This surgery involves the application of an external fixator placed into
one of the lower limbs of your body.
When you have your surgery, you will be put under analgesia and feel no pain and when you wake up there
will be a lot of people there to help you along the way.

Your pain control will be managed by a special team of pain specialists. You will have patient controlled
analgesia (PCA) where you will be able to adjust your own dose of pain medicine. This is delivered
either via an intravenous or epidural catheter.  Once taken off (PCA) you will be given oral pain
medication to control your pain.

You will be seen in the hospital by a variety of health care professionals Your Orthopaedic doctor and
residents, physician’s assistant, medical doctor, nurses, therapists, and a social worker for discharge
planning. You will start your training with a physical therapist and learn how to walk and exercise with
the fixator. It is important that you put weight on the operated leg (the fixator / frame will protect and
support your leg).

You will start your training with a physical therapist and learn how to walk and exercise with the fixator.
It is important that you put weight on the operated leg (the fixator / frame will protect and support your
leg).

Lengthening / Adjustments, Pin Care and Physical Therapy:

Begins days after surgery and continues until the length or full correction is achieved. One of the team
members will teach you how to do adjustments of the fixator and give you a schedule.

Fixator adjustments are typically performed 3-4 times per day All of your dressings will be removed and
pin care will be started; you will be taught a pin care routine by the nursing staff:

Clean pin sites with a mixture of sterile saline and hydrogen peroxide and dip a sterile cotton tipped
applicator into the mixture.

Using sterile cotton tipped applicator; you will clean around and away from the skin of each pin.

Always when cleaning your pins move away from the skin. Doing other wise could cause a pin sire
infection.  

Use a new cotton tip for each pin site; never use the same cotton tip for more then one pin site as this
could cause a pin site infection.

Clean each pin site routinely 3 – 4 times per day

Wrap white gauze bandage around pin sites. White rolls of gauze bandage are readily available at
most drugstores.

You will be given prescriptions for pain medications, antibiotics and for physical therapy. You will get a
10 day supply or oral antibiotic to prevent pin infections.

You can recognize a pin infection by increased pain, redness, drainage of pus, fever, or chills. If you
develop a pin infection., call your physician as soon as possible.

Eat a well balanced diet including protein and calcium to encourage bone growth.

A Physical Therapist will come to see you and help as well.

Physical therapy sessions: The most important of this task for you during this phase is to follow the schedule and do the exercises your Physical Therapist show you, this will help prevent joints from getting stiff. While
you may need to elevate the leg to prevent swelling, walking and weight-bearing as tolerated is encouraged
as prescribed by your doctor.  

Physical therapy will help maintain mobility and prevent stiffness of the knee or ankle is done 3 times per
week. Physical therapy can be done at a local facility or you may find a physical therapist that makes house
calls. Exercises should be done at home as your Physical Therapist prescribes.

You will be followed routinely by the Orthopaedic surgeon that did your fixator surgery and he or she will do
follow up X-rays and watch your care. Please let all of your team know if you are in pain as they are there to
help you through this process.
This website is regularly reviewed by members of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Board of the
MHE Research Foundation.
Disclaimer:   While many find the information useful, it is in no way a substitute for professional
medical care.The information provided here is for educational and informational purposes only. This
website does not engage in the practice of medicine. In all cases we recommend that you consult your
own physician regarding any course of treatment or medicine.  
Written consent must be obtained to attach web pages or the files attached to this website.
Please email webmaster.
The MHE Research Foundation, we comply with the HONcode standard for health
trust worthy information:By the Health On the Net Foundation. Click here to verify.#
HON Conduct 282463  and is linked on the NIH National Library of Medicine,
Directory of Health Organizations (SIS) website,as well as the link for Patient
Information on The Diseases Database a cross-referenced index of human disease,
and the Intute: health & life sciences a free online service  providing access to the
very best Web resources for education and research located in the  UK
The MHE Research Foundation is proud to be working with the EuroBoNeT consortium,
a European Commission granted Network of Excellence for studying the pathology
and genetics of bone tumors.
This file will print 2 pages