A word about CPMs

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I want to take this moment to promote the infamous continuous passive motion (cmp) machine.

For those of you unfamiliar, the machine holds the operated leg and slowly moves it up and down. Each day, the angle of movement -- and therefore, the hip's range of motion -- is increased a little. Most cpms are made for knee patients, but they also work for hips.

Because each surgeon is different, not all prescribe the machine for PAO patients, which I think is a shame. Luckily for me, Dr. Mayo strongly believes in them.

I was put into a hip-specific machine just hours after I was moved to my hospital room. I was in it 24/7, unless I was up doing PT. It never hurt, though at times my hip felt very tight and pressured. Two days after my surgery, my machine broke in the middle of the night and I didn't get a new one for 12 hours. During that time and for hours afterward, I was completely stiff and uncomfortable. I had gained a new appreciation for the clunky thing.

Back at home, I was in a knee machine nearly all the time for the first week. After that, I dropped it at night and just used it during the day. We packed it up last week after I had comfortably reached a 90 degree angle in my hip, which was nearly a month post-op.

Unfortunately, my insurance (Great West, which is now Cigna) did not see the medical necessity for the cpm and would not pay for it. I was charged $350 for the machine that I used back at home. I would pay it again in a heartbeat.

And even though I truly appreciated that machine, I'm so glad it's gone!

Comments

Manda K said…
My insurance didn't think it was a necessity either and I had to pay $212 out of pocket. God love those people in cubes who decide what we need and don't need :)

Glad to see you are coming along so well. Hope to see you soon!
May 29, 2008
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