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The response to the question below was authored by Marc Mitnick DPM

bilateral column lenghtening surgery

by joanne
(new zealand)

Hi, my 12 yr. old had surgery 9 months ago for his flat feet, few hours after surgery I first noticed his right leg shaking and spasms, its not as bad now, but because the surgery had not healed the way the doctor expected my son was recast for another 6 weeks which all up it was 12 weeks in a cast. Half way through the second casting I noticed his right leg was flicking backwards which led to a swelling were the cast was taken off and he was put on antibiotics in Hospital for a couple days then recast. Eventually the cast come off and he was then and still is now in a moon boot their was no physico therapist consultation as what we to do. I was going to my local GP as my sons leg and now hip are rotating where his right leg now stays up. He cant walk unless he has crutches and when we go out he has the wheelchair as he gets tired hoping on one leg. His right foot toes are still numb and they curl under his feet. He can stand on his right foot for a couple seconds with a lot of effort but the leg springs back. THROUGHOUT MY GP has given us diazepam and norflex which I stopped giving. My son recently had a Gate analysis an assessment and they believe he has Dystonia in his right leg. Prior to the flat feet surgery he was playing sports, climbing you name it an active boy and now he's limited to what he use to do, HES JUST STARTED ON Gabapentin. I have been trying to research information that would help me because I don't

believe it. All I see is a 12yr old who, cant put his leg down long enough to take a step can you help me. I'm a desperate mum.

Thanks.

RESPONSE

Hi Joanne,

If your son truly has dystonia then he needs to be under the care of a neurologist, not your GP. This is potentially a life long disability and the longer you wait, the harder it will be to reverse the situation, if at all.

I cannot imagine the surgery itself as being the culprit here, but the first thing that comes to mind is the possibility of a reaction to the anesthesia as I am guessing he had general anesthesia. Even if he had spinal anesthesia, that too should be examined as the spinal cord may have been damaged.

I know nothing about New Zealand, nor where in the country you live, but I would recommend you seek treatment at a large teaching medical center. This type of problem is not very common especially after elective foot surgery, so I would assume the average doctor would have no way of adequately treating it.

The medications your son has been on, may reduce the symptoms at the very least, but they are not going to cure the problem.

Of course I know nothing about his actual degree of foot deformity, but if he was able to play sports and was active, I am not sure why a doctor would recommend surgery in the first place as there are other ways to deal with flat feet.

I suppose all of that is water under the bridge, and right now your immediate concern should be in finding the best possible care for your son.

Marc Mitnick DPM
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ADDITIONAL REFERENCES

Mayo Clinic

Johns Hopkins Medicine

MedlinePlus

Arthritis Foundation

University of Rochester Medical Center

Harvard Health

Drugs.com

American Academy of Pediatrics

Penn State Medical Center

National Institutes of Health

Columbia University Department of Rehabilitation

ScienceDirect

Stanford Health Care

Illinois Bone and Joint Institute

Mount Sinai Hospital

Institute for Chronic Pain

University of Florida Health

American Family Physician

Cedars-Sinai

University of Maryland Medical Center

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bilateral column lenghtening surgery

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