United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

EVerything about him is on his website. BTW, the great bpi specialists who are orthopedic doctors are also doing primary nerve grafting and nerve transfers as well. I guess they are all cross-trained.

I think they are cross-trained in a lot of ways. It seems that they all specialize in the various surgeries, but I have been told a few times and by a few doctors that only ortho doctors are trained in and can perform arthroscopic surgery. I would also tend to think that neurosurgeons might have more experience with nerves, but I know orthos like Waters and others do primary often. Kind of confusing.

I would also like to see pictures, does anyone have before and after pictures of their child? If so please email to tlmsh@peoplepc.com Thank you so much.

I would like to see pictures also, please email to tlmsh@peoplepc.com. Does anyone have pictures of before and after of their child, if so please email those also. Thank you.

I emailed you and Jean above.

I emailed you and Jean above.

Orthos do nerve grafts and transfers as part of their training. Orthopedic doesn't mean bones, it means literally straight child, the training of an ortho is about correcting limb issues, whether those are in the nerves, muscles, bones or all of these. Their training includes nerve grafts, muscle transfers and microsurgery as well as bone work. Many bpi doctors have an orthopedics background because of this.

I would rather have a neurosurgeon work on my bones than an orthopedic surgeon work on my nerves. Our pediatrician agrees with us.

I don't understand the argument over orthopedic surgeon versus plastic surgeon. What does it matter? The term "BPI specialist" is relatively new. All the BPI specialists out there that well-recognized have experience with BPI injuries, which require multi-displinary approaches. Most of the clinics use neurologists, neurosurgeon, orthopedic surgeons, mircosurgeons, etc to evaluate our children. For example, an orthopedic surgeon who evaluates a child needing primary uses a neurosurgeon when the primary is done.
For me, the key is choosing a doctor who has experience with BPI children in general. Regardless of whether they are a othopedic surgeon or plastic surgeon, they are qualified to evaluate and treat BPI injuries if they have had enough experience.

As long as a doctor (bpi specialist or not) never tries to do a kind of surgery for which he or she has not had specific training then there should be no problem. Check with your doctor, if he is doing bone work has he done the training for that, if he is doing nerve grafts has his training covered that. If it hasn't in either case, maybe think of going elsewhere.