With the radiology report in hand, today we had an opportunity to schedule more appointments with other orthopedic surgeons in the Baltimore/Washington area.
First up on the list was Dr. Paul Cooper, Director of Georgetown University Hospital's Foot and Ankle Center.
Because Dr. Cooper works at a University hospital, you can find several publications on the Internet touting his work.I'm very interested to see what Dr. Cooper recommends.
Next up we have Dr. Clifford Jeng at The Institute for Foot and Ankle Reconstruction at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore.
Word on the street is that the Institute for Foot and Ankle Reconstruction at Mercy is a good place for ankles. They even have a video and a regular newsletter.
In fact, Dr. Jeng has an article published in the latest volume describing alternative treatments of ankle arthritis for younger patients -- right up my alley! According to Dr. Jeng, "By 22 years after ankle fusion, nearly 100 percent of patients will have developed neighboring joint arthritis in the hindfoot, midfoot, or forefoot."
He goes on to describe another technique to treat arthritis called distraction arthroplasty. This treatment is yet another external fixator that pulls apart the joint to allow cartilage to grow. I suspect I'm not a good candidate for this procedure, though, since my range of motion is terrible at the moment.
I'm excited to hear what my options are going forward. My appointment with Dr. Cooper is on July 12th and Dr. Jeng on July 19th. I'm hoping to have a decision at the end of the month so I can get in surgery in August.
No comments:
Post a Comment