My Experience So Far- External Monolateral - Dr Mitkovic

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oh ok, forgive my lack of knowledge but is cleaning the pins something I can do myself, or do I need a doctor to do it.

and if i get surgery with Bagirov or Barinov will this option also be available.

and do many patients do this, or do they opt to stay in the foreign country until the consolidation is finished.

I think price wise it would be the same to get the extra flights rather than pay for accomodation there for 3 months.

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Yes you could clean it yourself but it's very risky.. You are risking giving yourself infection..I have mine cleaned by the doctors in a very clean environment and they are very careful when cleaning around the pins.. The bandages have to be changed around the pins aswell so if u did it yourself you'd have to be very cautious.. Also the doctors know what to look for if it does get infected.. And know the necessary actions to take if it does get infected.. I've already had one minor infection but it was seen to early so wasn't a problem.. Out of the 4 other patients I have met here, 1 stayed the entire time, 2 left after about 6 months, and 1 is still here.. To be honest if u were to go back home, you should get a trustworthy hospital to clean and change your pin sites.. If you get an infection and don't see to it could cause u big problems

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hmm okay, not sure how feasible it would be to go to a hospital every week for a checkup, I guess I could get a doctor to come out to my place to change the bandages, but I honestly don't know the procedure.

so assuming I do 5cm would you say on average it takes 8 months for to be fully ready to leave the country, and head back home, and in that case, would you be okay for fully walking with no limping, so ready to resume a normal life, this is not including running.

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Yes after 8 months

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Okay thanks, I'm assuming wearing small lifts of about 3cm is okay at that point.

I don't see why it wouldn't be but i thought I'd ask anyway if you knew.

would you recommend staying in hotel for both lengthening and consolodation or would you say to move into apartment for consolidation, I take it in the hotel you are mostly bed ridden and stay in the hotel room at all times, you pay the maid to buy in food, pee in a bottle etc, and in the consolodation you are free to move outside with crutches and then you buy your own food, and could maybe be in an apartment instead?

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If say it's best to stay in the hotel until you can walk without a walker.. When u can't walk u are pretty dependent and being in the hotel makes life a hell of a lot easier

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by without a walker are you referring to crutches, and if so when does that happen, about the same time of consolodation? and during that time, due you stay in hotel or move somewhere else.

I just want to see if you plan to stay in hotel the whole time, I don't see why not really.

what about the communication with the lady who brings you food, is this a general service the hotels offers or was it setup in a special way, what happens if that lady isn't working there anymore, will other people bring you food.

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Na I mean walker.. You don't really need crutches.. The walker is much safer and after about 5 months your bones have consolidated enough that you can walk without walker.. But it's very poor walking at that stage.. I suggest only to use crutches if u go home.. Otherwise if u stay u should be able to get around without walker after 5 months.. For the sake of an extra few hundred euros it's probably best just to stay in the hotel the whole time just incase something goes wrong..

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forgive me if this is mentioned elsewhere, but what about physiotherapy.

is that not something you need a trained person to do to you each day, or are you somehow getting by doing it yourself.

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There's a few basic stretches you need to so each day.. I stretch for about 10 minutes for each turn I do.. As long as you stretch everyday and do a little walking each day you will be fine