My son has unfortunately been diagnosed with [Perthes disease.](https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/perthes-disease) It is a condition where ball at the top of the femur loses blood supply and the bone dies and basically grinds away causing pain and issues with the hip joint. It takes years to heal and it looks like he will need surgery and/or medieval looking braces to keep the legs in an optimal position to minimize damage while the blood supply and bone heals.
I am wondering if anyone here has had a child undergo treatment for this disease in Japan and could offer any advice or recommend any resources that may be available. We are in a regional center in Tohoku but would be willing to travel for treatment etc if that is an option. For a few reasons which I wont go into here, our local option is not ideal.
One more specific question I would like to ask is that looking at websites from osteopathy clinics abroad, it seems like some clinics use stem cells to help jump start and promote the healing process. Is this kind of thing even an option in japan?
If anyone has any advice or experience with this I would really appreciate any insights to help us get through this.
Also for what it is worth I am Australian but I am not eligible Medicare on account of having lived outside the country for so long. My son only has a Japanese passport at this time.
5 comments
Please check out the medical resources on the [wiki!](https://www.reddit.com/r/japanlife/wiki/medical)
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/japanlife) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Can’t say much about availability, coverage etc. I know at least some stem cell therapies are full out of pocket but your son’s might be covered. I would start with finding a good doctor and then chances they will know the insurance situation. Also you could consider doing a GoFundMe to cover costs.
Not personally but a kid in my kid’s class (soon to be 6th grade) had this.
He wore the brace throughout his early elementary years but is now on the soccer team running around like a normal kid.
If you’d like I could ask them what they did for treatment when I see them later tonight.
I’m so sorry your family is facing this and as a parent myself I can’t imagine how difficult it is. The best possible orthopedic doctors and most advanced care will likely still be in Tokyo and it may be worth establishing a relationship with an orthopedic practice or hospital despite the distance, and visiting for specialist appointments with orthopedic doctors and rheumatologists and doing occasional overnights may be the best option. I wish I had more to offer but still wanted to leave words of encouragement, you’re a good parent and your child surely is very thankful for your love and care.
Given that it’s a rather rare disease, I think two factor work in your favour:
* the gov’t covers all kinds of children’s problems and esp. rare things
* the university hospitals ought to vie to treat your child to write papers
I dunno about getting best or most modern treatment available, and I guess that varies by your child’s age. Time to talk to a few university hospitals, dial their English lines, explain the disease name and the administrators should put you in touch with the right department / professor or someone who would recommend a better place.