Help! Compartment syndrome who was your surgeon? where did you get test?

Slothy · 13-03-2014 3:41pm #1

Hi,
Just making it clear Im not looking for any medical advice, I'm just looking to find a competent surgeon and a place where I can get a compartment pressure test done.
I am finding it difficult to find a place to get a pressure test.
The thing is I got a compartment test done like 16 years ago and I think there was an error, long story but the pressures went up but non conclusive on one leg.... anyway long story short I had to give up certain sports.

Now I'm cycling a lot and symtoms have some back.

I want to get the best place to do a test once and for all.

Thing is I have paid a consultant in SSC €220 for a consultation he reckons I have compartments but he wants to do the test him self.

I just want to get a place that does the tests all the time so its an accurate test.

If people could recommend their surgeon and where they got the test that would be great.
Or if there is a place where I can go to get a test without paying another consultation that would be great.

jlm29 · 13-03-2014 5:36pm

OP, compartment syndrome is extremely serious. If you're worried you might have it, you don't have time to be messing around, and wondering where you should go. You go straight to your nearest emergency department.

Slothy · 14-03-2014 12:37am

Jim, ah thanks, its Chronic compartment syndrome I'm referring to rather than the acute version.
I've been to one consultant about it already its ok!
It generally affects athletes, runners mainly get it, although I think it ended Jerry Flannery's rugby career. Heres a little bit on it here.
http://www.running-physio.com/shin-pain-part-two/

Slothy · 25-03-2014 2:57pm

anyone else?

fergusc10 · 08-08-2018 2:10pm

@slothy did you get the pressure testing done? If so where did you get it done & what was the outcome from it?

Slothy · 08-08-2018 4:02pm

Hi there @fergusc10 wow 4 years later...
The compartment syndrome thing is not that straight forward. IN the SSC in Santry the surgeons all take one surgeons opinon on it. Its that of Andy Franklyn-Miller who is currently the Director of SSC Sports Medicine. His take is that it is more of a mechanical issue due to bad running and not something that is fixed with surgery. He did a study years ago on soldiers and found that many had high pressures and didnt have any symptoms so he views pressure tests as non conclusive. My opinion is he is right and wrong. In some that's the case where corrective running would fix them. In many other cases though its a condition thats fixed with surgery.
I have followed the subject in depth in a lot of places. I found a guy online in a facebook group who was in the English army where he had symptoms and was referred to Dr. Miller who said it didn't need surgery. He siad

He (Dr andy f Miller) would regularly cancel pressure studies for personnel and it wasn't until after he had left DMRC Headley Court that many of us were diagnosed & subsequently treated.

I dont know how true this is but it casts a bit of a shadow on the research.

I also found a doctor that did the study with him. This is what he had to say...

There was no direct measurement of pressure. I and AFM carried out a systematic review which suggested that the pressure levels used to diagnose CECS were prevalent in those without symptoms as reported in other studies.

Our research group (AFM left) have now carried out a further study showing that the original diagnostic criteria were poor due to overlap with the healthy population. Our newly created criteria however do demonstrate that pressure during exercise can provide a conclusive diagnosis.

So I think if you have severe symptoms of CECS dont waste your money really unless you want a strong specific viewpoiont...

Its disappointing that the SSC have taken this stance based on one study from one doctor who happens to be the Director now. They are supposed to have scientific minds hence open minds but they dont appear to be open.

Eanna Falvey (part of the SSC) who is/was rugby Ireland physio has adopted the same opinion as Dr Falvey, I guess he is not going to rock the boat of the SSC situation.

There is other Doctors in Ireland who will look further into it for you as a proper men of science should. I will pm ones I found.

You also need to get tested for PAES (Popliteal Entrapment Syndrome) the symptoms are quite similar. There is tons of research out there where PAES was not detected after a fasciotomy.

Anyway I have researched this stuff quite a lot ...

Dalmar · 26-01-2021 11:35pm

Hi @slothy,
thanks for all the information. I probably have this for 2 years now as well, but needs to be confirmed by test. Seems like situation at SSC didn’t change since your last post as I had already quite a few appointments in there, they tried several different treatments on my calf, nothing helped and doctors are avoiding considering CECS diagnosis.

Anyway, you mentioned above that there are some doctors in Ireland who have experience with this. Would you mind providing me some names? Do they do pressure test as well?

Thanks a mil

Marina091 · 26-02-2021 10:08pm

I am looking for more information on Doctors who can help with compartment syndrome or facebook groups etc can you help?
Many Thanks

Help! Compartment syndrome who was your surgeon? where did you get test?

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