Latissimus Muscle Transfer
Latissimus Muscle Transfer
Hello everyone, my name is Mark and I am from Alberta Canada. I suffered a tbpi in May/99 which left the C5&C6 totaly severed and i loss the use of my left arm. I could still move my fingers and eventually I could hold my arm out about 20 degrees in front of me but that was it, I couldn't bend it at the elbow, move it back or to the side and a considerable amount of pain in the neck, arm, hand, thumb and index finger. I was recommended by my Dr. in Yellowknife to Dr. Lobay at the University Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta Canada. He is an excellent Doctor and I would recommend him to absolutly anyone with a bpi. After about nine months after the accident there was still no improvment at all with my arm. Dr.Lobay said he could take a long peice of my latissimus muscle from my back, re-route it through my arm and attatch it to my forearm to make my arm bend at the elbow. I ended up having the operation about a year and a half after the accident and it was about a year recovery. It has been 4 years since the accident and i still have the original injury pain but I can now bend my arm good enough to do some things. I can open some doors with it and get it up on to the counter, stuff like that, but I can't carry a glass of water with it without spilling or use it for long at all. One thing I can do is fly. Since the operation I have been flying at a very supportive flight school and I am now about half way through my Commercial training. The hardest things are full flap overshoots and soft field landings. If I have the trim set just right on takeoff, climb, and landing there is not much pressure on my left arm at all. The muscle missing from my back doesn't seem to make a difference besides the few scars i'm left with but that's no big deal. I know the muscle transfer helped and i was wondering if there is anyone else out there who has had this operation or one like it. Thanks and hope to hear from someone soon.
Re: Latissimus Muscle Transfer
Mark I fly for alot of years now. Good luck with it.
Thrir are more postings about flying here in the past.
Paul
Thrir are more postings about flying here in the past.
Paul