to have bp surgery or wait?

[lizzyb]

Shaun, Many of the best BPI surgeons here in the UK are plastic surgeons. (probably the same worldwide)It might seem strange that a surgeon well versed in 'plastics' should be doing this kind of reconstruction, but when you think about it, they are dealing with tiny nerves etc daily, particularly in facial recostructions etc. It isn't all just breast implants and cosmetic stuff that they deal with. :0)

In the course of my years of researching this injury, I have found in general that very few neurosurgeon deal with these injuries. Of course, there are exceptions to this. The primary training for surgeons who choose to deal with these injuries seems to be orthopeadics or plastic surgery.

Christopher has given good advice. It could be a good idea to try contacting the Mayo to see if there are any BPI surgeons in Australia known to them this is because every few years, the **Narakas group hold a Symposium somewhere in the world for surgeons who treat BPI and I am pretty certain that there would have been one or two surgeons from Oz who would have attended. Basically, at these Symposia, the surgeons produce facts and figures from studies of the results of different kinds of sugical aproach to treating BPI and in this way, they share knowledge from all around the world. I know that the Mayo was represented there by the three surgeons who between them have had some very good results, so you can trust any advice they can give you in my opinion.

Chris is right when he says that the time between initial injury and surgical treatment seems to be getting shorter...the consesnsus of opinion between the medics seems to be that surgery should be performed as soon as all the relevant diagnostic results have been studied. As a layman, this makes sense to me. (Incidentally, my surgery was 3 months post accident and only after one MRI scan; It was the nerve conduction tests that proved all the nerves were avulsed)

**A few well renowned BPI surgeons from around the world started this 'club' years ago. Well over 100 surgeons attend the Symposia by invitation. Bit of info here about the club. http://www.obstetricalpalsy.net/Related_events.htm

[EllenB]

Hi Lizzy,

Quick question re the website you just posted. Is that group primarily concerned with birth related bpi? The website gives that impression - and since trauma is pretty different, I wanted to check.

Thanks!

Ellen