First Internal PRECICE Nail Leg Lengthening session (post-op)

Mary had her post-op appointment today. 

• We learned the CT before surgery shows a 35 mm discrepancy. So the goal is to lengthen 30 mm. (Her foot is fused and she toes down so we can't go for the full amount.)

• They removed the gauze from the incision sites and we saw the mark that indicates where the PRECICE device is in her leg (The mark stays on the whole time of lengthening (approx. 37 days) so you know where to put the machine to lengthen and where to take the weekly x-rays to monitor bone growth.)
• The happy face is her surgeons traditional mark to indicate the correct leg for surgery.

There are 3 incisions: 1. top to insert rod and 2 screws, 2. middle is where the bone was broken and the device was inserted, 3. lower one is where 2 more screws are to stabilize the rod.

PRECICE Nail Lengthening Device

PRECICE device in suitcase

Device positioned on leg for 1st lengthening session. It is loud so you know the magnets are spinning.

Yes, that's a paperclip taped to her quad for reference for x-rays

Mary will lengthen .5 mm two times a day. You shouldn't have any metal close to the device when lengthening, and it needs to be within 7 cm. to work.

Mary needs to work on hip and ankle range of motion during lengthening but she should not bend her knee more than 30 degrees. She will work on her knee range of motion once the lengthen is done.