hip problems in DS doctors in NZ please help me im going mad!

[mummieluvsu]

ok so heres the story

my son was born nearly 6 weeks early so he was in hosp a while.
he had many checks but none picked up his bad hip.
the day we got him home my partner and i noticed it wasnt right.

so we took him to GP. she refered us to x-ray and ortho surgeon...at 5months

the x-ray shows a 29degree difference in hip angle on the right hip.

but the surgeon sent a standard letter that is obviously sent to everyone saying. 30degrees is the accepted amount of difference so he wont need to see our DS. but wanted a 9month x-ray

now he is 9months. STILL waiting to hear from x-ray. have been trying to chase it up but no one has helped.

his leg is aweful. honestly i dont know how they can say its in normal range. it sits at right angles to his body. he crawls with the side of his foot but his toes down on the other foot. and now hes walking along furnature and he has his left foot straight and his right foot completly at right angle.

his heel of his right foot always stands on his left foot toes!!! so he cant even walk!!!

does anyone know what i can do to make them take this seriously. im sure if the ortho surgeon would actually see HIM rather than just his xrays he would SEE it needs to be fixed. does anyone know a doctor i can go to that will help??

i cant afford to go private but ill go into debt to fix it if i have to. this has me in tears!!! i need help i cannot allow my child to fall through the gaps in our stupid health system

please anyone who can help let me know anything would help.

[mummieluvsu]

please please anyone???

[bub12]

can you go elsewhere? another x-ray place or different clinic?

[Ravensbourne]

kylogie1, on 20 August 2010 - 06:12 AM, said:

can you go elsewhere? another x-ray place or different clinic?

Hi. We have just gone though the same thing. I was born with clicky hips, so when my son came along I jumped up and down until we got him cheecked. As of last mth my son got the all clear. Is there a otho who looks after babies. We got into one who does. All I can say keep pushing, you are the mother so YOU know if something is not right with you son. Hope this helps, GOOD LUCK.

[*Katrina*]

Hi

can you go to a normal GP and ask for a referral for an xray for him/her to look at? Maybe then they can refer you to someone.

My second daughter is 11.5months old. She has just finished 7.5 months of treatment for DDH (Developmental Hip Dysplasia) that started at 4months of age. Her left hip was completely dislocating.

I really think that if you just went to a GP they could get the ball rolling for you

Good luck!!!

[mummieluvsu]

hmm thanks but i have taken him to the GP 3 times now.

does anyone have a name of a doctor??? if i could just get him in to see one instead of them just x-ray i think they would realise he needs surgery.

its not clicky hips and it doesnt dislocate. its just at a very strange angle to the other one.

even strangers notice it now

oh well ill just keep trying. the public health system in this country drives me mad but i think auckland is the worst. im thinking of going to northland and seeing a GP there. because they have more funding and less patients up there so maybe the wait time will be less.

i will be devistated if the wait leaves permanent developmental damage. seem as he is already trying to walk. i think it should have been sorted well before now

[mummieluvsu]

Ravensbourne, on 20 August 2010 - 12:09 PM, said:

Hi. We have just gone though the same thing. I was born with clicky hips, so when my son came along I jumped up and down until we got him cheecked. As of last mth my son got the all clear. Is there a otho who looks after babies. We got into one who does. All I can say keep pushing, you are the mother so YOU know if something is not right with you son. Hope this helps, GOOD LUCK.

can you tell me who the DR was and where??

[Ravensbourne]

mummieluvsu, on 20 August 2010 - 02:22 PM, said:

can you tell me who the DR was and where??

Hi,

Before I tell you the Dr and where. I live in Tasmania (Aus)

[Ravensbourne]

[quote name='Ravensbourne' date='22 August 2010 - 11:26 AM' timestamp='1282472801' post='2778236']
Hi,

Before I tell you the Dr and where. I live in Tasmania (Aus)
I feel this wont help much. Any way we had Dr Mackie who is a Otho, he is based in Hobart.

[MCF5A6]

Gosh, either get your GP to do a referral or ring up an private specialist (they are all listed in the white pages) and push to get in to see one of them. It's not in all cases that a referral is needed, they just prefer it so patients are screened so it's actually the needy ones that get to see specialists rather than it being a free for all. It might cost, but if you can afford bypass the queue if you can!

[liannal]

I would take your DS to another GP and have them give you a referal for another orth surgeon. I went to GP and got a referral for DD, and was able to see the orthopedic surgeon the same week. I had to pay $220 for a 5 minute consultation, but was given the all clear from orth surgeon. As I had the referral I was able to claim $60 back from medicare. I found out from physio that the orth surgeon we were referred to, is the same one at the childrens hospital, she also told me the wait to see the orth surgeon through the public system would have been months.

If you can afford it, have DS seen privately.

[mummieluvsu]

thanks guys i think going private is the only way. it just pisses me off. our govt promisses free medical care for kids till there 6. thats why i voted for them...

all good and welll but you have to wait so long and you get lost in the system that by the time you get there things arent fixable.

shocking really.

ill go private and hope that the surgery if he has it can be done under the public otherwise ill be paying thousands. worth it but VERY anoying.