Doctor that works in 2 different cities

[CathyA]

I was having a lot of wrist pain, so I searched and found what seemed like one of the best docs at a Hand-to-Shoulder center in the city near here. What I didn't know was that he works several weeks a month in another city, fairly far from here. That means that twice now, I've had to wear a brace 2 weeks longer 'cause he was working at the other city. I also had to put off him reading my MRI for a week and a half because he was at the other place.
I wish I had known that at the beginning. And maybe I shouldn't always look for the guy who looks the best??
I've had 2 steroid injections in different places in my wrist and have been wearing a brace since August 31, with no real improvement. He said that if I didn't improve, I would need to have my ulna shortened and a plate put in.
I'm definitely considering a second opinion. All of this should have happened within a couple weeks tops.
And I would rather live with the pain than have my ulna cut in half and a plate put in.

[Teacher Terry]

The few people I know that had that surgery weren’t happy.

[CathyA]

The few people I know that had that surgery weren’t happy.

It's all very strange.......all the waiting, the repeat steroid injections. He took xrays the first meeting I had with him. Then he waited 7 weeks to get an MRI.....which showed a problem that should have shown up on the initial xray.
Yeah, I'm extremely hesitant to ever rush into surgery of any kind.....except when I had appendicitis.
Seems like a doc can have all great reviews online, but still not fit for us personally.

[Tybee]

Isn't that the operation Sioux just had?

My son just had his wrist operated on and a plate put in. It was because of a repeated fracture and it did not heal right the first time. I thought he did rush in to it, but he wasn't really given any other option.

[Teacher Terry]

Often within a few years the plates cause issues and need to be removed.

[Gardnr]

I'm definitely considering a second opinion. All of this should have happened within a couple weeks tops.
And I would rather live with the pain than have my ulna cut in half and a plate put in.

It sounds like you have already made the decision to live with it, but I will comment anyway.

Injections need to be spaced. 6 week minimum is the standard of care. So right there you have 12 weeks-waiting the 6weeks to see if the 2nd is effective.

Ulnar shortening can have excellent results. Yes, the hardware often needs to be removed-it is close to the skin on the forearm and can annoy people and even cause pain. That's not the fault of the procedure.

Flat plate xrays OFTEN do not show what an MRI shows. And MRI itself is not highly reliable in orthopedic care.

The cardinal rule of orthopedic care: NEVER treat the x-ray. ALWAYS treat the patient complaint/symptoms.

It is not uncommon these days for specialists to work in multiple locations.

And yes, get a 2nd opinion if this is not a Dr you trust. Even when people I know are seeing a surgeon i know/trust professionally, I NEVER discourage a 2nd opinion when they say they are thinking about it.

[CathyA]

I guess if I don't have the plate put in, I'll just have to deal with the pain, which comes and goes all day long, but isn't totally overwhelming.

The doctor seemed to think I had injured it somehow, but it was a year and a half ago, that I fell and probably hit my hand, but I'm not sure. But it only started to hurt several months ago. Who knows.......I work physically hard around here.

Tybee....how long ago did your son have the surgery and did it help?

If this recent steroid injection doesn't help, I will just see how the pain goes. It's funny.....last august I got tired of my right eye watering all the time and was referred to an eye specialist who does surgery on blocked tear ducts.
I wasn't real happy with the interaction with him, and he went through testing the duct too quickly. Then he couldn't do the surgery for 3 months, but said I needed it.

Well, I just waited, and it slowly improved. And recently I discovered that if it flares up, I just take some guafenesin and it goes away. And the surgery he would have done drills a new hole in your nasal bone to act as a tear duct.
And I've heard lots of times it doesn't work. Plus, it would have messed up my cpap use and I would have had to have a stent in my tearduct for months. So........I am so thankful that I didn't just follow his advice.

[Gardnr]

My son just had his wrist operated on and a plate put in. It was because of a repeated fracture and it did not heal right the first time. I thought he did rush in to it, but he wasn't really given any other option.

Surgeons are usually consistent about discussing: risks, benefit, alternatives.

Learn about this problem here: https://share.upmc.com/2015/03/malun...ion-fractures/

I have 24 years Orthopedic experience in my 39y career. I would never encourage someone to avoid surgery for nonunion/malunion. Will it eventually cover over with bone overgrowth? Yes, eventually it likely will. But will it be straight? Will it be functional? Will the muscle/ligaments/tendons become healthy and well again? Those are the risks of the alternative of "wait and see". It could be healed and painful forever and partial functioning and very weak.

Patient's are ALWAYS in charge of what happens. Care is only given to those who walk in and consent to it.

[Tybee]

My son's surgery was around 4 weeks ago and he is healing really well without much pain, he told me. His surgeon had the same surgery and showed him her scar and told him what to expect. He liked that.

Gardner, he apparently fractured it twice, and first time was 4 years ago and he did not realize it was fractured. So it had not healed right, so this doc told him he needed surgery immediately so it could heal right. She could not set it the way it was from the last fracture, if that makes sense.

He is an adult and made his own decision and I respect that. I'm thrilled he is not in pain now.

[Gardnr]

My son's surgery was around 4 weeks ago and he is healing really well without much pain, he told me. His surgeon had the same surgery and showed him her scar and told him what to expect. He liked that.

Gardner, he apparently fractured it twice, and first time was 4 years ago and he did not realize it was fractured. So it had not healed right, so this doc told him he needed surgery immediately so it could heal right. She could not set it the way it was from the last fracture, if that makes sense.

He is an adult and made his own decision and I respect that. I'm thrilled he is not in pain now.

Yes, as an OR RN and specifically Orthopedics, that makes perfect sense to me. I'm so HAPPY it is healing and has reduced his pain!!!!