Question about a broken upper arm

[Krischaser]

Hello I know this is not budget related but sometimes things on this board are not and you guys are extremely helpful. My mother fell on Friday and broke her upper arm. She went to the er and immobilized it. She called to get into doctors office but can't get in until Thursday. He has already seen the X-rays and is scheduling her for surgery next week. Is this timeframe normal? Thanks!

 

[Ali]

Well, when my son broke his elbow we went to the ER and then were told to drive him immediately to the closest Pediatric specialty hospital for surgery the next day.

Being an adult, I would guess that if it is immobilized and she has adequate pain management and take care of her needs then she is ok? But surgery next week seems weird.

 

[clori]

My 79 year old mother broke her upper arm on a Friday afternoon. She went to the local emergency room and was admitted to the hospital until after surgery. She had surgery Saturday and left Sunday. My mom had a reaction to the pin so the second surgery a few weeks later was day surgery.

I know some kids who break the lower arm don't get a regular cast for several days. However both times my dd broke her arm she we ended up at Children's hospital and was seen by a pediatric orthopedic surgeon that day and had a cast put on. The second break wasn't stable so after two weeks of follow up xrays it was determined on Friday that she needed surgery. The surgery was on Tuesday.

 

[Marionnette]

Hello I know this is not budget related but sometimes things on this board are not and you guys are extremely helpful. My mother fell on Friday and broke her upper arm. She went to the er and immobilized it. She called to get into doctors office but can't get in until Thursday. He has already seen the X-rays and is scheduling her for surgery next week. Is this timeframe normal? Thanks!

Treatment is very dependent on the nature of the break and the individual patient. If you are uncomfortable with the time-frame suggested by the doctor, then perhaps a second opinion is in order.

 

[clh2]

Treatment is very dependent on the nature of the break and the individual patient. If you are uncomfortable with the time-frame suggested by the doctor, then perhaps a second opinion is in order.

MTE. A 2nd opinion might be in order.

 

[tina.tina]

If you aren't comfortable with this, I would seek a second opinion.

Some orthopedist offices are busier than others but sometimes there is a reason for it because the doctors are that much better. The office here in our town isn't as good as an office in another town 1/2 hour from here but it's really hard to get into that better office. Also, I would rather travel 1.5 hours to go to a better hospital than our local Community Hospital.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

Personally, I think that is a little long of a wait considering the circumstances. Offices usually have time slots set aside for more of an urgent nature. If you only got someone in the office when you called, you could call them back and ask to speak to an office manager or the nurse who works for the doctor. My Mom was in the hospital, in ICU, critical and all that. When d/c and home she was to follow up with her regular MD is less then a week. When I called the office they said the only thing available was almost a month out. I was so upset. I explained my Mom's condition and instructions and wasn't getting anywhere with front office staff. I finally said to the office person that this needs to be run by the nurse and or doctor and that she doesn't have the authority to make this decision in this appointment. An hour later, got a call from the nurse and my Mom was in by the end of the week.

 

[FLmomof6]

My daughter (13 at the time) broke her ankle on a trampoline in 2012 (bimalleolar fracture, broke both the tibia and fibula). The injury happened on a Sunday, she didn't have surgery until Friday. It was a pretty serious break, she was in a wheelchair for about 4 months. Her Dr. told us he had a 10 day window for surgery. I think you are within that time frame.

She was treated in the ER immediately, they put a temporary cast on and sent her home. She saw the orthopedist on Tuesday, Wed. we were at the hospital for paper and lab work. Thursday she saw the Orthopedist. Friday was surgery (Open reduction internal fixation)...we were at the hospital from about 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. She has 2 screws, 2 pins and a wire She recovered at home, but saw the Dr. constantly (cast changed and xrays every week, checking surgical incisions, taking staples out) for about 6 weeks, then every other week for the next 6 to 8 weeks.

One thing though, I wouldn't take the receptionists word for it. She doesn't have the training to make an educated decision about healthcare. Call and insist on speaking to a nurse. Any time we had a question, our daughters Dr. called us back as soon as he could, even giving us his cell number.

 

[LaurLaur04]

It all depends on the nature of the break, if it is displaced or not, fragments, her medical history, etc. Its not uncommon to have to wait a few days.

 

[GoofyBaseballMom26]

I fell on a Saturday, went to the emergency room. The bone at the top of my arm had split into 4 pieces and I cracked the ball in my shoulder. Went home with pain meds and an appointment with an ortho (best shoulder doc in Knoxville) on Monday. He scheduled surgery for Thursday. The whole experience was awful , but because of the break, the doctor performed an amazing surgery to put me back together. Plate and ten screws, and one year of rehab and its functional enough my life is back to normal. Will never have full motion.

Long story short ....yes I had to wait but it was worth it in my case to have the doctor I had.

 

[PA Princess]

This type of wait for broken bones seems more common these days. I know as a kid the two times I broke my arm we went to the er, was operated on, and was put in a cast.

Today it seems the norm is more like you are experiencing - er visit to confirm break and sent home with immobilization with orthopedic visits, surgery, and casts to follow in the next week. This is what we experienced when dh broke his ankle a year ago and when dd 7 broke her arm the year before that.

 

[sookie]

It depends on the patient, the type of break, and the way the doc likes to operate.

Sometimes the docs like a little bit of a wait - I'm not completely sure why. I have heard some say that they like some of the major swelling after the initial break to be down. That way it decreases the risk of the cast cutting off the circulation in the arm. When the doc does the surgery, he will probably place the cast after that. Less swelling makes it safer. But they will still have some swelling after the surgery.

I would say that the time frame is not completely abnormal, but you are completely welcome at any point to get another opinion and no one would be unhappy with you. If it were my mother or child and I had questions - I would get another opinion. If I were comfortable with the care my family member had received, and if the arm was stabilized well, and the pain was well controlled - I would go ahead and wait.