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Medical question for the knowledged
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| _Nut_ |
My mom gave me a ring this morning and told me that my dad is in surgury... he took a 2 story fall off of our ladder and landed on our A/C outside. I really dont know much about recovery processes or anything but here are some questions for any nursing or med students here (I know there are some that are very knowledgable). Or for anyone that has had this happen to them?
1) How bad is a Femur Fx that is very close to the pelvis?
2) Is it going to be put in a cast? or a rod with screws?
3) Best guess at downtime?
4) How painful is it?
5) What is the recovery process like?
Im kinda disturbed that my family didnt tell me about it until today about it, but I may post more questions when I think about it.
Thanks in advance |
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| UWM |
| Sam, I'm really sorry to hear that. I really can't help with any of the questions but I hope everything turns out alright. |
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| _Nut_ |
| quote: | Originally posted by UWM
Sam, I'm really sorry to hear that. I really can't help with any of the questions but I hope everything turns out alright. |
Thanks Rob.
I wont be able to ready anything now for about a day... Im bailing on work and class to go be with my mom while my dad is in surgury but i am still curious as to what any med students have to say about any of what I asked |
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| Trancer-adu |
hey sam,
a femur fraction is pretty bad. the problem with it is that there is a major artery that goes along the femur, and if it gets fractured, the artery can get lacerated, thus there will be major internal bleeding. now if the fractions is close to the head of the bone (close to the pelvis) the severity really depends on its proximity. as far as healing, thye might insert a rod if it is bad. usually with femur fractions they tend to insert rods to stabilize it. the down time might be long -- around 10-12 weeks. at least. the femur is a big bone, so it takes a while to heal completely.
i hope your dad feels better. |
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| whitesmoke |
The most common symptoms of hip fracture are severe pain in the hip or lower groin, or difficulty standing or walking after a fall. In some cases, there may be only thigh or knee pain. Walking may still be possible, although painful, with impacted fractures.
The goal of treatment for hip fractures is to restore your previous level of function and activity without pain. The most effective and common treatment for a hip fracture is surgery.
There are different types of surgery for hip fractures, depending on the location of the break, the position of the bone fragments (degree of displacement), and your age. Surgery for a hip fracture may include one of the following:
Internal fixation. Internal fixation involves stabilizing broken bones with surgical screws, rods, pins, or plates. This type of surgery is usually used in people who have femoral neck hip fractures in which the fractured bones can be properly aligned. See an illustration of a femoral neck hip fracture. Intertrochanteric hip fractures are usually fixed using internal fixation with a compression screw and side plate or intramedullary nail. See an illustration of an internal fixation with hip screw and side plate.
Arthroplasty. Arthroplasty involves replacing part or all of the joint with artificial (usually metal) parts. A partial hip replacement may be done to replace the broken upper part of the thighbone (femur) with artificial parts. In some cases a complete hip replacement can be done if the hip joint area was already damaged before the fracture by arthritis or an injury and the joint was not functioning correctly. Additionally, arthroplasty is often done for femoral neck fractures when the fractured bones cannot be properly aligned.
For a successful recovery from hip fracture surgery, your doctor will recommend a rehabilitation program based on the location of your hip fracture and the type of surgery done. A rehabilitation program will include exercises to help you regain mobility and strength, retraining in simple daily activities, and staying active. Your doctor may recommend that you:
Get out of bed and begin to walk around slowly with a walker, in most cases, as soon as the second day.
Begin weight-bearing exercise such as walking within a few days after surgery.
Begin balance training (with a physical therapist from your hospital or local community center).
Avoid movements that may strain your hip (or your new artificial hip parts).
After hip fracture surgery, you may need to retrain yourself in simple daily activities.
You will probably need to use a walking aid (such as a walker, cane, or crutches) for several months.
Cooking and other simple daily activities, such as bathing, may be difficult for you to do alone. There are devices such as dressing aids, raised toilet seats, and handrails that may be helpful for you. Your local chapter of the Arthritis Foundation or a medical supply company may be able to help you find assistive devices in your area.
You may need to make changes to your home to reduce your risk for falls. Potential hazards include throw rugs, poor lighting, cluttered walkways, and slippery floors.
Take care of yourself:
Stay active and exercise a little every day.
Eat a nutritious diet.
Don't smoke.
Take the correct medication at the correct time.
Get your eyes checked on a regular basis. |
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| Emil |
| quote: | Originally posted by _Nut_
My mom gave me a ring this morning and told me that my dad is in surgury... he took a 2 story fall off of our ladder and landed on our A/C outside. I really dont know much about recovery processes or anything but here are some questions for any nursing or med students here (I know there are some that are very knowledgable). Or for anyone that has had this happen to them?
1) How bad is a Femur Fx that is very close to the pelvis?
2) Is it going to be put in a cast? or a rod with screws?
3) Best guess at downtime?
4) How painful is it?
5) What is the recovery process like?
Im kinda disturbed that my family didnt tell me about it until today about it, but I may post more questions when I think about it.
Thanks in advance |
Whitesmoke pretty much provided the medical way of explaining it to you. Although he provided info for a hip fracture, when you said it's a femur fracture. Yes, he will be in a cast, and yes it is painful. The femur is very hard to break, it sucks he did. But at the same time if he took a 2 story fall and ONLY broke his femur, then he's very lucky. He could have suffered brain injuries and/or been paralyzed. |
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| beats and beeps |
| Holy crap whitesmoke, awesome post! |
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| whitesmoke |
| quote: | Originally posted by Emil
Whitesmoke pretty much provided the medical way of explaining it to you. Although he provided info for a hip fracture, when you said it's a femur fracture. |
It's the same thing. A hip fracture is a break in the upper part of the femur, which fits into the socket (acetabulum) of the hip joint. Most hip fractures occur in the femoral neck region and the intertrochanteric region, the area just below this. |
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| Emil |
| quote: | Originally posted by whitesmoke
It's the same thing. A hip fracture is a break in the upper part of the femur, which fits into the socket (acetabulum) of the hip joint. Most hip fractures occur in the femoral neck region and the intertrochanteric region, the area just below this. |
I know that. :thepirate I already finished surgical procedures. He didn't specify where the break was. Most do occur there, but not all. |
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| torontotrance |
| ask jennypie..she is training to be a nurse |
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| narcism |
1) How bad is a Femur Fx that is very close to the pelvis?
2) Is it going to be put in a cast? or a rod with screws?
3) Best guess at downtime?
4) How painful is it?
5) What is the recovery process like?
1) Its bad but it could be worse
2) Depending on the severity of the # and what u have said that he has gone to theatre the liklihood would be yes to rods. You cant really put a cast onto a femur brake especially if it is near the NOF (neck of femur, which is quite simply the ball n socket joint in ur hip).
3) Hard to say again depending on the type of # and severity, i would say he wouldnt be able to walk unaided for at least a month.
4) Quite painful, but there are worse procedures out there.
5) He will generally be out of bed the next day, the physio's like doing that. He will require physio, you will find that everyone's recovery is different, it all depends on how they handle it and basically their determination to get better.
Nut- Good luck with it all :) |
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| whitesmoke |
| quote: | Originally posted by Emil
I know that. :thepirate I already finished surgical procedures. He didn't specify where the break was. Most do occur there, but not all. |
I assumed it was there when he said the femur fracture was very close to the pelvis.
btw, what are you in school for? |
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