My father 81 needs wrist surgery for a bad fracture and I am worried

Just to add would having surgery increase the healing time or would having surgery make it sooner for him to gain independence and use of his wrist quicker that it would have been if he had been in a cast?

Thanks
HammyHamster

My mother had a fall abroad, and had surgery on her arm at about 85 in a Greek hospital.

She recovered well, although she had to have the pins repositioned after a while (in the UK). She came through the surgery very well, despite the heat and stress of it all.

Thank you for your reply Doodledog. That is very reassuring.

I had a fall and fractured my right wrist very badly a few years back as I have osteoporosis. I had to have pins inserted.

I spent quite a while with my arm in a full forearm and wrist plaster and full recovery took some time. I think it is important to have physiotherapy and to do intensive regular exercises to regain full movement. All was well in the end.

I wish your father well with his treatment.

DH had a triple bypass, a considerably more serious operation, a year short of 80. He is now 82 and alive, well and with me still

I broke my wrist a few years ago the fracture was displaced and the wrist was pulled then plastered Unfortunately although the bone was aligned something was not correct and my wrist looked odd they must have felt there was a problem as I received 11 physio sessions NHS and many months of me continuing with the exercises. A friend had a wrist fracture pulled and set and the recovery time was pretty quick.

I think he will have to be guided by the medical team dealing with the problem. It doesn’t sound like a straightforward break as he is having pins. Many people his age have new hips and knees and many other operations. He will have to accept that recovery time will be trying. I had a replacement shoulder in my seventies and manage well in my late 70s. He may be given antibiotics as a precaution.
Very best wishes for a good outcome

My friend broke her hip in a fall at nearly 90 had surgery and healed very well if your Dad is reasonably fit then he will be fine Look at all the hip and knee replacements older people have I m same age as your dad and would definitely have what was offered to me

I would suggest it is not only the best option, but possibly the only one.
My sister in law(admittedly «only « 75) shattered her wrist in a fall 18 months ago getting onto a train. As she also has osteoporosis it was particularly nasty and needed pinning. Despite chronic lung disease ( Bronchiectasis ) she came through the operation well and has made an excellent recovery.
Just as well as she had a fall last autumn in London and broke her hip. Again surgery was needed but she is a toughie and came through it well.
Good luck to your Dad.

Thank you all so much for your replies and reassurance. My father is a very independent person and likes to drive and is normally very active, so surgery like someone pointed out is the only option so he can maintain his independence and activity.

I will be honest I never thought about elderly over 80s having successful hip replacements and recovering well. So looking on it that way my fathers wrist operation is rather minor compared to a hip replacement. He is healthy for his age so he should be ok. He will be having a local anaesthetic for his wrist surgery.

Again thank you all so much your replies mean a lot to me, and they are most appreciated. I will keep this post updated so if someone else has the same worries as myself then it might also put there minds to rest. Just hope it all goes well for my Dad which by all your replies it should do.

HammyHamster

84 when I had my hip replacement and it was and is very successful.
Your Father will be fine, I wish him well.

my neighbour did; I think when she was 85. She had it done under a local anaesthetic ( nerve block ); painless, and is fin e now.

My son’s FIL, in his mid-80’s, recently fell and fractured his hip in three places. He had surgery and is now up on his feet again, despite also having a degree of dementia.

I think at 81 and being fit, your father will cope well. Good luck!

Your doctors are wiser than most in this forum. Voice your concerns there.

And worry is sin.

And worry is sin

Of course it isn’t.
And I think that you’ll have found that what the majority (if not all) of the replies confirm that OP’s father’s medics are advising
According to the consultant he spoke to at the Fracture Clinic today he seems to think it is the best option because it is not healing
and aim to provide reassurance based on personal experience.

My father had knee replacements well into his 90's, and recovered extremely well from it, despite having heart disease but being an otherwise fit man, still going weekly to the gym at that time. I shattered my wrist several years ago ( I have osteoporosis) and the in only feasible option for a good outcome was a metal plate in in my my wrist. A lot of younger than me your dad, admittedly but still...it's now set brilliantly, function is excellent though not quite as good as before the fracture. I was meticulous about the physio and haven't looked back. Best decision I made!

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KarthikYogaraj

Surgery on an older wrist that isn't uniting on its own is pretty routine and the pins usually settle it. The bit you can actually get ahead of is the fortnight he'll be one-handed in the cast, because that's where an independent person gets frustrated. A few cheap one-handed aids make a big difference, a kettle tipper, jar openers, elastic laces, and your local British Red Cross often loans equipment short-term for exactly this kind of recovery.

The other thing I'd chase, given he came off a chair, is a falls-prevention referral through the GP or the fracture clinic, as a fall causing a fracture is the trigger for that and it's easy to let it slide while everyone focuses on the wrist. On driving, the cast rules that out, but most get back to it once they've regained grip. Is he managing okay one-handed at home for now?

Good practical advice. I'm sure all will go well.

Hello.

Again thank you all for your replies and reassurance it is appreciated.

@KarthikYogaraj I live at home with my elderly parents and I have been helping my father with things he cannot do like cut up his food into bite size pieces etc. You made a good point about falls. I will ask my father to look into that on his follow-up appointment. Thank you. Yes my father want to get back driving because it is costing a fortune in taxis. He knows he cannot drive until he has got good grip so it will be at least 6–8 weeks depending on how his surgery goes.

My father was called this morning to attend the Stafford Hospital hand clinic for his surgery. To say I am worried is an understatement. I hope all will go well because he is on blood thinners (clopidogrel) he did tell the nurse who phoned, and she had a word with the surgeon who is doing the surgery, and she phoned back and said it would be ok to do the surgery today. So that is where we are at the moment. I will keep you all updated on how things go.

Again, thank you.
HammyHamster

My friend broke her wrist when she was 96! She had it pinned and it healed quite well. She had some very slight restriction in flexibility, but nothing which affected her day to day activities. She lived to 101 - fit and reasonably healthy and mobile till the last couple of months!

PS Just saw your last post. My friend was also on blood thinners. That meant that that they had blood on standby, just in case. It wasn't needed and she was told that pinning a bone isn't very invasive, but obviously it's best they know.
Good luck to both of you.

I think the good old nhs decode what the best outcome for the patient will be and treat accordingly- the risks of gen anaesthetic will be advised…wishing him a speedy recovery and getting back to independence.

Hope it goes well Hammyhamster.

Best option. I had 2 TKR in my late 70s, he will be fine.