re tendon transfers

Treatments, Rehabilitation, and Recovery
athos

Re: re tendon transfers

Post by athos »

Excellent news Karlos. Now it's my turn in a few days. Well done.

Athos
lizzyb
Posts: 809
Joined: Sun Nov 04, 2001 6:36 am

Re: re tendon transfers

Post by lizzyb »

yeeehaaar!! karl...glad evrything went OK...I was gonna send you a get well card on Boxing day, but I got drunk and forgot!!! ;0)
...never mind...have a happy birthday insread...!! ...
...or have I got that wrong???
Liz xx
lizzyb
Posts: 809
Joined: Sun Nov 04, 2001 6:36 am

Re: re tendon transfers

Post by lizzyb »

...blimey...I really should use that preview button, ayyy?? ;0) (I meant "instead"..doh!!)

Good luck to you also Athos, let us know how you get on...which hospital will you be in?
stevie p
Posts: 12
Joined: Fri Dec 28, 2001 3:50 pm

Re: re tendon transfers

Post by stevie p »

Hey Karl,
Great to hear everythings OK.

Tell me the truth though; did they use anaesthetic diluted with lemonade for you....or did you take the hard stuff?

Seriously, glad you're ok.

Good luck athos, hope all goes well with you too.

Steve P
kathy
Posts: 49
Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2001 10:35 pm

Re: re tendon transfers

Post by kathy »

Quick, I need info on tendon transfers. I saw the doc yesterday and he said I need 2 of them. Do they work?

Kathy
Mindy
Posts: 79
Joined: Thu Dec 06, 2001 1:44 pm

Re: re tendon transfers

Post by Mindy »

For those of us who have no clue what a tendon transfer is please explain what it is and what it does?
kathy
Posts: 49
Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2001 10:35 pm

Re: re tendon transfers

Post by kathy »

From what the doctor explained to me, he will take a tendon that is innervated and move it to a tendon that is not innervated and then it will take approximately 3 months of OT to train the new tendon how to work. Ex, I am unable to rotate my thumb to touch the end of any of my fingers. He said he work take a tendon from the top of my hand (one that makes my index finger straighten) and transplant it to the tendon that makes my thumb rotate. It will require 3 incisions (2 on my hand and 1 on my forearm). I will be immobilized for 2 weeks and then OT for 3 months and then on to my 2nd surgery. This of course is a simplified version of what he said.

Kathy
George

Re: re tendon transfers

Post by George »

Heeeeyyy Karl !!!!!! Appreciate you posting mate !! Guess you are all plastered up, huh? Great everything went well. It won't be long they'll cut that thing off your hand and wrist and you'll get to see some things move again. Just real happy all is well !!! Any idea how long the proceedure took? Just curious........good luck !!

Pulling for you too, Athos. Won't be long now. Wish you the best mate !!

Always good to get good news....... always !!

George
jennyb
Posts: 1183
Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2001 5:24 pm
Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: January 1980 Yamaha RD200 vs 16 wheeler truck, result, 1 totally paralysed right arm. I was 21, now 54. I had no surgery, I don't regret this. Decided to totally ignore limitations (easily done aged 21) adapted very quickly to one handed life, got married, had 3 kids, worked- the effect of the injury on my life (once the pain stopped being constant) was minimal and now, aged 54, I very rarely even think of it, unless I bash it or it gets cold, then I wish I'd had it amputated :) Except for a steering knob on my car, I have no adaptations to help with life, mainly because I honestly don't think of myself as disabled and the only thing I can't do is peel potatoes, which is definitely a good thing.

Re: re tendon transfers

Post by jennyb »

good on yer mate, all the best from downunder! you'll be up and about in no time, you wait and see. I hope you managed to keep the hossie bed single occupancy this time....... ;) keep us posted, it's good to hear the good stuff.
karlos

Re: re tendon transfers

Post by karlos »

Hi eveyone,
this board realy is fantastic,I think all of you are great!!!!!!!!
Right cathy this surgery does work as long as the doner mouscles are stong enough,they say you lose approx 25% of power from that mouscle.....My transfers will give back wrist/finger and thum extention ,pretty much the same as cathy wants,
imagine looking at the palm of your hand each finger has 2 tendons (one shorter than the other) they take each short one out and thus you now have 5 doner tendons, these are then attached to the non working tendons(to lengthen them)on the top of your arm and passed thro your wrist to the stongest working doner mousle in your lower forearm ......does that make sense?
the surgery took 2 hrs and to be honest pain and discomfort is very minimal and nothing like what we have with bpi!!!
your in plaster 1 week then move ont a splint
after 2 week phisio starts this is probalby the hardest part
after 6 week you can return to light work and this is the point when you should be fully mobile and enjoing your new mobilaty .

hope this is comprehensable,ill post more about it when phisio/movement starts

Athos dont worry mate its a piece of cake!!

cheers karl # 8-)
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