Summary of replies2: Expulsion Valves...why??

Summary of replies2: Expulsion Valves...why??

grantxw8

7/21/2000

Here, as promised are the next batch of replies:

====================

Grant

I am form around the place in Australia, I have never bothered with
expulsion
valves, for the reasons that you have outlined. They seem to me to be an
unneccesary extra to a BK prosthesis to me.

I still think of all of the people I have dealt with over the years as
patients though. Maybe in other countries where patients are forced to
pay
outragous amounts of $$ for a prosthesis then they become clients.

Oops, sorry about that. I seem to have confused 2 issues. OK, expulsion
valves are probably OK for a limited number of patients (heh heh) I can
see
the application there, but I think that for most BK prostheses that they
are
not really required.

I have to say that this is my opinion only, there is bound to be a
different
opinion out there.

====================

Hi Grant.I read your note with interest and admiration.I don't see any
point
to the exercise of using a valve for a BK amputee myself except that in
the
U.S. it enables the use of a fairly costly L-code (Medicare code) that
can
increase the billing on a prosthesis by approximately $1000. As you
stated,
the use of total contact fitting and possibly a distal pad together with
a
suspension sleeve should be adequate.

====================

Hi Grant

nice to see you back posting on the oandp list.

Have to agree with you about the expulsion valves
never found a major problem not using them yet.