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Orthogate
1089 Spadina Road
Toronto, AL M5N 2M7
Ph: 416-483-2654
Fax: 416-483-2654
christian@orthogate.com






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Our two-year old just had surgery to correct a hip problem. Now he is in a long cast from hip to toes. It occurred to me this morning that he isn't going to fit in his car seat when we take him home tomorrow. How do other families handle this situation?

If your child is in a pediatric hospital, they may have a physical therapist evaluate him and make suggestions for safe transport. Some facilities have a loaner program to provide a special car seat that is commercially available. Since you won't need the special seat beyond the time when the cast is on, there's no need to buy it yourself when a loaner (or rental unit) is available. And there are some durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers who do have these special car seats on hand. You may have to pay a deposit and a monthly fee but that could work out to be less than the cost of purchasing the unit. In some instances, insurance companies will pay for an ambulance transport. We know it doesn't make sense that the companies will pay $500 to 600 per ambulance ride but won't cover the cost of a one-time car seat purchase but that's the current state of affairs. Your child is probably too young for this, but there is a special chest restraint that can be used with older (larger) children. Your next step is to talk with the nurse in charge of your child's care. Ask her or him for help with this decision. They have no doubt faced similar situations with other parents whose child(ren) have had to leave the hospital to go home in a spica cast. Safe car transport is an important part of the discharge and follow-up care.

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