Orthopedist wants to install plates & screws after 7 months of healing

[bobberman66]

Thanks for all the good advice everyone. All very sound judgments. My orthopedist is conferring with his colleges, and I will continue to search the internet for information. If there is no risk to me opting for no surgery, I'll do that. It may be slow healing, but I don't want to introduce further pain and suffering if there is no risk to me, other than slow healing.

[Bobo]

I agree with you, opt for no surgery if you can wait. Be careful of the I will confer with my colleages. When that happen with me that was when they came back with cracking me wide open.

[Weo]

Originally Posted by bobberman66

Thanks for all the good advice everyone. All very sound judgments. My orthopedist is conferring with his colleges, and I will continue to search the internet for information. If there is no risk to me opting for no surgery, I'll do that. It may be slow healing, but I don't want to introduce further pain and suffering if there is no risk to me, other than slow healing.

It's good that the surgeon is conferring with his colleagues... but that should not be considered a second opinion... IMO. The point of getting a second opinion, is to find another competent doctor who has not been influenced by the original. If they are colleagues, most likely they will all have the same opinion. I'm not saying that it is wrong, but it wouldn't count it in my book as a second opinion, even though I would be glad that the doctor was conferring with his colleagues too.

Do some searching on the internet for a good hospital, doc, etc. in your area. I've usually just looked up the best ranking hospitals in my state and called the corresponding doc/department for an appointment or a referral.

[jharback]

Originally Posted by Weo

It's good that the surgeon is conferring with his colleagues... but that should not be considered a second opinion... IMO. The point of getting a second opinion, is to find another competent doctor who has not been influenced by the original. If they are colleagues, most likely they will all have the same opinion. I'm not saying that it is wrong, but it wouldn't count it in my book as a second opinion, even though I would be glad that the doctor was conferring with his colleagues too.

Do some searching on the internet for a good hospital, doc, etc. in your area. I've usually just looked up the best ranking hospitals in my state and called the corresponding doc/department for an appointment or a referral.

+1
Very good advice. Get an independent second opinion.

[PaulDM]

Just a thought off the beaten path on this thread. I had a major heart attack early this summer. I am now almost completely symptom free. Exercise and diet alone would not do this I have been down that path before. A friend brought me a Ionways Alkaline Ionic Water System and I tried it. It works by helping eliminate acid from the body and the filtered and modified water promotes healing very well as it is such a strong anti-oxident. In matters where healing needs a hand drinking this water will aid healing, even a ticker!

[jharback]

Originally Posted by PaulDM

Just a thought off the beaten path on this thread. I had a major heart attack early this summer. I am now almost completely symptom free. Exercise and diet alone would not do this I have been down that path before. A friend brought me a Ionways Alkaline Ionic Water System and I tried it. It works by helping eliminate acid from the body and the filtered and modified water promotes healing very well as it is such a strong anti-oxident. In matters where healing needs a hand drinking this water will aid healing, even a ticker!

I think you'd have just as much luck with praying to the sun god.

http://www.chem1.com/CQ/ionbunk.html

[bobberman66]

Originally Posted by jharback

I think you'd have just as much luck with praying to the sun god.

http://www.chem1.com/CQ/ionbunk.html

Well with regard to the water remarks, since we're carbon based entities, and 98% water, having a constant flow of H2O is a good idea, healing or not. I do have a whole house filter, plus an additional filter in the fridge, and there is a noticeable difference between tap water and water from my fridge. I make my morning coffee with the fridge water. I live in the North East, and the we have hard water. So I know the reduced iron, magnesium, other dissolved metals in my water is good for me, but my body will process those things I need from the water and disperse to my bladder those things that are bad for me.

So I am like minded that special water is only as good as the things in it or not. but I tend to shy away from gimmicks which attempt to separate me from my hard earned money.

[XLXR]

A second opinion is a good idea. The question you should ask is what are the long term effects of a non healing bone fracture. If you re-fracture your tibia to the point where it will never heal, you may loose the ability to bear weight on it and not be able to walk.

Google alkaline diet, lots of information, including supplement pills you can take. Be careful, going too far alkaline or acid can be dangerous. You can buy Alkaline water by the bottle to see if it helps you before spending thousands on the filter. You can also buy alkaline drops to replace minerals removed from water filtered by reverse osmosis.

[bobberman66]

The main reason I'm asking around is that my injury is 'slow' healing, not a 'non' healing fracture. If that were the case, it's an no-brainer regarding the surgery.

I'm a 'if it ain't broke don't fix it.' kinda guy. My leg is healing, just not as quickly as my Orthopedist would expect. So I've got a follow up with him next month, and we'll see what he says. Now I am noticing a change in my leg in this past week, I'm not using my cane at all, and I've got mild stiffness, but no pain. So I know its healing. I hope it's sufficient that I won't be left with surgery as my only option.

Thanks to everyone whose thrown their hat in the ring.

[Kudofo]

Did the doctor put you on a diet? I have heard that there are specific diets for promoting bone healing. The important thing was a high calcium intake. You understand that your bone is made of calcium. If the bone has no materials to grow with.... then how can it possibly rebuild.

Here jimmy these two pieces of metal broke, weld them back together, but jimmy you cant use any materials or a welder.... I would check with a physical therapist and see if they have a diet and work outs for you to try.

I would prefer physical therapy and put myself through absorbent amounts of pain everyday before a plate. Why? Because your in control of the pain everyday and that makes it 1000000 times more manageable then dealing with pain you didn't create from a plate.

I do hope you heal ok.