Use this Provider Again:

Yes

Work Completed Date:

June 21, 2010

Description of Experience:

My 8-month-old daughter received helmet therapy from orthotist Joe Terpenning from March 5, 2010 to June 21, 2010. She was fitted with a corrective helmet(cranial molding device) known as the KidCap to correct her misshapen(asymmetrical) head after a pediatric neurosurgeon diagnosed her with severe deformational plagiocephaly. My daughter's head became deformed because she had a shortened neck muscle from birth known as congenital torticollis. She couldn't move her head to the left side and as a result, her head became very flat on the back, right side, causing the deformation. She received physical therapy(different provider) to correct this condition, which must be done in conjunction with or prior to helmet therapy.

The services received include an initial consultation at which time the orthotist scanned her head and provided me measurements, explaining their meaning and significance. The following week, she was fitted with the cranial orthosis(KidCap.) She had a follow-up appointment one week later to make sure the helmet fit properly. She returned every two weeks for the next couple of months for adjustments to the helmet and scans to indicate the progress of reshaping her head to reflect normal measurements. Towards the end of treatment, she was permitted to wait about 4 weeks between appointments since her head growth had slowed due to her age. Her final appointment was June 21, 2010 at which time treatment was discontinued because of marked improvement in her condition(her head asymmetry reached well within the normal range of measurements.)

Member Comments:

Our overall experience with orthotist Joe Terpenning can best be described as remarkable. What he and his treatment did for my daughter is absolutely amazing.

When my 8-month-old daughter entered treatment for severe plagiocephaly, she had a severely misshapen head. From an overhead viewpoint, her head had morphed into the shape of a parallelogram, instead of being round. As a result, she suffered bossing(protrusion/ prominence) of the right side of her forehead and her right ear had been pushed forward 6mm. She had facial asymmetry of 2mm. Her initial measurements showed overall asymmetry of 14.5mm(neurosurgeon measurements with cranial calipers) 13mm with Joe's scan measurements. Her final measurements were 2.47mm(normal range is 0-4mm) and her ear corrected to 2mm.

From the very beginning, Joe was very reassuring that he could help my daughter have a normal head shape and answered any and all questions that I asked. His staff is very cheerful and friendly. I had an easy time making appointments and his insurance specialist was very helpful in filing our insurance(and even an appeal) in order to obtain coverage of the helmet(many insurance companies will not pay for helmet therapy.) Joe and his staff are also very accessible, even after hours. Just days after my daughter was fitted with her helmet, she suffered an abrasion on the back of her head on a Saturday morning. I called the office and left a message. I received a call about five minutes later from the on call orthotist(Joseph Smith,) who provided me with instructions on what to do for her.

My husband and I began to see an improvement in our daughter's head shape in only a week. We were astounded and as each week passed, we saw more and more improvement. The rate of improvement varies from case to case and depends on rate of growth, age of baby, severity, etc. After about 15 weeks, her head shape looked so good(her neurosurgeon had already released her because her head measurements were well within normal range) that my husband and I decided to discontinue treatment. Joe agreed with our decision, but also gave us the option of leaving the helmet on another month since she had not yet outgrown it.. The weather was so hot and her head looked so good, that we decided it was time for her freedom. By the way, my daughter adapted quite well to her helmet, which she wore 22 and a half hours a day and did not seem to be bothered by it at all except when I would put it on and take it off.

I did a ton of research before deciding on this helmet/band provider and there are several reasons that I decided to trust him with my daughter's treatment. I also took my daughter for a consultation with a competitor(Cranial Tech in Annandale) prior to making my decision.Joe Terpenning is a board-certified orthotist and has received extensive education and training. He personally makes all the adjustments to the KidCap and his lab is located on-site, providing flexibility if changes need to be made. Cranial Tech has one orthotist who makes the bands and he is based in Arizona. Cranial Tech "clinicians" (registered nurses and physical therapists) make adjustments to patients' bands under his guidance. I was not comfortable with this set-up as babies can only obtain correction up until 12-18 months of age. Since, my daughter entered treatment at 8 months of age, we had only a small window of opportunity to get it right.

I also asked for references on Infinite Technologies from several sources, including my daughter's neurosurgeon and physical therapists, where she was receiving treatment. They all confirmed that Joe did excellent work. I also asked my daughter's physical therapist if she would feel comfortable making adjustments to a helmet ans she said, "Absolutely not. Orthotists go to school much longer than PT's and their area of study is completely different."

Another factor in my decision of seeking treatment at Infinite Technologies, is that Joe said that he could fix my daughter's head in about 3 months and with only one helmet($2900.00/CareFirst BCBS paid two-thirds of the cost.) Cranial Tech predicted a treatment of 6-9 months and said that based on the severity of our daughter's condition, she may need two helmets(3800.00 per helmet with insurance only covering one-third.) In fact, Lauren's PT asked me if Cranial Tech told me about the possibility of more than one helmet. When I told her yes, she said, "Two helmets seem to be the norm for them."

In addition, I talked with parents about their experiences and outcomes while sitting in the waiting room at Infinite Technologies. All were pleased with their baby's progress and said that they wouldn't have gone anywhere else for their child's treatment.

Lastly, the product itself also played into my decision. The KidCap is more rigid than some others and extends completely over the head instead of only partially covering the head( like some other band-type styles.) This totally controlled environment seemed like a better idea to me. We are talking about reshaping the entire head after all!

I feel so fortunate for my daughter's sake, that we found Infinite Technologies and orthotist Joe Terpenning. My daughter has received absolutely amazing results with his KidCap orthotic cranial molding helmet. He gave my daughter back the head shape that she was supposed to have and will help her to avoid future medical problems, such vision and jaw disorders. I have nothing but the highest regard for him. Therefore, it is without reservation that I would recommend Infinite Technolgies to other parents seeking helmet therapy for their babies.

Additional Questions Answered when completing this report:

• How does the value of the service compare to the price? I got more than my money's worth
• How far in advance did you schedule the appointment? More than 2 weeks
• Did you find the practice through Angie's List? No
• If no, what was the other source? Insurance Company(preferred provider)
• Why did you choose this practice? Reputation, Referral from another physician, hospital, etc.
• Have you used this practice before? This is the first time I've used this practice
• Did you require a referral from another physician for your initial visit? Yes
• Was the office staff helpful and courteous? Yes
• Were the waiting and examination areas clean and comfortable? Yes
• Did the office staff file insurance claims for you (if applicable)? Yes
• Has a physician or office staff assisted you in ongoing issues with your insurance provider (if applicable)? Yes
• How soon after your scheduled appointment time were you admitted to an examination room? 5 minutes or less
• How soon after being admitted to the examination room did you see the physician? Between 5 and 10 minutes
• How would you rate the communication between the office staff and the physicians regarding the reason for your visit? Excellent
• Did the office staff and/or physician explain things in a way that you could understand? Yes
• Did you feel you could make your concerns understood to the physician? Yes
• Did the appointment allow enough time to address your concerns? Yes. During the initial consultation, the orthotist even stayed beyond office hours to address my questions/concerns.
• Did a physician or office staff discuss preventive care techniques with you? N/A
• Did a physician or office staff encourage you to share in the decisions made for your treatment? Yes
• If tests were needed, were they performed? On-site
• Did a physician or office staff encourage you to buy generic drugs (if possible) or did he/she insist on a specific company product? N/A
• Did a physician or office staff follow up with you to determine if the treatment was effective? Yes
• Have you followed the recommendations made by the staff at this practice (and if not, why not)? Yes
• What did you like most about this practice? Successful treatment results
• What did you like least about this practice? Waiting two and a half weeks to get in for the initial consultation
• What words of advice would you give other members considering this practice? Schedule a consultation ASAP. Good providers book fast and this is one of them.
• What words of advice would you give this practice? Share patient photos and scans with prospective patients
• Is there any additional information you'd like to share? Orthotist Joe Terpenning exhibited care, concern and compassion for my baby during a stressful time and helped to calm my fears.