| Donald A. Morrison, M.D.
Jack C. Childers, Jr., M.D.
Kenneth C. Gertsen, M.D.
P. Dickson Jones, M.D.
Frank J. Catanzariti, M.D.
Paul C. McAfee, M.D.
Bruce S. Wolock, M.D.
David F. Dalury, M.D.
Ira L. Fedder, M.D.
Stuart Winakur, M.D.
Brian D. Mulliken, M.D.
Vincent M. Osteria, M.D.
Jeffrey T. Brodie, M.D.
Anthony W. Colpini, M.D.
Michael J. Marion, M.D.
Teri Metcalf McCambridge, M.D.
James G. Linz, CEO
Joyce O. Cahalan, Editor
Inside This Issue:
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 Their son wasn’t a day old when the Aymen family made a tough decision. The couple, from Turkey, had planned to be in Baltimore for the birth of their son, Kerim and expected the visit to last not much longer than a week. But Kerim was born with clubfoot and faced a certain future of specialized medical care. With this discovery the family chose to stay in the United States, giving them access to what they describe as “very good doctors and very good hospitals.”
They said they were prepared to stay here the length of time it would take to help Kerim. Aylin Aymen’s obstetrician, Dr. Samir Zamaria, referred the family to Dr. Jeffrey T. Brodie, an orthopaedic surgeon at Orthopaedic Associates who specializes in foot and ankle surgery. Little Kerim was one day old when Dr. Brodie visited the family at St. Joseph Medical Center. ‘Dr. Brodie was so kind and
reassuring,” said Aylin Aymen. “I knew we had made the right decision to stay. We were scared, but we wanted to stay to be in good hands in the U.S. with Dr. Brodie.”
Kerim’s clubfoot deformity is a relatively uncommon malformation, which occurs approximately 1 in 1000 births. It’s more common in boys than girls by a ratio of about 2 to 1. It is often hereditary and can occur to either one foot or both feet. “In Kerim’s case, both feet were affected,” said Dr. Brodie, “Because of the severity of his deformities at birth, he underwent a series of casts on both feet, changing casts on a weekly basis for his first six weeks of life.” At this time Dr. Brodie was able to arrange follow-up care with a physician in Istanbul, Turkey, where casting was to continue. Then at six months, Dr. Brodie determined surgery was required to release some of the tight tissues in Kerim’s foot and ankle. The family chose to return to Baltimore for the procedures. Dr. Stuart Winakur, an orthopaedic surgeon at Orthopaedic Associates who specializes in pediatric orthopaedics, assisted Dr. Brodie during the surgeries.
The procedures went well and Kerim was able to return home to Turkey in custom- made braces. Dr. Brodie believes Kerim’s outcome should be excellent. “He should have normal-appearing feet and ankles allowing him to run and play like other children his age.
The journey to restore Kerim’s feet to their intended function was a long and difficult one for the Aymen family. They say they have much to be thankful for but add that a lot of the credit goes to little Kerim. “He was so good through all this,” said Aylin. “Even at one day old Dr. Brodie commented on how brave he was.” |
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A note from Dr. Brodie:
Kerim began walking at 13 months of age, approximately five months after surgery. When his family came to visit me recently I was amazed at how much he had grown since I last saw him. He was walking on his own and even running down the hallway, exploring all the rooms of our office area.
His examination reveals that his clubfoot surgery has gone beautifully. He has responded in an excellent fashion to his surgery, followed by bracing. I don’t see a need for any corrective shoes at this time and he should look forward to a normal and productive life.
Jeffrey T. Brodie, M.D.
Dr. Jeffrey Brodie says Kerim’s club- foot surgery has gone beautifully. Here, Dr. Brodie examines Kerim prior to the procedure. |
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