How did you overcome your Fat Embo fears

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This is really scary..

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if your leg gone you still win because money from government 

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You can decrease fat in your bone marrow by leg workout/exercising/running. There is a paper published on this topic which you'll find if you google. I think one way to decrease fat embolism risk is just working out your legs. It's better to be in a really good shape before the surgery.

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Working out your legs may make the distraction process more difficult though because muscular legs means there is more tissue to stretch and grow.

I think just being lean is good enough, not muscular. You can build muscle after the LL surgery.

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Quote from: Michael J. Assayag, MD on October 30, 2020, 01:55:34 AMAlright! It is time to shed some light on the difference between fat embolism and pulmonary embolism.

Fat embolism is a clinical syndrome consisting of a rash in the trunk, shortness of breath and confusion. It is usually related to unstable fractures, and can occur during insertion of a rod through a bone.It happens when droplets of fat go into the bloodstream and lodge into the small circulatory vessels. after surgery, when bones are fixed, the risk is virtually non existant.

It is extremely  rare (i have never seen a clinically significant one in 10 years of doing a LOT of intramedullary rods) and is usually treated with oxygen therapy. Don’t forget that the 4% number quoted includes patients with all type of other medical problems, mostly elderly. Interestingly enough, fat embolism is the most quoted complication by patients inquiring about CLL. However, it is likely the complications surgeons fear the Least.

Pulmonary embolism(PE)  is when a blood clot goes into the circulation and lodges itself in the lung vessels. It can be easily recognized intraoperatively. It is rarely fatal. It is uncommon in healthy individuals. It can also happen post operatively due to prolonged immobilization, or plane flights . Blood thinners should be given for 3 to 4 weeks to mitigate that risk.


As for infection, it has to be promptly recognized and treated. Deep infection during limb lengthening is not nearly as worrisome as prosthetic joint infection after hip or knee replacement.
It can usually be treated by a simple washout of the surgical site, and antibiotics. In the worst cases, it may require exchange of the lengthening rod with an antibiotic coated trauma rod when the lengthening is done

I hope this helps dispel some fear related to ft embolism and PE.

So glad I saw this! Very informative and puts a lot of my own fears to rest.