Talipes Information and Parental Support Group
Date: 10 Sept 1998
From: Jennie Friend jennief@kis.com.au
We were unaware of Todd's club feet until the time
he was born in August 1990.
He was my third child and I have since had another in 1992, (who, despite our concerns was
not born with any foot deformity). His birth was uneventful apart from a very sluggish
labour and an excess amount of amniotic fluid. He had a bit of trouble breathing at first
but improved quickly. The doctor informed us of his club feet but seemed unconcerned as it
was a "fixable problem". Plaster casts started the day after birth on both feet
with his right foot being worse than his left. After discharge from the hospital, serial
plasters above the knee continued, being changed on a weekly basis. We were referred to an
Orthopaedic/Paediatric Surgeon at Camperdown Children's Hospital (now The New Children's
Hospital, Westmead) whom we saw when Todd was about two weeks old. The surgeon seemed
confident that his left foot could be corrected non surgically, but the right foot would
almost certainly need soft tissue release surgery.
We continued with serial plasters until 6 weeks of age when we saw the surgeon again. At
this visit Todd was booked in for surgery to both feet in November 1990 (He would then be
3 months old) as the serial plasters were not making a lot of difference.
I went away from that
visit howling and wondering how I was going to cope with it all as I still had a 2 and 5
year old at home who both needed my attention as well.
The surgery went well and 2 pins were inserted into each foot and back-slabs of plaster
were put on with bandages. After a 6 day stay we went home only to return a week later for
another general anaesthetic to check and clean the wounds and put groin to toe plaster
casts on.
Another 6 weeks after that, the plasters were removed and the pins taken out. The removal
of the pins looked pretty barbaric, however Todd was already screaming from the noise of
the plaster saw so it was hard to tell how painful it was for him.
Yet another set of plaster casts were put on for 6 weeks and by the time they came off,
Todd was nearly 6 months old and had grown quite a bit. Our major concern at this point
was that the plaster was becoming too tight as small babies grow quite rapidly and by the
time they finally came off, his leg in the calf area, whilst the circulation was not cut
off, his leg was misshapen and this took some weeks to disappear.
At this point he had
to wear special boots through the day which were held in a splayed position by a bar at
night. It looked rather uncomfortable and took chunks out of the wooden cot, but they
didn't seem to bother him too much. He has a very feisty personality which probably held
him in good stead during all of this.
My memory fails me at this time and I cannot remember exact times and dates but I do
remember that at some stage after this he went from the boots to orthotic splints which
were made from a cast of his leg.(I actually still have them).
All went well from here, he started walking a little later than normal-- about 15 months
and progressed on to start school in 1996.
He always looked a little awkward when he walked and more so when he ran, but one day at
the beach in the soft sand, I noticed that the footprint of his right foot was almost
sideways to the way his body was facing. He was 7 years old at this stage and the surgeon
and hospital had moved to Westmead, so off we went to see him. He took X Rays and
suggested that surgery might be necessary at about 12 years of age when his bones were
fully grown. 12 months later however (In January this year) at his checkup, the surgeon
advised that a cacaneo-cuboid bone fusion would have to be performed sooner rather than
later as he was now starting to stumble over his right foot with his left foot and he was
starting to get teased at school for his awkward running style.
We went in for this operation in the Westmead Children's Hospital in July this year. All
went well and we came home after 2 days armed with wheelchair, crutches and sporting a
flouro orange fibreglass plaster!!!!!. This stayed on for 6 weeks and now Todd is wearing
another orthotic splint for another 6 weeks. I do not know if this will be the end of it,
only time will tell as the purpose of the bone fusion is not for instant results but for
the foot to pull around as it grows. He is currently walking with a limp but hopefully
this is only temporary as it has only been 9 weeks since surgery.
Although this has
all been difficult and very worrying at times, especially at the beginning when my small 3
month old baby was taken away for surgery, we have managed and coped, as parents we had to
for our child's sake. On the positive side, all the visits to the Hospital have opened our
eyes and made us see how very lucky we are to have a child with a "fixable
problem". Unfortunately not all children are quite so fortunate.
I would have loved to have been able to talk to someone who had already faced the sort of
problems that we faced, not just the big problems but the little ones too. Not necessarily
to give me answers but to understand and lend a sympathetic ear. If you ever have someone
in that predicament, please feel free to pass on my e-mail address. I can be reached at jennief@kis.com.au and I will
be only too happy to help.
Updated 1 December 1998
It has now been 5 months since Todd's surgery, and he is
going well. There is no great improvement at this stage, but that was expected and should
gradually improve as his foot grows. He is still limping, but only first thing in the
morning or when he has no shoes on as shoes tend to give more support his foot. He still
has some tenderness at the site where the staple was inserted also.
Updated 6 March 1999
Just a note about Todd's progress. Not good news I'm afraid, about a
month ago I noticed a lump forming on the outside of Todd's foot at the site of his bone
fusion surgery. After a Doctor's visit , X Rays and a specialists visit, it now seems that
the bones didn't fuse and have been moving and now the staple which was holding them
together is coming out.
So as a result of all this, we are now faced with having the bone fusion surgery all over
again. Todd is booked in for this surgery on the 1st of April, so I will let you know of
any progress.
I must admit, I am normally a fairly positive person, however the thought of trying to
keep an 8 year old boy happy throughout all the weeks of plaster , wheelchair and crutches
is a little daunting.
Updated 4 April 1999
Great news, Todd went in for surgery on 1st April,
but it turned out that his bones HAD fused after all, so all that needed to be done was
for the surgeon to take a look around, and remove the staple.(which by this stage was
sticking out of the side of his foot and causing pain and limping). So thankfully no
plaster, just crutches for a week or so until his foot is a little less sore. Hopefully no
more surgery unless any other problems arise.