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G14 - Rotationplasty
Intro: Just about every child gets growing pains now and then. Those achy legs are sort of like a rite of passage. But for one young girl that pain turned out to be something very different. Bone cancer. Not long ago kids had to have their legs amputated to get rid of the disease. But now doctors at Mayo Clinic are performing a surgery that allows kids to regain use of their leg, even after part of it has been removed.
| Video | Audio |
| Total running time 1:50 | "ANYTHING A TEENAGER WOULD LIKE TO DO. I CAN DO IT." |
VO: Shanna rollerblading |
AND THAT'S AMAZING CONSIDERING THAT THIS ROLLERBLADING 15-YEAR-OLD LOST PART OF HER LEFT LEG TO OSTEOGENIC SARCOMA - A TYPE OF BONE CANCER. |
| Shanna Decker | "I JUST SAY IT'S SOMETHING I HAVE TO LIVE WITH AND THAT I'M LUCKY TO BE HERE." |
| SHANNA DECKER IS LUCKY TO BE ALIVE AND LUCKY TO HAVE HAD A SURGERY THAT ALLOWS HER TO WALK, RUN, PLAY ... | |
| Shanna Decker | "FOOTBALL, BASEBALL, SOCCER, HOCKEY, STREET HOCKEY, BIKE RIDING. ALMOST ANY SPORT." |
| YOU SEE, IF THE TUMOR IS SMALL ENOUGH DOCTORS CAN REMOVE IT AND REPLACE THAT SECTION OF BONE. BUT IF THE TUMOR IS TOO LARGE, LIKE SHANNA'S WAS, THEY HAVE TO AMPUTATE THE LEG. BUT NOW DOCTORS AT MAYO CLINIC DO AN ALTERNATIVE SURGERY CALLED ROTATIONPLASTY. | |
Franklin Sim, M.D. |
"THE BENEFIT IS THESE KIDS DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY'VE HAD AN AMPUTATION EVEN THOUGH THEY'VE HAD PART OF THEIR LEG REMOVED." |
To animation |
DURING SURGERY, A TEAM OF DOCTORS REMOVES THE TUMOR AND CUTS OUT SURROUNDING TISSUE AND BONE, INCLUDING THE KNEE. WITH THE NERVE AND ARTERY INTACT, DOCTORS ROTATE THE LOWER LEG 180 DEGREES AND REATTACH IT. |
| Franklin Sim, M.D. | "THE ANKLE JOINT BECOMES A KNEE." |
| YOU CAN SEE SHANNA'S FOOT IS NOW HER KNEE WHEN SHE TAKES OFF HER PROSTHESIS. | |
Shanna Decker |
"A LOT OF PEOPLE STARE AND I THINK THEY'RE KIND OF SHOCKED THAT THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN IT COMES OUT OF THAT. BUT YOU KIND OF TELL THEM WHAT HAPPENED AND THEN THEY'RE O.K. WITH IT." |
Franklin Sim, M.D. |
"IT'S HARD TO TALK TO THE PARENTS ABOUT THIS BECAUSE IT SOUNDS SO GROTESQUE. BUT WHEN THEY SEE HOW WELL THESE KIDS DO GETTING BACK TO NORMAL ACTIVITY, THEN THEY UNDERSTAND." |
Standup |
SHANNA IS DOING WELL, AS AN HONORS STUDENT, ATHLETE AND CANCER SURVIVOR. ANOTHER ONE OF SHANNA'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS IS ICE-SKATING. WITH THE SAME TALENT, GRACE AND PERSEVERANCE THAT WILL HELP HER REACH HER GOALS IN THE FUTURE. |
| Shanna Decker | "I WANT TO WORK IN MEDICAL RESEARCH SO THAT WAY I CAN HELP OTHERS." |
| FOR MEDICAL EDGE, I'M VIVIEN WILLIAMS. | |
Tag: And when Shanna is not playing sports or doing schoolwork, she spends her time reaching out to other kids going through cancer treatment.
In addition to her surgery Shanna had months of chemotherapy. Rotationplasty is not right for all kids with bone cancer, as each case is different. But for kids like Shanna, the operation offers the chance to be like any other kid. For more information log on to our Web site at ...
STATIONS: Per the licensing agreement, please provide a link from your station's Web site to www.mayoclinic.org/medical-edge or voice tag "mayoclinic.org/medical-edge" for more information.
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