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This includes patients with serious injuries to their legs (lower limbs).
Patients who have suffered serious injuries to these parts of their bodies, such as open fractures, often need surgery to fix the bones and reconstruct their skin and soft tissues. At MFT we have an expert “orthoplastic” team, which includes consultant surgeons from plastic surgery and orthopaedics working together to ensure that safe and effective decisions are made by senior surgeons, and the operations are carried out in accordance with national guidelines.
In addition to nurses with specialist skills on our orthopaedic and plastic surgery wards, we are supported by a team of trauma nurse coordinators who work to ensure patients referred from other hospitals are transferred quickly, operated on by an experienced team, and met by a rehabilitation team at MFT or their local hospital after their reconstructive procedures.
Pre-tibial haematomas
A pre-tibial haematoma is a blood clot on the front of the shin, which commonly occurs in patients with thin, frail skin after minor falls. These are generally managed with dressings until, and not commonly referred to plastic surgeons unless the area is very large – greater than the size of a patient’s palm and fingers – or there are other complicating factors. When necessary, we can provide specialist nurse support to help district nurses get these wounds to heal.
Microsurgery
If patients have suffered a ‘high energy injury’ such as a major trauma to their lower limbs caused by a road traffic accident, particularly open fractures, they will be seen by our microsurgeons with a special interest in limb reconstruction. Complex injuries like these require us to work very closely with our consultant orthopaedic surgeons and sometimes long and complex operations are necessary to reconstruct the bone and soft tissues.
These injuries often require a long period of hospitalisation, rehabilitation, and repeated trips to theatre. Throughout the process you will be supported by our experience ward staff and seen daily by the surgical and rehabilitation teams.