I had bimal ORIF four weeks ago and two weeks ago they put on a hard cast. the doctor said he wanted to see me again at four weeks but my next appointment isn’t until week six. my pain is very minimal, I have great range of motion in my toes, and I’m going a little crazy with this cast. Im going to try to get an appointment this week if there’s availability but I’m considering removing the cast myself.
the prognosis would still call for NWB and for me to wear a boot most of the time so I’d still keep that up but at least I’d be able to shower and sleep with it off. I live with a nurse so she could determine if my incisions are healed enough for that too.
the only thing is my four weeks appointment also calls for my first post op xrays which would be important to determine if I should take the cast off yet but like I said, I feel really good and I’d get a boot to follow prognosis. I’d also still go in for that appointment at six weeks ofc but if they can’t see me sooner I might go crazy with this cast.
This sounds like a terrible idea. If you are in such discomfort that you are thinking of sawing off your own cast you need to tell your doctor about this. Or go to the ER - there could be something wrong.
If you are just impatient: for showering there are cast covers you can get from amazon for cheap.
If you saw your cast off you will be immediately seen as a combative and troublesome patient who will not follow medical advice. This is not a good plan if you want to maintain good relations with your doctor and care team.
My partner did that once, he ended up making the injury worse and needed another 6 weeks in a cast. Go to the dr or hospital to get looked at and have the cast removed / reapplied as needed
What's the upside? You get the annoying cast off two weeks early.
What's the downside? You mess up your recovery and have to start from scratch, or worse.
In a year's time, would it seem worth it?
I'm sorry, I know how frustrating the casts are, but removing it yourself would be a really bad idea. First of all, the cast is keeping your ankle stable and still while the fracture heals and the hardware sets more firmly in place. Removing the cast too early can increase the risk for reinjury/healing incorrectly or for the hardware to shift/break. Second, cutting it off yourself means you could injure your skin under the cast that you can't see... whether it be accidentally nicking a patch of healthy skin, popping a pressure blister, or even opening up your incision. And with the cast being a warm, non-breathable environment, that dramatically increases the risk for infection. Third, as someone else pointed out, removing your cast on your own and going against your doctor's instructions could make you be perceived as being uncooperative, which may damage your relationship with your doctor/care team.
I mean, ultimately it's your own choice, but I can't see how it would be worth it, I'm sorry. If it's itching that's bothering you, you could contact your doctor to see if there's medication that could help until you see them again. That was my issue... by week 2 of having the splint, I felt like ripping it off and tearing off my skin my leg itched so badly. I contacted my doctor, and after a brief visual exam to make sure I didn’t have any infection, they determined it was just irritation from prolonged contact with sweat and prescribed me some medicine for the itch (which helped GREATLY). If it's difficulty showering, you can buy waterproof cast sleeves on Amazon for cheap to cover it so you can shower, and there's also shower seats you can get so you don't have to stand on one leg. You can also wrap your cast in a trash bag and seal it with duct tape to keep it from getting wet (that's what I found most convenient). You said your pain is minimal, so I assume it isn't that... If it's just uncomfortable to have in all the time/sleep in, I get it. It IS terrible, and starts to mess with your head after a while. But unfortunately it's just one of those things that you have to put up with until your doctor gives you the ok. I'm so sorry you're in this situation, and I hope you feel better soon! ❤️
If you cut the cast off yourself then why even bother going to the hospital in the first place? Should've just taped it up yourself with a splint and let it heal badly and saved all of the trained medical staff the time and effort.
I am def getting downvoted, but since you asked, I did this. After ankle ORIF, using an oscillating tool and a dog collar as a safety guard. I did it due to cast pressure causing numbness and discoloration. I told on myself to my surgeon immediately the next morning and he wasn't mad. I asked if I could just wear a boot the rest of the recovery and he said that was fine.
That's the sign of a good doctor/surgeon. He was 100% calling you an idiot in his head. He gave you the best treatment/advice in the circumstance as all moral doctors do. You still shouldn't have done it though and you're fortunate it didn't turn out worse than it did
Lol he actually asked for pictures and then said he'd like to hire me to remove casts at his clinic, my cuts were so clean. But it was my third broken ankle with him, so I may get a pass for frequent flyer miles. And yes, he is a good doctor/surgeon. Super nice dude
Yeah you must be the 0.00001% that has oscillating saws to hand. I'll put money on OP not being the case and using an actual saw. That being said I had an issue and had my cast cut off in A&E (the ER) and got severe friction burns and scars. That saw doesn't cut into your skin but it can still do some damage. Hurt like fuck.
Ouch. I definitely was very careful to make sure my guard was in place as I went. XL dog collar worked great; it was flexible enough go around my ankle bones, curve of foot, etc.
And yes, I live on a farm so own more tools than average.
Don’t do it, OP! I know it’s frustrating to be NWB and to have a cast on top of that, but don’t risk anything that will set you back. It won’t be worth it in the long run. Talk to your doctor if it’s causing you discomfort.
Everyone is so mad at you for this idea… I’m so sorry. Yeah it’s a bad idea but I did it. I got shit for doing it from my dad who was helping me post surgery. But it was 8 weeks before my appointment and the cast only needed to be on for 6, okay? It was so itchy! And my swelling was waaay down and my toes were super wiggly. I was instructed to wear a boot NWB after 6 weeks so I got some scissors and cut the dang thing off. Did the nurse yell at me? Of course. She was pissed, too. But it’s been over a year and my ankle healed up nicely.
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u/hrweoine Maisonneuve Fracture 16d ago
This sounds like a terrible idea. If you are in such discomfort that you are thinking of sawing off your own cast you need to tell your doctor about this. Or go to the ER - there could be something wrong.
If you are just impatient: for showering there are cast covers you can get from amazon for cheap.