A Kerry farmer who suffered ‘unbearable’ pain due to an ankle injury he sustained over 40 years ago, has experienced a whole new lease of life after undergoing a new procedure, captured in episode three of the RTÉ programme ‘My BodyFix’, presented by Kathryn Thomas.
Ballyheigue cattle farmer Tim Walsh who lives with his wife, Catherine, went under the knife at Bon Secours Hospital, Galway, with Prof. Stephen Kearns leading the team.
‘My BodyFix’ uses the latest digital technology to create 3D scans, and offer patients new ways of seeing their injuries.
The ankle injury brought his years of hurling to an abrupt end as a young man, and caused him a lot of pain.
This year, after decades of pain and failing treatments, he went to see lower limb surgeon, Prof. Kearns who was confident that the procedure would give Tim back his quality of life.
“The pain is crippling,” Tim said. “This is my last chance to get my mobility and my life back. At the moment, I can’t imagine my life without pain.”
Over the last couple of years, his eldest son Mike had to take over the farm work. “Like any farmer, dad wants to walk his fields and check his livestock,” Mike said.
“For him not to be able to do that has really affected his quality of life. There’s a safety issue as well when dealing with large farm animals, you need to be able to move fast.
“Hopefully after this intervention, he will come out the other side a happier man.”
Ankle injury
Prof. Kearns used a new procedure that involved pinning a large nail through Tim’s heel into his shinbone.
As with any surgery, there were risks, so Prof. Kearns showed Tim a 3D virtual reality scan to illustrate how the injury has impacted his ankle bone, and to explain the pros and cons of the surgery ahead.
The images revealed extensive damage to the joint, with cartilage completely worn away causing the excruciating pain of bone on bone.
Tim was shocked to see the extent of the deformity, and the arthritis in the joint that has brought him to a standstill.
“It was good to see where the pain was coming from, but I was shocked to see the damaged bone. It would make you cry. It’s no wonder I could hardly walk,” Tim said.
Prof. Kearns said that the operation went as expected, and Tim’s leg was in a cast for six weeks.
The first 10 days after the procedure, the pain was severe but after that, it eased and he was able to do more and go out on the scooter to the yard.
“It’s such a relief for me to have no pain, it’s another world,” he said.