New implant saves man's construction career
A man in Nebraska had worked in construction for years, and he loved it. He called his job, which often consisted of putting in cabinets, the best in town.
Unfortunately, a wrist injury threatened to take that all away from him. He had tremendous pain and sought help from multiple doctors, but things kept getting worse. Eventually, doctors told him that the best solution was to fuse two bones together, which would limit his ability to turn his hand. Though it may help to reduce the pain, it would take away the career that he loved.
Then he was presented with another alternative: A new wrist implant that no one in Nebraska had used before. An orthopedic hand surgeon who worked at Great Plains Orthopaedics had seen it done and knew it could work, but it was uncommon. Globally, the procedure had only been done 1,200 times since being approved in 2005.
The man went for it, and the surgery was a success. He does need rehab to help his wrist get stronger, but he saw an immediate increase in mobility and a reduction in pain. He didn’t even have to stay overnight in the hospital. It appears that his career has been saved by the procedure.
When rare procedures are needed after an injury, they can be quite costly, as cutting-edge medical technology usually is. In some cases, though, these procedures may be the only way to stay in the field at all. If this has been the case for you, and if you’re facing high medical bills after an injury suffered on the job, be sure you know about your rights to compensation.
Source: Live Well Nebraska, “Nebraska man worried that wrist injury would end construction career until doc recommended implant,” Kamie Stephen, accessed July 18, 2016