My wife's new boss has compartment syndrome

[PaulOinMA]

Never heard of it before. Just Googled it, and clicked on images.

My wife started a new job this week. Flew to SLC. Her new boss was also supposed to fly out from here. My wife received a call last week that he had an accident and is in the hospital, but she should still come out.

He called and spoke to my wife. In hospital and had two surgeries and may need one or two more. He slipped on mud going to vote. Got home, and his leg swelled up. Went to an acute care place thinking he may have a leg fracture. His leg doubled again in size while waiting at the acute care place.

They said the good news is that you haven't broken your leg. But, he has compartment syndrome and has to get to an emergency room for surgery ASAP.

If not operated on in 5 - 6 hours, he could have lost his leg.

 

[fbelec]

yikes lots of us fall and don't think anything of it

 

[peakbagger]

I know a few folks who have had it, one guy was a tough guy who got hit in the leg hard a couple of times in the same day. The leg swelled up and bruised over the first hit and then he hit it again. He pumped a pile of painkillers and kept working. He got home and his wife wanted him to go to the hospital but he decided to wait it out. A few hours later he was in intense pain and his leg was definitely the wrong color. He went into emergency and told them to give him more pain pills as he had to work the next day. The ER doc gave him choice, they could take the leg off now and be back to work in week or so or they could try to save the leg. He decided to save the leg and was out of work for month and still had some issues years after. The other person was telemark sking at a ski slope and had a compound fracture (bone sticking out of skin). They got him patched up but within a day he had compartment syndrome. He was in the hospital for quite awhile and almost lost the leg. It took him several years to walk normally but years later he is trail runner so he did recover.

 

[maple1]

I had that once. Not pleasant at all. I forget the year exactly, I think it was the spring of 1984. Or maybe 1985.

I was on snowshoes carrying a small chainsaw that had an old school drill attachment on it. Long story short, the shoes slipped when I was climbing a steep hill and the sharp pointy end of the 7/16" drill bit hit my calf. Didn't bleed externally, it was more the impact of it than a puncture thing. Like whacking your self with the handle end of a small screwdriver. A bruise type pain. Then the balloon thing started. First doctor I saw at the closest outpatients department sent me home & told me to do exercises. After a couple more hours of worsening, my dear mother drove me further to see our family doctor. He took one look & sent me to the hospital. They admitted me pronto, the surgeon came by just as I got settled into bed & supper & immediately told the nurse 'prep him right away'. I about choked on my supper. He ended up making two long incisions up each side of my calf, and it stayed open for a couple days. That was a neat trick for visitors, me lifting my leg up off the bed and the calf staying put. I was in for 10 days, and starting to get bedsores by the time I got out. No after effects, except for two scars that are hardly visible now, and vericose veins which I am not sure were a result of that but I blame it for them anyway.

I still can't believe that first doctor, all these years later. But he passed away not too long after that episode, so tried not to think about that part too much.