Eight-year-old Violet has a condition called intoe which has effected the development of her feet. It’s a condition Violet has had since birth but it wasn’t picked up until she started to walk. Mum Penny explains: “She would get really sore and achy and I would have to massage her legs. She would have to slow down because there was a risk of her falling.”
Every other treatment Violet has had has failed so orthopaedic surgeon Phil Henman is going to try to correct Violet’s feet though surgery. “Very occasionally we get someone whose feet are so badly turned in that we ought to do something about it and Violet is a case like that.
“She actually physically trips over her feet as they point together so much. She gets teased and bullied at school which isn’t a primary medical reason for doing it but in terms of her quality of life it is one of the things you take into account.”
When asked about if the other children at school are unkind Violet says: “Just one – she usually calls me penguin feet.”
This operation can’t come soon enough for Violet who hopes the operation will mean she can play outside with her friends.
Violet takes a short walk for Phil so he can see the positioning of her feet as she walks, Phil explains to Violet and her mum that the plan is to operate on both sides and get her feet into an improved position so she is less likely to trip.
Before Violet goes into surgery Phil askes her the most important question…what colour plaster would she like. Violet asks for purple and red with sparkles – an excellent choice.
As with all surgeries there are risks and Phil has to be careful to protect the growth plate. These are cartilage structures at the end of your long bones and that is where you grow damage to these growth plates can be devastating and life changing.
In theatre Phil begins the surgery to straighten Violets feet.
“At the beginning of the operation I mark the leg to locate where the joint line is and where the growth plate is – it forms a map in my head of where everything is – basically tells me which bits to avoid.”
“What I absolutely must not do is damage the growth plate as these will have the long term effects on the growth of her leg and any benefits she may have from the surgery will be completely negated”
With Violet’s legs marked up, Phil’s calculations are put to the test. As the wires go in Phil checks they’re in the right place and checks that the rotation is correct. Phil divides the bone and moves the rotating wires together. If the calculations are correct Violet’s feet should now point forward.
With her right foot in the perfect position the next challenge is to get her left leg pointing in exactly the same direction.
As Phil reaches the critical stage in Violet’s surgery “Getting the details right is very important – there is nothing worse than looking at the operation at the end and thinking that one is still a couple of degrees off than the other. In this particular instance you need to be as perfect as possible.”
With the surgery complete the important matter of the colour of Violet’s casts needs to be addressed – a difficult task for Phil who is red-green colour blind!
With a shout of “Sparkles” Violet’s casts are finished and Violet is ready to be reunited with her mum and a chance for Phil to reflect on just what this surgery means to Violet: “The difference this operation has potential to make for Violet is considerable. It is not just the physical aspect of this. I am sure what means most to her is the fact that she gets teased.”
Violet’s surgery was a huge success. Her casts have now been removed and she loves her perfect feet!
