distalhumerus
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Joined: 16 Oct 2007
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 Posted: 10/16/07 - 22:26 Post subject: Arm Circulation Issues After Surgery |
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In January of 2007 I sustained a severe spiral fracture of my right distal humerus. The surgeon did a great job setting my arm with two metal plates and 17 screws.
Post surgery, my recovery went extremely well. Within 1 month I had regained full motion in my arm. So much so that my surgeon thought it was extremely impressive. He asked several associates to see me and without exception they thought I was 5-6 months post surgery.
Despite the seemingly quick recovery, I was very disciplined with my therapy and continued it for 6 months and NEVER did more than I was told. About 1.5 months out, my therapist and I started to notice that the upper arm around where the surgery was performed would swell during my exercises and turn purple. We measured the arm before and after exercise and there was ~30% increase in size across the entire upper arm and 15-20% on the lower arm. Within 30 minutes - 1 hour the arm color returns to normal and the swelling reduces to about a 10% increase around the upper arm.
The symptoms were immediately brought to the attention of my surgeon. Unfortunately he had never seen anything like it and referred me to a vascular specialist. The specialist saw the arm (never in its inflamed state), and performed an ultrasound. His conclusion was that there was no problem and the condition would disappear 6-12 months post surgery. Not satisfied by the diagnoses, I obtained a second and third opinion from other vascular specialists. Both performed ultrasounds and one did a CT-Angio. Again, nothing out of the ordinary was seen. But, NONE of the vascular specialists ever saw the arm inflamed (except in photos) because they said it did not matter.
I am now over 10 months post surgery and continue to have circulatory issues in my arm. Any cardiovascular exercise causes the arm to swell slightly. If I swim or lift weights with the arm, it continues to turn purple and swell to the same degree as it did 1-2 months after surgery.
Has anyone ever heard or seen such a condition? Alternatively, do you have any suggestions on how I should proceed? I find it bizarre that the vascular specialists say it is "normal" and will go away. How can this condition be normal when three orthopedic surgeons, three vascular specialists and countless physical therapists have NEVER observed anything like this? |
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