I am wondering if there is any doctors in the US who see people who are nine years out. I have never seen a specialist. I tried to go to Mayo two years into my injury but they said at that time there was nothing that could be done after reviewing my records.
I am now a little over nine years out and really would like some answers.
minnie
Long term specialists
Re: Long term specialists
Minnie-
I read an article on the HSS website of one of Dr. Wolfe's patients who he treated some 18 years post-injury. There isn't a lot of information on how extensive the damage was, but here's the article:
http://www.hss.edu/12221.asp
Best of luck to you!
Frank
I read an article on the HSS website of one of Dr. Wolfe's patients who he treated some 18 years post-injury. There isn't a lot of information on how extensive the damage was, but here's the article:
http://www.hss.edu/12221.asp
Best of luck to you!
Frank
Re: Long term specialists
Frank
I read this article as well. It got me wondering if there was any other specialists out there who work with patients who are longer than two years out and what their success rate is.
Something is happening with my arm and I have no clue what to label it at all... I posted on the SCI & UK board and emailed Dr. Young previously. So far I have had not much luck finding a long term specialist.
minnie
I read this article as well. It got me wondering if there was any other specialists out there who work with patients who are longer than two years out and what their success rate is.
Something is happening with my arm and I have no clue what to label it at all... I posted on the SCI & UK board and emailed Dr. Young previously. So far I have had not much luck finding a long term specialist.
minnie
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Christopher
- Posts: 845
- Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2003 10:09 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: Date of Injury: 12/15/02
Level of Injury:
-dominant side C5, C6, & C7 avulsed. C8 & T1 stretched & crushed
BPI Related Surgeries:
-2 Intercostal nerves grafted to Biceps muscle,
-Free-Gracilis muscle transfer to Biceps Region innervated with 2 Intercostal nerves grafts.
-2 Sural nerves harvested from both Calves for nerve grafting.
-Partial Ulnar nerve grafted to Long Triceps.
-Uninjured C7 Hemi-Contralateral cross-over to Deltoid muscle.
-Wrist flexor tendon transfer to middle, ring, & pinky finger extensors.
Surgical medical facility:
Brachial Plexus Clinic at The Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN
(all surgeries successful)
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
~Theodore Roosevelt - Location: Los Angeles, California USA
Re: Long term specialists
The Mayo has been doing this stuff for years now and might recommend two muscle transfers depending on the specifics and severity of your injury (one for elbow flexion and one for hand/grip function). Dr Young specializes more so in research and spinal cord injuries, so he might not have any answers for you.
Think of it this way... the muscles that haven't gotten any nerve impulses since the time of your injury (more than the 2 year reconnection limit) aren't going to be working any more (maybe in the future, if Stem Cell therapies can help regenerate muscle/nerve connections). To gain useful function, working muscles will have to be transfered from other regions of your body to your injured arm, and nerves from nearby areas to innervate those transfered muscles.
The Mayo has done transfers for many different areas: Hand (very basic grip function), Shoulder, Elbow flexion, etc.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/brachial-plex ... nsfer.html
http://www.mayoclinic.org/brachial-plex ... tment.html
http://mayoresearch.mayo.edu/mayo/resea ... -nerve.cfm
Good Luck!
Chris
Think of it this way... the muscles that haven't gotten any nerve impulses since the time of your injury (more than the 2 year reconnection limit) aren't going to be working any more (maybe in the future, if Stem Cell therapies can help regenerate muscle/nerve connections). To gain useful function, working muscles will have to be transfered from other regions of your body to your injured arm, and nerves from nearby areas to innervate those transfered muscles.
The Mayo has done transfers for many different areas: Hand (very basic grip function), Shoulder, Elbow flexion, etc.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/brachial-plex ... nsfer.html
http://www.mayoclinic.org/brachial-plex ... tment.html
http://mayoresearch.mayo.edu/mayo/resea ... -nerve.cfm
Good Luck!
Chris