Evaluation
Your doctor and/or therapist will determine that you require a prosthesis and/or orthosis. You will either visit with Jon in his office or he may come and see you, depending on whether you are home or in a facility. When you meet, he will ask you several questions regarding your health, living situation, functional abilities and what your prosthetic/orthotic goals are. He will also test your strength and range of motion in the joints of your extremities and inspect the condition of the extremity. Lastly, he may evaluate your gait, if appropriate to determine any gait deviations or abnormalities that could potentially be corrected with the proper orthosis and/or prosthesis. Following the evaluation, Jon will determine what type of device will be needed for the prescription. We would then send a detailed written order request to your doctor for their review and signature. Following receipt of the prescription and the doctor’s chart notes, indicating the need for the device, we would then contact your insurance provider to start the authorization process. This may take several weeks before a determination is complete.
Impression Process
Following receipt of the authorization, Jon would take an impression and measurements for the prosthesis/orthosis, either in the office, at your residence or facility, depending on the situation. The impression will be done with either plaster or fiberglass casting tape.
Diagnostic Fitting of a Prosthesis
After Jon modifies the cast, a prosthetic diagnostic socket would be fabricated and the components, like a knee and/or foot will be added. One or two diagnostic fittings would be scheduled either in the office, at your residence or at a facility, depending on the situation, to achieve an optimal fit for the prosthesis. During the fitting, you be required to stand and ambulate with the diagnostic prosthesis, to determine the fit on function of the prosthesis.
Delivery of The Orthosis and/or Prosthesis
During this visit, you will receive your custom orthosis and/or prosthesis and any necessary supplies needed to utilize the new device. If there are any last-minute adjustments required, they will be performed during this visit.
Follow-up Visits
Orthotics – The only follow-up visits required for an orthosis, would be if you experience any discomfort or signs of lingering redness from the orthosis.
Prosthetics – Jon will need to see you one week after the initial receipt of your prosthesis, to answer any questions or concerns after wearing the device for a week and also to re-educate any instructions provided, they may have been forgotten, at the time of delivery. A 1-month follow-up visit will be required to make sure that there aren’t any issues with the prosthesis or supplies. Routine, 6-month follow-up visits will be required, to ensure that the prosthesis is still fitting and functioning properly and to check and document your current weight. At these visits, it may be necessary to replace any textiles that may have deteriorated after continual, daily use.