comprehensive Diagnostic and Treatment Plan for Charcot Neuroarthropathy Part 1 & 2 http://www.podiatrym.com/cme.cfm

[freddamico]

Thank You

[freddamico]

Thank You

[freddamico]

Thank You for taking the time to answer my post, I am so afraid of this surgery, I looked at the externial fixator it is almost what thhe DR. described except he said mine would have a double ring and a double horse shoe on the bottom.
How was your husband able to function ( washing, getting up to eat, go to the bath room ) was he ever able to go out or was he confined to your home ?
I bought a keen walker but I finding it hard to balance myself, I also ordered a power wheel chair.
My Dr. told me that after the surgery 4 to 5 months I will need to wear a crow cast ( ever hear about it).
Please I would like any advise you can give me, my Dr. has told me that it will be much more easier to amputate the leg up to mid calf. That would be my last option to consider.
Regards,
Fred

[freddamico]

Thank You for taking the time to answer my post, I am so afraid of this surgery, I looked at the externial fixator it is almost what thhe DR. described except he said mine would have a double ring and a double horse shoe on the bottom.
How was your husband able to function ( washing, getting up to eat, go to the bath room ) was he ever able to go out or was he confined to your home ?
I bought a keen walker but I finding it hard to balance myself, I also ordered a power wheel chair.
My Dr. told me that after the surgery 4 to 5 months I will need to wear a crow cast ( ever hear about it).
Please I would like any advise you can give me, my Dr. has told me that it will be much more easier to amputate the leg up to mid calf. That would be my last option to consider.
Regards,
Fred

[Tj12761]

Fred,

Hubby was told that that was one of his options too. He opted for the surgery and figured it was best to at least give it a chance. We are so glad he did. Today he is walking, driving, and even exercising through a therapy center again. The only thing he will never be able to do is walk on a ladder because of where his foot was fused.

Before his surgery, I purchased a dorm style refrigerator that we put at his bedside. Before I went to work each day, I'd make him a cooked breakfast and made sure the refrigerator was stocked for the day. As for a toilet, we got a camp style chemical toilet and used the hospital portable potty chair arm supports over it. This way, the toilet could be emptied every other day and not with each use. (No smell either.)

Chemical toilet: [moderator note: website address has been removed]
and [moderator note: website address has been removed]

Bathing was the hardest thing for him. He gave up trying to figure out how to get into the tub/shower and used a basin to wash. To clean his hair, we got dry shampoo. [moderator note: website address has been removed]

We had a phone extension at his bedside, plus he had the tv and laptop to entertain him. When he felt up to it (about 2 weeks post surgery) he would get out of bed and use the wheelchair to go to the living room and kitchen. His work set him up to work from home when he felt he was ready and he was doing that within a month of the surgery.

The CROW Cast is a fitted full brace of sorts. CROW stands for Charcot Restraint Orthotic Walker. You can see one here: http://www.oandp1.com/products/neurocrow.asp

I made sure to get him out of the house a few times each week. Every Wednesday he had a visit with the surgeon to inspect the pin sites and change the dressings. Saturdays we went to a local diner and would hit the mall for some exercise for him. He wheeled around in his chair as much as he could then I'd get him back to the van and we'd go home. (He always put a small lap afghan over his leg to keep people from staring at his foot.)

Don't hesitate to ask any questions at all!! I'm as close as your computer!