Is there hope for me?

[admin]

Hello there.

The brachial plexus nerve in my right arm was severed at birth. I had 12 surgery 12 times before the age of 1 year old in attempt to correct the nerve damage. Then, until around 10 years of age, I had 3 other surgeries and daily physical therapy. After that, my parents gave up on me and stopped taking me altogether.

Today, I am an adult and have learned to successully live with the handicap. However, I am a performing artist (opera singer) by profession and am constantly confronted with auditioners who are afraid to hire me for physical roles, due to the limited capabilities and small size of my right arm.

Is there any kind of reconstructive or cosmetic surgery available to improve the appearance/performance of my right arm? Is there any hope?

Tamara

[herff94]

Tamara~
I had 5 plastic surgeries done @ Mayo Clinic by Dr Craig Johnson. He is using implants to "fill out" my arm. I have had them for 12 years now and I wouldn't have it any other way. I have had problems with them. They are large and I'm fighting gravity, meaning that the impant slips out of place. The last time I sow Dr Johnson he wanted to remove the implant I have and make a implant out of Gortex, a light weight man-made material that will stay in place. I sow him March. I will do it but I need to find a good time to go back up there. It will be a 2 step surgery. I would have this one removed and have a new one made out of Gortex. I hope this helps.
Kathleen H

[admin]

Hi my name is Tom, I drive a semi I only have simpil grasp in my erbs arm and I am a master diver.I know alot about overcoming the erbs.I would like to know how are you treated.I also know about discrimiation cases because Iam in one because of my erbs.

[admin]

I can tell you Tamara that there is off course hope for you on the subject of improving the appearance of your damaged arm. I too suffered the same injury at birth on my left arm, i am only 22 but there are substantial size differences between my left and right arm. My aim is to improve the appearance of my left arm so that it is much more in tune with the healthy right arm. I have tried doing special streaching exercises and also weight training on my left arm and this has made some difference, however i thing that plastic surgery is something to consider. The first type of plastic surgery you should consider is the 'arm lenghtening' surgery where the bone on the affected arm can be significantly increased in lenght. I know that there are many good doctors out there who do operations like this and have high success rates. You just have too look for around and speek to as many specialists as you can find. Best of luck