Hi,
So long story but my 11 year old son fell off a 10 foot wall retrieving a ball. His friends called the ambulance and myself.
The ambulance crew could see he had a break, and after ruling out a air ambulance for critical care (worry it was going to cause further damage moving him via road) we made our way to the hospital in the ambulance. He was given gas air, then morphine.
He got a X-ray and then a temp full leg cast. Then another X-ray and more morphine. We saw the orthopaedic doctors who said he’s got a bad break of the tib and fib, and will be admitted to the ward, and surgery tomorrow with metal work.
The following morning we met the orthopaedic surgeon who said they’d put him to sleep and manipulate the bones back into place, no metal work required as long as they can align the bones. And place his leg in a full cast again.
This all went ok, and after a couple days we were let home to bed rest with it elevated. With a commode, Zimmer frame and wheelchair all delivered to us. And regular pain killers.
We had our first appointment with orthopaedics 5 days after the surgery, had X-rays and he said he’d like to see a better bone alignment. But we’ll wait and see in another two weeks.
Fast forward two weeks of bed rest in our front room, another X-ray and the consultant decided to do a wedge procedure to realign the bones better. Once this was done, more X-rays to check it was in a better alignment, he then had the wedge window in the cast resealed with more cast.
My son then developed a sore on his ankle so we were back to get the cast cut on the heel, sore dressed and hole in cast tapped back in. The plaster room said had they not been able to locate the sore then he’d of had to have his cast removed in surgery again.
They said hopefully in two weeks we get a smaller cast if the bones are still aligned.
But what if they aren’t? As they’ve not been aligned the last two visits (5 days post surgery and 3 weeks post surgery)
Will they do surgery to put metal work in? Which they’ve been trying to avoid? And then we are back to square one?
I pray not, as his full leg cast is so heavy and big he’s not able to move without me lifting it for him.
Anybody had any experiences?
Photos of first X-ray and X-ray 3 weeks post injury