Waterproof Casts?

[ekatiel]

OP here-- We will finally see the ped tomorrow and get xrayed. I called on Monday (they are pediatrics and sports medicine, so they do casts), and the ped who does the casts wouldn't be in until Wednesday. The wrist is still bothering him-- we've got it in a splint right now. Still hoping it's not broken! The receptionist did tell me they do waterproof casts, though, so that's good. I'll post back tomorrow.

 

[danygirl]

When youngest dd broke her ankle at age 9 they gave us a regular cast and a waterproof cast cover. We were back two days later with a wet cast demanding a waterproof cast. When dd 1 broke her ankle it was workers comp and they refused to pay for a waterproof cast - but we objected because she needed the waterproof so she could work her second job teaching swimming.

DS broke the scaffold bone in his wrist and needed a cast for 12 weeks. He was going to Iceland on a school trip and they were going to the thermal baths. His dr had the pt fit him with a removable plastic cast that he could wear in the water but remove to clean

A broken bone won't ruin your trip!

 

[KBW]

My daughter (8) fell off her scooter a few days before we were leaving to spend 2 Weeks at the beach this past summer. Her break was what's known as a buckle fracture. She was in a soft cast for a few days, then had a waterproof cast put on. (The hospital tried to discourage the waterproof one, but I insisted.) They also told us that she could only get it wet in "clean" water (i.e, shower or pool). No ocean or lakes. And you had to thoroughly dry it with a hair dryer after swimming.

I was not too thrilled with 30 minutes of drying after each swim, but then a friend told me about a cast cover that he had used for his daughter. Basically, you put it on and then pump out all the air, forming a tight waterproof seal. It worked great! She swam for hours in the pool without the cast ever getting wet, plus it kept the sand out at the beach. I also let her go in the ocean if she kept her arm up out of the water. If you're interested, it's called the Dry Pro Waterproof cast cover. It's available on amazon for about $35.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

DS broke his wrist (cracked the radial head in his right wrist) a few days before he started 3rd grade. He was casted the day after he broke his wrist, and 2 days after that he spent about 6 hours swimming in the ocean.

Our insurance at the time did not cover the waterproof cast, so we paid the whopping $25 out of pocket. In hindsight, I would have paid quadruple that, just for the convenience. He could swim, shower, basically do everything, because in addition to it being waterproof, it was very lightweight.

Good Luck!

I agree 100%. Ds17 broke his arms 3x over the years, the last time being in 2nd grade. That last time it was also very displaced so they had to knock him out (in the ER) and reset. He couldn't get the cast for about 2 weeks, waiting for the swelling to go down but the first 2 times were small buckle fractures that could be casted right away.
So, the docs at the ER suggested their ortho group which was different from the group we went to the first 2x. First thing I asked was if they offer waterproof casting since we had a cruise planned for 1 month later. When they said No we went back to our old group and it was so worth it.
With our underwater camera we got frontal pictures of him while snorkeling with the sting rays in Grand Cayman. I wish I could find it but it's been around 10 yrs and it wasn't digital. Back then underwater dig cameras were like $500 & up.
Anyway, long story short, he swam like a fish that trip.
I truly feel sad for kids who don't get a waterproof cast. The old type of lining is such a PITA.

eta: We were never told anything like having to blow dry it for 30 mins or not to go into the ocean. We did rinse thoroughly so it wouldn't itch and he never complained about any skin issues.

 

[hollypoast]

My daughter (5 at the time) broke her arm at the beginning of summer and had a water proof cast. She swam every day that she had it on. No problems at all. I was shock that it held up but it did beautifully. Good luck

 

[Duchie]

Depending on where the fracture is, a waterproof cast might not even be an option. My son broke one of the teeny tiny bones in his wrist (just below the thumb) last year. Of course it was less than 2 weeks before we went on vacation. The orthopedist said the waterproof cast was not an option for him because of where the break was, something about it not being able to form properly to his arm.

He ended up with this molded plastic arm brace that had Velcro straps to hold it in place. It was great that he could swim on vacation, but I honestly think it lengthened the time he was in a cast. I just don't think it worked as well as a traditional cast.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Depending on where the fracture is, a waterproof cast might not even be an option. My son broke one of the teeny tiny bones in his wrist (just below the thumb) last year. Of course it was less than 2 weeks before we went on vacation. The orthopedist said the waterproof cast was not an option for him because of where the break was, something about it not being able to form properly to his arm.

He ended up with this molded plastic arm brace that had Velcro straps to hold it in place. It was great that he could swim on vacation, but I honestly think it lengthened the time he was in a cast. I just don't think it worked as well as a traditional cast.

I think whether it should be a removable vs. non-removable is a different case altogether. That's something an ortho dr should decide. When a non-removable cast is needed, a waterproof cast is the same cast material, fiberglass. It's the inner lining that's different and makes it waterproof.

 

[ekatiel]

OP here, again. He ended up in a cast. The xrays didn't show a break, but the doc was worried about tenderness that might indicate his scaphiod was broken. The bad news: It's not waterproof. The good news: He's getting it off just before we leave on our cruise . Apparently, the doc doesn't like waterproof casts-- something about them causing skin irritation?! But he said that it will be just shy of 4 weeks from the injury when he takes it off, and he's comfortable with that. I should know better than to trust when a receptionist tells me they do waterproof casts!! We would have left and gone somewhere else if the doc wanted to leave the cast on any longer, but since he thought it would be OK to take off before we leave, we went ahead with the traditional cast. Hoping I don't regret that decision!

 

[clori]

When my dd was 5 she broke her lower arm. She was sedated and had her arm set. The er doc said she could not have a waterproof cast at that point. At 4 weeks she was switched from a full arm to a half arm cast and I was offered the option of a regular or waterproof cast (which had a copayment). It was only 3 weeks and no swimming but it was so mch nicer.

At 9 when dd broke her arm again this time she needed a cast that I forgot the name of but do to swelling needed to be open with tape securing it closed so no way could she have a waterproof cast. She ended up having 2 surgeries nd a total of 5 casts for that break. At no point was she allowed a waterproof cast even though I asked and was willing to pay. I was told that waterproof casts are not as quite the same so breaks not initially stable can't have waterproof casts. After open reduction surgery no waterproof casts either. I think the last two casts though were the standard type. I was glad when she switched to the removable brace after 8 weeks.

 

[eliz603]

I'm sorry about the cast! My DD broke her ankle twice last year (physical therapy tomorrow!), and my oldest DS broke his ankle in 2 places in October. We spent about 4 months of last year with someone in a cast. So I feel ya!

On the waterproof cast - it is my understanding that waterproof casts are the exception and not the rule. Assuming it's a typical break , it in part has to do with the location of the injury. My kids were never eligible for a waterproof cast.

I skipped summer swimming with DD - even with a special cover, a leg cast is heavy! But we did go through cast covers for the shower. I found that Limbo (online only) was the best designed for ease of use and shower watertight.

Pixie dust on the cast!!!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

When my dd was 5 she broke her lower arm. She was sedated and had her arm set. The er doc said she could not have a waterproof cast at that point. At 4 weeks she was switched from a full arm to a half arm cast and I was offered the option of a regular or waterproof cast (which had a copayment). It was only 3 weeks and no swimming but it was so mch nicer.

At 9 when dd broke her arm again this time she needed a cast that I forgot the name of but do to swelling needed to be open with tape securing it closed so no way could she have a waterproof cast. She ended up having 2 surgeries nd a total of 5 casts for that break. At no point was she allowed a waterproof cast even though I asked and was willing to pay. I was told that waterproof casts are not as quite the same so breaks not initially stable can't have waterproof casts. After open reduction surgery no waterproof casts either. I think the last two casts though were the standard type. I was glad when she switched to the removable brace after 8 weeks.

Of the 3x ds17 broke his arm, the last time he needed a full cast and it was still waterproof. Maybe just depends on the type of break. Due to swelling he had to stay in a splint for about 2 weeks which had to stay dry. They said if they cast while it's still swollen, the cast will be too loose once the swelling goes down.