INTRODUCTION TO ME: CHAPTER ONE

Hi.  My name is Jackie, I am 49 years old, and I am a Wright In-Bone Total Ankle Replacement recipient. http://www.inbone.com/

I’m here because my physical therapist thinks that putting this info out there might help people who have ankle problems and do not want fusion, but aren’t sure what other options exist.  For me, I think that there are going to be a lot of “Boomers” who will need this in the not-too-far-away future, and since my experience has been a very positive one so far, I’d like to share it with others who want to know but don’t have anyone to ask.  PT Guy and I concur that it is still a fairly uncommon procedure and people are interested!  Unfortunately, kinda like a car loan, “not everyone will qualify…” but if you have an arthritic condition, especially like mine which was a result of a traumatic injury in my 30s, and consider yourself either too young or too active (or both) to get a whole lot o’ joy out of life with a permanent limp, I urge you to consult your orthopedic surgeon about the possibility this prosthesis provides.

My surgery was June 30, 2010 at Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego, CA.  I waited 16 years for this part to become generally available and be able to find a physician who would/could install it.  When I slipped down Sunset Cliffs on an evening fitness walk in 1994, I was assured by my first orthopedist that the ankle replacement would be available within 5 years…but the FDA works in mysterious and antiquatedly slow ways.  Fifteen years, and 5 surgeries later, my dear Dr. P. finally informed me that he could no longer keep me waiting…the part had been approved in May 2009, and he would like to begin evaluating me for replacement as soon as possible. 

Due to insurance snafus and my need to have plenty of money set aside in my FSA for such an undertaking, I opted to wait until the beginning of 2010 to start pursuing insurance approval from my group carrier.  Although initially denied, once Dr. P. clarified my need for (and determination to receive) this device to them, approval was gained and we began to try and schedule the time in surgery.  Since my doctor admitted that he was not terribly experienced in the replacement procedure yet, he asked to have an associate doctor in the Sharp system that had done several assist with my surgery, which sounded like an acceptable plan to me.  The factory rep was also going to be in there, which gave me even more security that things would go smoothly. 

If you’ve never done it before, there is a gauntlet of hoops you must navigate relating to the current state of your health before they will allow you to enter the hospital for any procedure that is not an emergency.  First there was the MRI and X-rays to get the best look available at the condition of the bone, etc.  Then there is the EKG, the blood tests, the Stop-Taking-Your-Medications Schedule (this is a good brain teaser for anyone who takes so much as a vitamin) and the half-day class at the hospital where you are orientated concerning your hospital stay and have the crap scared out of you concerning staph infections and the evil Warfarin/Coumadin they want you to take.  For me, the recommended course of blood thinners was not the right choice; you should consult your doctor as to the absolute NEED to have these administered to you at all.  Ankles are different from hips and knees.