Squeaky is two! Walking, running and climbing. A chatty, happy and boundary pushing toddler who adores vehicles and anything with wheels and hugs and kisses.
We had a second check-up without Ms Biljsma, I went without Mr Gin, because we are just being monitored after being released from the abduction brace.
There was an x-ray request that I wasn’t expecting but I had dressed Squeaky in clothes that made it easier just in case. The x-ray, as always wasn’t fun but he is getting less distraught with them.
The consultant we met was Mr Manoukian. A face I had not seen before. He looked at Squeaky walking and I commented about the intermittent toe walking that he does. Then the normal check of range happened and Squeaky had a good old giggle.
Then I looked at the x-ray. The ball of the femur has almost caught up with the right in shape and bone mass. But Mr Manoukian felt the hip looks like it could be slipping out. When checking his movement the left abduction feels tight as well.
Mr Manoukian said he would consult with the team about what they should do, he felt a general anaesthetic to relax Squeaky and inject the joint with dye to see what it looked like would the first port of call. With a possible Pelvic osteotomy. He would call us in a week to confirm if they would do anything as it seemed to sitting on the border of intervention.
I called Mr Gin at work with the bad news.
This was two days before Squeaky’s birthday.
The following day I had an appointment with my surgeon, I showed him Squeaky’s x-ray. He said he didn’t do paediatrics but that it looked like it was slipping out.
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| The red circles show the three months ago and recently. |
The following week we waited, and then I called the Royal up and finally sourced a direct dial number. I left a message via the secretary and we got a call the next day. The team had looked at the x-ray and felt there was not need to do the arthrogram and Mr Manoukian had a surgery date for a Pelvic osteotomy and possible femoral osteotomy. The pelvic wiII require bone grafts from other sites inside Squeaky and the Femoral would have metal work. That would have to be removed in 12 month’s time. There would be another Spica cast for (just) six weeks.
It was 12 months since his last surgery to the day. I may have sat on the floor and cried. Mr Gin did the same, at work.
We have approach Great Ormond Street Hospital for second opinion from the senior CDH/DDH specialist there. We have been accepted and are awaiting a date for this.
At this moment, Mr Gin and I are planning that this will go ahead but trying not to put our lives on hold. For the moment, the surgery will happen on the 6th of April.
My feelings are mixed and wide, this has been awful because we thought it was going okay. More surgery was not in our thought processes. My questions now to surgeons will always be, what happens if this does not work.
More information of the procedures.
https://hipdysplasia.org/developmental-dysplasia-of-the-hip/child-treatment-methods/osteotomy/
