POD#4 s/p ORIF 5th Metatarsal
(4 discussions)
Hi,
I’m a nurse and recently did a spiral fracture on my right 5th metatarsal and had surgery 4 days ago. My wedding is 11 weeks away so they thought it would be better to just proceed with surgery and get it healed. On my dressing change today a friend of mine noticed that they had indeed placed a pin in what I’m assuming the end part of my metatarsal to keep it aligned while healing. I just want to know what I can expect as far as removal of this pin, how painful and what timing they usually remove it at. My post op f/u appt 2 weeks post surgery. I don’t anything about what to expect from this, a little nervous about the pain on removal. Thanks for any advice.
4 comments
Andrea Myers
On a f/u to my recent post I thought I should mention that I’m 26, no prior medical history and in great health.
Andrea Myers
Thank you so much for your response. I am a little disappointed myself that he didn’t take the time to explain the hardware to me, especially being in the healthcare field. I’m not sure if is a K-wire I know after doing a dressing change it runs from my heel and up through my entire metatarsal as it was a mid-shaft fracture. It does have a hook at the end of it and on the fluoroscan does not appear to be screw at all. If you could confirm that this sounds like a K-wire that would be great. This has definitely helped on easing my thoughts on the removal of this. Thank you so much.
Vivian Abrams DPM
First of all, I will not mention the line about nurses as patients…
2nd- I am curious as to why the doctor didn’t discuss any of this with you. I know that anytime I have a nurse or any other patient who is interested in the details, I explain the procedure to them. I especially tell them if there will be any hardware.
3rd- if all you have is a K wire sticking out, then removing it is not a big deal. Sometimes a little local anesthetic is needed, sometimes the wire is pulled out without incident. I will not remove it however unless I see adequate bone healing is taking place. This can be 6 weeks, but it varies from doctor to doctor, so ask yours. Just a thought, ask your doctor for a prescription for sympathy to give your fiance. Good luck.
Vivian Abrams DPM
A screw would show thread just like a wood screw. It is very likely a K wire. The wire is bent so it doesn’t slip and slide into the foot. Good luck and BTW when you are looking for shoes for your wedding, may I recommend a sandal of some sort and low heeled!