PFFD VSG2

My husband and I have some questions for the group about hip surgery (actually femoral osteotomy). Our 3-year old daughter, Allison, has bilateral PFFD. She has a short femur in her left leg (Paley Type 1b) and no femur or hip socket in her right leg, so her right foot falls slightly below the level of her left knee. She wears a prosthesis with a hinged joint on her right leg, and she walks pretty well.

Allison has never had any surgery, but her doctor recently recommended a valgus osteotomy to correct the coxa vara in her left femur (her better leg) and to derotate. We'd like to get some feedback from others who have had experience with this surgery. Allison is not a candidate for lengthening, so the purpose of the osteotomy is entirely to improve her walking ability (i.e., not in preparation for lengthening).

Hi this is Brandy my husban and I had a baby in Oct 2004 with bi-lateral pffd. i just wanted to let everyone know that Tai is doing very well she is now 17mths and is walking around everywhere but still enjoys crawling around on her hands and feet. If anyone else has a child wiht bi-lateral or knows someone with bi-lateral we would love to talk to you about things. I hope all is well with everyone else take care.

Brandy and Brett Dubord

Our son Korbyn was born in 1999, and at the time we lived in Wyoming. Were the doctors are not the best. I went in for my 20 week ultrasound, and they didn't tell me anything other then i needed to go to Billings, Mt to get a 3-D ultrasound. So we did. They kept me over night in the hospital, not telling us anything. The next day I was discharged. But when we got to my uncles house there in Billings, the doctor himself called. He told us that he wanted us to come straight to his office for the findings on the ultrasound. When we got there. There were 6 doctors all sitting in a circle. They then went on to tell us that he would be a dwarf. They sent us to Denver for more testing. When we got there and the testing was all done. They told us he had no left leg. But that there was a foot not conected to anything. They also said it looked like he would still be a dwarf, but that there would probably be some mental illness. They thought at that time that we should termanate the pregnacy. We both said no. We went home, and found another doctor who had just moved to billings. He was a Perinatologist. He was amazing, so soft and sweet. He took us under his wing. By this time I was 27 weeks along. the doctor decided to do ultra sounds every day and tests almost every week. At 37 weeks, my Wonderful son was born he was 5lbs and 15 1/2 inches. But when I looked at him, I thought he isn't as bad as we expected him to be. He was alive and cring. They did all kinds of tests on him. And by late that afternoon he was in my arms. He had 2 toes on his left foot and it was turned backwards and his right foot had 4 toes and was turned to the side. At 3 months old I took him to the Shriners hospital in Salt Lake City. They told us he would never walk that he would be in a wheelchair all his life. We told them that we wouldn't accept that. I then took him to several different doctors. We ended up at the Spokane, Wa Shriners. they said we can do this and this and this. We said OK. At the age of 10 months his feet were amputated. we got his first wet of prostetics at the age of 15 months. It was a long hard road. 3 yrs later. He took his first steps without any help. Just out of the blue. It took our breath away. My husband and I were speachless... Since then he has had his Knee in his right leg taken out and the knee that was growing in his left hip removed. Now his has just gotten his first set of legs with the knees in them. And that was just 3 weeks ago. He is already walking again, without his walker. My son i do believe is a miracle. He has taught me so much. The most important thing he has taught us is to not take things for granted. We would love to hear from parents in the same situation as us. Our son is now in school, and I know soon he will start asking ?'s Maybe someone out their can give us some ideas on what to say. our e-mail address is kevnlissa2001@yahoo.com

I was born with P.F.F.D, Aiken Type I, and coxa vera. After careful consideration my parents decided that they were not going to go ahead with an amputation which was suggested when I was a toddler.

I have had various surgeries including the following:

(2 years)- Valgus Osteotomy - right femur

(3 years)- Repeat Valgus Osteotomy - right femur due to loss of fixation

(9 years) - Left Distal Femoral Epiphyseodesis

(12 years) - Sutherland Double Innominate Osteotomy and Ileoposoas Recession

(13 years) - Ilizarov Leg Lengthening

(27 years) – Total Hip Replacement

My femur discrepancy was approximate 18 cm. I have a lift on my shoe, and have had surgeries including lengthening of my short leg and shortening of my long leg.