A Cape Coral girl is recuperating at her home after surgery to replace her femur with one made of titanium.
Angeline Thompson, 5, was released from HealthPark Medical Center Thursday after being in the hospital since Aug. 3.
In April, Angeline was taken to Pediatric Orthopedics of Southwest Florida with what appeared to be a possible fracture in her left femur. A biopsy showed that Angeline had Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer.
During a four-hour surgery on Aug. 3, her cancerous femur was removed and replaced with one made of titanium.
“It was only the sixth time this procedure has been performed in the United States and approximately the 53rd time it has been performed worldwide,” said Karen Krieger, Lee Memorial Health System spokeswoman.
The surgery was performed by Dr. Doug Letson, an orthopedic oncological surgeon who specializes in Ewing’s sarcoma at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa.
“We want to keep the kids close to home and Dr. Letson came down from Tampa to help us do that,” said Dr. Brett Shannon, a surgeon with Pediatric Orthopedics of Southwest Florida. “Dr. Letson has made several visits to our medical center so that kids and teenagers can get the medical care they need and stay near their families.”
As Angeline grows, the femur can be extended in minutes in a doctor’s office to keep pace with her other leg. The femur is lengthened with a machine that emits electromagnetic waves and can be expanded at a rate of 1 millimeter every four minutes.
Angeline is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer which will continue until April 2008. She is the daughter of Jason and Kim Thompson.