United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

There is a surgeon in Sydney who is definitely worth talking to.Her name is Claudia R Gschwind, she operates from Royal North Shore Hospital.She operated on my son & we have the greatest confidence in her

Mt son had surgery in Sydney in June 2002 and August 2002 for LBPI. The suergon was Dr. Claudia R. Gschwind. She works out of Royal North Shore Hospital.

Your wellcome Allison !!!! I'm in Fl. Marco Island today at a friends house. I saw doctor Grossman yesterday in Miami and dr Price. they now want to start with my hand, luck my wrist to get my fingers moving then work on my tricept to bicept. Has any one had thair wrist lucked in place? Paul

Steve, thanks for the information, I'll check it out!
How old was your son?
We get the reports on the 20th of this month, so not much further to wait until I start getting some answers. Right now to help Tom, I'd go anywhere, or do anything.
I have the greatest admiration for all who have bpi, I have only seen what it's like from a wifes view.
Thanks again Allison

To Allison, Tom's Wife
My son's accident was a few weeks before his 21st Birthday, some present! as with so many others it was a motorbike accident.His first operation was 14 weeks post accident .this was nerve tranfer, out of leg into shoulder, his 2nd op was 3 months later,this was intercostal to bicep.He now has some movement in his shoulder & it is bulking up.Last week his OT said that she felt some flickering in his bicep.The accident was last March.It is a slow process.We live in Perth but found Claudia via someone else who also has BPI

Hey, everyone...
I'm 17 yrs old and i had a snowboarding accident on march 4,2000. I severely stretched the nerves of my brachial plexus. Originally, i had very little movement, but i have improved quite a bit. About a year and a half after my accident, the Dr. finally gave me the option of surgery. At that point,i had no biceps, and no wrist and finger extension. Everything else was had improved, and i had just started to get use of my triceps. Luckily i have had no pain. I went to Boston and saw Dr. Sang Lee at Mass General. The day of the surgery, they opened me up and found there was scar tissue blocking the nerve to my biceps. So, instead of doing the muscle grafting they thought they had to do, they cleared away the scar tissue and took some nerve from my leg. Then, they took finger and wrist flexors from the same arm and brought them on top so i would have wrist and finger extension. About 1- 2 months later, i was able to get wrist and thumb extension, but am still waiting for my other fingers to extend. I have recently begun to feel my biceps flicker, it took about five months post-op though. It's a long process but i'm working through it. Any questions, just let me know.

Linsy

14 weeks very good. 3 months is good to. Yes its slow but your on the fast track. Its slower when doctors lie and steer you wrong like many of us. I was post 1 year before i new what i had. And now its 4 years. You can't bring a musele back to life after 1 year.So your on the right path with your son,,,,Please sign your name.............Paul

Onepaw I never herd back............Paul

Hi everyone,

My son Gianni began P/T O/T a week ago, after his surgery. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what exercises would be good for him to do at home, in between sessions. I see his arm getting very thin looking and it scares me that he might loss the muscle before the nerve has time to grow and restore some movement. Are my fears valid? He is now 21/2 month post surgery.

Best regards,
Maureen aka Gianni's mom

Yeah Paul I just logged on to the site, I do have some round about info on the tricep to bicep transfer.I was told about a guy who had it done maybe 15 years ago, a mutual friend put us in touch and I talked to him quite awhile but I haven't met him yet. He is a dairy farmer down the road a piece. He says the arm goes up and down alright, which it must, to do dairy farmin, thats hard work and I've heard he is pretty tough. He's got a hook he runs with his shoulder, and nothin else since he apparently avulsed the works, but he said the tricep came back after a year and that was it, so they swapped it around to his bicep down at Mayo. He says he seldom notices the pain anymore. If you want me to find out anything else, let me know on a post since I plan to rub elbows with the guy in the next couple weeks. Onepaw