Diary: 1" LLD Femur - Stryde - September 2019

47 year old male, healthy and reasonably athletic. >1" discrepancy since the age of ~19 due to teenage accident and subsequent surgeries. Have lived with the discrepancy for almost 30 years but with the latest advances with internal rods, have decided to get it corrected. My insurance will cover it almost completely. My doctor is a trauma surgeon who has experience with the Precice Stryde device.

Day 0: Day before the surgery
I have to get a blood test today for tomorrow and can't eat anything after 11PM. No liquids after 5AM tomorrow. I've gone through the full range of emotions the past number of months but ultimately am ready mentally and spiritually. My original accident ironically was a femur break, old school treatment with traction followed by a body cast, 3-4 months completely immobile including almost 2 in the hospital. Since then, I've had at least 4 somewhat related surgeries including pin removal, 2 knee reconstruction, and 1 broken ankle. So, in some ways I feel deja vu; the original accident was a long time ago but I don't feel like this is my first rodeo. Though it's on the lower end of the spectrum for lengthening, I fully expect it to be a long road. My wife of 26 years is by my side, thankful for her and the opportunity to correct this. Let's go.

Good luck to you. Good that you started a diary. I believe as you are not lengthening too much and only one leg, you will have a smooth recovery.

It's 1.1" discrepancy and you are in Los Angeles, right? You are doing stryde covered by insurance, right? Do you know if your surgeon performs CLL?

I’m in Northern California though my surgeon did his residency with a well known limb reconstruction specialist in Southern California. I have Kaiser insurance, I’m not certain if they would cover CLL.

Quote from: bgreeneee on September 18, 2019, 04:46:38 PMI’m in Northern California though my surgeon did his residency with a well known limb reconstruction specialist in Southern California. I have Kaiser insurance, I’m not certain if they would cover CLL.

Can you name either your surgeon or this other well known surgeon?

Good luck on recovery!

Hi Cena—Honestly I don’t remember the name of the scal surgeon. My surgeon told me when I first met with him 6 months ago and I’ve forgotten. I looked him up at the time...not a CLL guy, but seemed pretty well published and documented on the internet in limb reconstruction. As far as the name of my surgeon, I don’t think he’s looking for publicity...if anyone is a Kaiser member and has a similar need, feel free to PM me and I’ll provide the name.

Day 1: Day of surgery.  Surgery lasted about 3 hours. It’s now 7 hours since the surgery. Amazingly I’m not in a lot of pain. We’ll see how the night goes. I’m sure I have some sort of med left from surgery but have only had Tylenol since surgery. The IV is delivering an antibiotic right now. The doctor was able to cut the bone from the inside which saves me 1 extra incision which is nice. I’ll post an X-ray when I’m a little more with it. I have a screw in my bone at the bottom of my femur from one of my surgeries in the 80s so he wasn’t sure whether he’d have to take out or not, ended up not being in the way. Obviously he put the Stryde device in from hip not at knee which I know is an option. I’m staying the night, may actually go home tomorrow, will evaluate that tomorrow.

By the way, for the person with question about who my doctor studied under out of scal, he is recently retired but his name is Dr Donald Wiss.

X-ray
https://photos.app.goo.gl/P3PXrfU8dD8qR9Zz9

Why the last screw?

Day 2: I’m feeling about the same as yesterday, maybe a little more mobile. I didn’t sleep well last night so just generally tired. But the pain level is not high at all. I’m still only on Tylenol. I have been up a number of times to use the bathroom and practice with walker and crutches. My doctor is advising me to just toe tap for the growth period since it will only be 3-4 weeks even though it’s Stryde. I found out the Nuvasive reps (2) were in the OR with me and someone will come to my home next week to show me how to use the device. My doctor said they actually grew me a millimeter after the surgery to test it out..the bone cut was probably a millimeter so no real growth there but we know it works. I had a session with PT and OT today, I think i’ll Be able to go home tomorrow.

Wannagrowtaller: That screw is from 1988, I had an old school knee surgery and I think it was used to reroute my ITB to in theory strengthen my ACL (didn’t really work) It may have been what affected my growth, not sure...I never grew in that leg after that surgery, had a growth spurt in my other leg a year or 2 later. Lots of deja vu in this process for me...never grew before but broken femur in 1985 with traction including external pins for a number of months.

Day 3: I’m home from hospital. I am glad I stayed one extra night but was very ready to come home. I was tired of the IV and my furniture is more comfortable! Pain is less than yesterday but I definitely have swelling in the thigh and knee. I’m going to focus on ice the next few days to help with that swelling. Pain when sitting is very minor, better than yesterday but never has been unbearable...when getting up and down and moving around with crutches or walker there is definitely pain. The pain is at the hip near the incision for the rod, on my quad when tightening it to raise it to move, and at the knee. Of the three, the quad is the most frequent pain just because it’s needed to raise and lower the leg. I am having my wife assist me to help lift the leg for when I need it. For me, it’s still not enough pain that I need more than Tylenol. Hopefully the next few days will just be boring/uneventful as I await lengthening starting next Wednesday.