United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

These questions are all you who have amputated an arm or hand

1) How many years ago did you have your accident?

2) How many root avulsions did you have?

3) Did you have surgery after your accident?

4) What type of surgeries have you had?

5) How many months after your accident did you have your surgery?


Thanks,

Susana

1) 5 years between TBPI and the chop
2) C1-C5, T1 I think, but I wasn't very compus-mentis when they explained it to me
3) Surgery was within a week after the accident, as soon as I was off life-support, and had beaten the pulmonary embolism, so I could process enough oxygen to survive.
4) Nerve graft harvested from "feely" nerves (rather than motor nerves) from inner lower arm. Myelin sheath virtually super-glued back together. Later they tried an operation on the hand to try to reduce the clawing, and regain some finger function. After 5 years, I could move 3 of my fingers enough to pick up a packet of cigarette papers, but no elbow, shoulder, bicep or tricep function. Also the thumb twitched in the opposite direction to what it should.
5) Answered above. Went back in for more work at about 6 months.

I would like for the people to answer if possible

What, aren't I a person then ?

Tou che!

I think amputation would be an easy decision if it ended the pain, however, from what i have heard this is not the case.
What do you do????

1. May 12, 2000
2. I don't know the exact ones. The Orthopod said I had 3 main trunk nerves ripped away from the spine above the brachial plexus. That's all I know.
3. yes
4. exploration of the brachial plexus
5. 2 months/he determined that none of the nerve grafting would be of help in my case. I guess you can't put them back in the spinal column.

So I finally decided to get rid of the old dead weight! On Aug 25,2003 I had it removed.