They quoted me over the phone 7,500 Canadian not including medication. It's not cheap, but certainly much more reasonable than anything I can find in the US.
I have it pretty bad on both feet wondering if anyones done both feet at the same time ?
Also its a been a few month since some post here people having the procedure done just wondering how its coming along at this point ?
Thanks Garet.
I had the Cartiva implant done on my right big toe on June 8th - two weeks ago. My surgeon, Dr. Eman Elmi is Amazing if you live here in the Bay Area, and works out of Bon Aire Hospital in Marin. He was previously one of the team podiatrists for the Chargers and the 49ers.
Yesterday, I got my stitches out and I am working today on breaking up the scar tissue so I can get back a full ROM. I have been going to the gym against his wishes, and doing what I consider to be light upper body after the first week. Obviously, it is not advisable to raise your blood pressure and increase the possibility of tearing your stitches.
Today, I'am able to walk almost naturally in the platform shoe, with a little discomfort. There has been surprisingly little pain. Dr. Elmi gave me a pain block from the knee down, and I didn't start Percocet until the 3rd day.ecessay, but I Highly recommend i t.
Dr. Elmi recommends the platform shoe for 5 weeks. I was weight bearing on the 3rd day. He did mention a collegue in LA that puts his patients in the Nike Free Run 5.0 after the stitches come out - but you didn't hear that from me! =)
I advise against it. I'm not sure any doctor would do that - mine recommended that I hold off. Two legs in plastic shower bags.? Nah.
I had the cartiva implant on april 25. i'm still having a significant amount of pain, especially after PT. I'm at 2 months tomorrow and really thought i would not have this much pain this far along. I'm hopeful that it will just take more time. But i'm also frustrated.
at 2-3 weeks i was having quite a bit of pain too. i am 2 months out tomorrow and the range of motion has really improved and the pain has gone down....although i'm still having much more pain than i thought i would have. hang in there!
i was able to drive when i was able to walk with a regular shoe. so i didn't drive for 2 1/2 weeks. then i bought some shoes that were a bigger size and didn't rub on my foot. wore a bandage over my incision to protect it from rubbing on the shoe. You can't drive if you are wearing the boot, so i would say 2-3 weeks at least.
Just scroll past this if you can't handle it.
so sorry....didn't see this till now....i went to Dr Alan Zonno in Lee's Summit, MO outsisde of KC. He is great. My recovery is going well, although i reallly wish there wasn't as much pain....still hurts quite a bit...2 months tomorrow. good luck!
Doing pretty well now. how about you? 2 months tomorrow for me. ROM has increased over time, pain has decreased but still lots more pain than i thought i would have. still hard to ben that toe completely, PT says might not ever get that back. sore if i'm up on feet alll day, last 2 PT sessions this week.
Hopefully you are using ice for swelling Not a lot -10 mins on 10 off at the end of your day. for 30 minutes. Bag of pees! I do recommend ibuprophin 300 - 500mg. and moving it back and forth all the time with your fingers while you're sitting around. keeps the scar tissue from forming. Stretch the pigtgy. =) Most importantly - call your doctor. He got paid already and your still in pain !
Just scroll past this if you can't handle it. Rebandaging after first week.
Good point
Man your post about being back in gym after a week makes me feel much better about getting this mess done
Down time from gym is like the main reason I was looking to do both feet at the same time
This looks just like mine did at that point! i'm planning to take all my pictures and make it into a quick video....would look like some pretty quick healing! did you take that other picture DURING your surgery? who took it?
Thanks for getting back to me. I don't know where I am going with this because my other big toe is also acting up. It was getting bad before the cheilectomy on my left big toe in December 2010, i think because I was favoring my left foot due to the pain. Once I had the surgery. My left big toe, the pain in the right big toe subsided substantially. Now, both toes are starting to throb although the right toe throbs more. Thanks for your help with regard to a doctor, but I live in the U.S. I actually read in other posts about a really good doctor in the city that I live in. I want to wait out the summer, but plan to see him in the fall. I am a bit discouraged that i am having symptoms again in the Chielectomy toe after 5 1/2 years. I am active and don't want fusion, but I am concerned about the longevity of Cartiva. I am overweight and wonder if that could have an affect on what is going on with my toes.
Hi hi again! I was reading your comment to Christine and I am confused about something you wrote. You said that you had a "fusion" of your tmt. I thought you had a Cartiva. Am I not understanding what you wrote in your posts? I just want to understand what you actually had done. Thanks.
How fast your body heals has a lot to do with diet. For example, what is your omega 6 to omega 3 ratio? Too much omega 6 in the body leads to an over reaction of inflammation in the body after surgery. Unfortuantely the western diet has given many people have about a 15 or 20 to 1 ratio of omega 6:3, whereas the ideal ratio is about 2:1. Eat Salmon to increase your EPA omega 3. You should also take protein shakes, and a vitamin supplement everyday to give your body the building blocks it needs to help it repair itself. Hope that helps.
Hello Rosalyn,
I am 10 days post op having Cartiva implanted in both feet with Phalangeal Osteotomys. I was immediate weight bearing walking from outpatient procedure. I was very disciplined ice 30 minutes and walking 5 minutes for first 5 days. No pain medications taken until day 3 post op when the first block apparenty wore off and experienced intermittent painful sharp nerve throbbing. Started Tramadol 50mg but very little relief until instructed to boost with Acetaminophen. Post op day 5 bandages were changed and physician asked if I was experiencing any pain. He seemed surprised when I described the sharp throbbing. I was instructed to walk 15 on/15 off, but no range of motion excercises yet. Day 12 follow-up stitch ends will be cut-apparently with the plastic surgery stitch technique utilized the sutures will not be removed. I will continue in the shoes for one week following. My question to you and anyone else...Did you experience the sharp pain throbbing or is this an unusual response? If so, how long until it subsided? Thank-you in advance. Robin