United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

I am writing as a mom of JR ROBI, he is 3 years old we are scheduled for an eval and surgery 9 and 11 Dec at TCH. Will anyone else be there at the same time? This will be JR's first surgery. We are Americans but live in Germany. I felt very very isolated here until I found UBPN a few months ago. Since that time I have read just about everything my time has allowed and now we will be flying to Texas in December in thanks to this website! My questions are: My son is older than most information available reports here he has also never had the primary surgery. How many others out there did not have the primary but did have the mod/quad secondary surgery? Also how much improvement has occured 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 3 years, 5 years after these surgerys. Does the improvement peak and then the child/adult experience a decrease in ROM? Does anyone have information for me?

As far as I can find out, TCH have not been doing the mod quad for very long, (1996 or 97 I read somewhere on their website) so long term benefits/drawbacks are not yet known. Older children do have the surgery if they haven't had primary. Some other surgeons actually recommend the secondary surgery is done at an older age anyway.

One of the reasons TCH does the Mod Quad early is to try and save shoulder joints... it (hopefully)gives them the shoulder flexion to grind out a lip on their glenoid (socket)... but the surgery is still valid for an older child...we have one older child here -Nancy Birk who just had the mod quad about a year ago and has great return from it (Nancy is a grandma!) lol

Maia was the first kid they did MQ on under the age of two - she was 19 months. It was miraculous for her.

-francine
http://www.injurednewborn.com/maia/homepage.html

Our son Nicholas is scheduled to MQ on Oct. 28. He is 3 Years. It's hard to find people that have only had MQ as their first surgery. But, the one's I talked to have given rave reviews. Dr. Nath is doing Nicholas'. Who is doing JR's?

I have no idea who will perform the surgery. I guess I should have asked! Did your son have the primary surgery?

My friend's son had mod quad as his first surgery at three. If you like you can e-mail me at cpfranklin@psualum.com and I'll forward your address on to her.
Cindy