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  • Questions I will ask my surgeon on Wed

    Please tell me if these are good questions to ask, and if there are any more that you can think of that I should ask?

    1) Has he had any deaths occur doing scoliosis surgery?
    2) Can I listen to my hypnosis throughout my surgery on my headphones?
    3) What levels of fusion does he need to do on me?
    4) What kind of correction does he hope to get?
    5) What will the approx. length of surgery time be?
    6) How long does he think I'll be in hospital?
    5) Does he put a filter in prior to surgery through the groin to the heart to stop blood clotting?
    6) Should I continue with my birth control pill and how will I remember to take it after surgery if on lots of painkillers and how will I take it prior to surgery if I"m not allowed to swallow any water?
    7) Will I be able to continue my career as a Licensed Massage Therapist eventually when I recover?
    8) Will I need physical therapy afterwards, if so, will I have to travel all the way to Tampa for it or can I go somewhere more local to where I live?
    9) Any diet recommendations prior to surgery?
    10) Any exercise recommendations prior to surgery?
    11) Can I book my surgery date today for end March/beginning April?
    12) Does he have someone monitoring the spinal cord at surgery?
    13) Will I need to donate blood prior to surgery, do I need to ask my family for donations also?
    14) Has anyone been left paralyzed after his surgeries?
    15) Do most people suffer back spasms afterward, why? And if so, how can I help to prevent that from happening?
    16) What hospital will I be in? Is it University Community Hospital Tampa?
    17) I had anaesthesia once before and felt light-headed and dizzy for ten days afterward for just a three hour surgery, is this likely to happen again?
    18) Will I need a thoracoplasty?
    19) Dr. Moreno had mentioned about placing a spacer at the base of my sacrum, is this something he will be doing also?
    20) If he is operating down to my sacrum what will my flexibility be like afterward, will I be able to do yoga again one day?
    21) Where can I buy a walker, raised toilet seat, and picker upper?
    22) How necessary is it for me to have this surgery and what are the consequences for my future if I don't have this surgery?
    23) I have little pain right now, will I be in much more pain after the surgery, and if so for the rest of my life?
    24) Do you have a specialty on working on a particular part of the spine?
    25) Do you specialize on working on a particular age group?
    26) Do you specialize on mostly first time surgeries or revision surgeries?
    27) Will you use pedicle screws or hooks?
    28) Will I see you in the hospital right after surgery?
    29) Who informs my family of my condition after surgery, and how soon after surgery do you call my family?
    30) Will I go straight to ICU after the recovery room?
    31) Will I need a respirator after surgery?
    32) Will I need a chest tube after surgery, if so for how long?
    33) How long will I need to wear the brace for after surgery?
    34) I take vitamin D every day - is this okay to continue?

    Well that's it for now, he'll probably sick of all my questions. If there's anything I'm forgetting then please let me know - thanks for reading if you read this far
    Lynette - 44 years old.

    Pre-surgery thoracic 55 degrees
    Pre-surgery lumbar 85 degrees

    Post-surgery thoracic 19 degrees
    Post-surgery lumbar 27 degrees

    Surgery April 1st 2010.

    Posterior spinal fusion from T9 to sacrum.
    Dr. Cronen at University Community Hospital - Tampa, FL.

  • #2
    Had to laugh when I got to the end of your post. I read it all the way through. Let us know how he does with answering your questions. There are some other threads that deal with "questions to ask my doctor" that were done by others. Also, in either (both?) the Wolpert and Neuwirth books there are suggested questions. If you don't ask questions, the doctor will assume you aren't curious and don't need to know. Best wishes at your appointment!
    71 and plugging along... but having some problems
    2007 52° w/ severe lumbar stenosis & L2L3 lateral listhesis (side shift)
    5/4/07 posterior fusion T2-L4 w/ laminectomies and osteotomies @L2L3, L3L4
    Dr. Kim Hammerberg, Rush Univ. Medical Center in Chicago

    Corrected to 15°
    CMT (type 2) DX in 2014, progressing
    10/2018 x-rays - spondylolisthesis at L4/L5 - Dr. DeWald is monitoring

    Click to view my pics: pics of scoli x-rays digital x-rays, and pics of me

    Comment


    • #3
      Thanks Susie Bee - I actually did get some additional questions from the David Wolpert book
      Lynette - 44 years old.

      Pre-surgery thoracic 55 degrees
      Pre-surgery lumbar 85 degrees

      Post-surgery thoracic 19 degrees
      Post-surgery lumbar 27 degrees

      Surgery April 1st 2010.

      Posterior spinal fusion from T9 to sacrum.
      Dr. Cronen at University Community Hospital - Tampa, FL.

      Comment


      • #4
        Lynette,

        I had to laugh at your job question. I've been in college full-time since last summer, studying to ditch my career as a programmer to pursue massage therapy - LOL.

        Thus, I'm personally giving you the thumbs up on this one!
        Fusion is NOT the end of the world.
        AIDS Walk Houston 2008 5K @ 33 days post op!


        41, dx'd JIS & Boston braced @ 10
        Pre-op ±53°, Post-op < 20°
        Fused 2/5/08, T4-L1 ... Darrell S. Hanson, Houston


        VIEW MY X-RAYS
        EMAIL ME

        Comment


        • #5
          hey, lynette..are you gonna ask ALL of them all at once..?!!!
          please let me know if he answers them all at once......i want such a patient person as my surgeon!!

          P.S. how will you listen to your tape during surgery... wont they have you all hooked up to wires & such?!! will it work while you are deeply unconcious? that is a very deep sleep, if they do it right...

          jess

          Comment


          • #6
            That's great news Pam - I really would like to continue doing massage therapy. I also studied and became a board certified hypnotherapist, which I haven't had the opportunity to work with people yet on this. However I do know Jess, that even in your deepest state of unconsciousness, the last thing to go is your hearing, and hypnosis taps straight into your subconscious. It has been well documented that people who've had pre-surgery hypnosis, and post-surgery hypnosis that they had little or no loss of blood during surgery, and that they healed so much faster than most people, that the doctors have been astounded on how fast people have healed. If the doc' says no to listening to the hypnosis during the surgery, that's okay, as I've been listening to my pre-surgery hypnosis every day so far, and will have post-surgery hypnosis I can listen to afterward . I remember when my father was dying of cancer, on his last few hours, in the hospital, the nurses kept pumping more and more morphine into him to help him get to heaven quicker, as at this point his body had tumors spread throughout. Anyway, my brother and I were in his room with him on our own for a few minutes, as we asked everyone else to leave the room so we could say our goodbyes, I went right up to his ear, and told him gently how much I loved him, and that everyone in our family loved him very very much. Well he responded with these sounds "mmm mmm mmm" as though to say I can hear you. That was the only time he made any kind of sound, until of course the very end when their breathing gets raspy. So I honestly believe that he heard everything I told him that day.

            Okay I'm getting a bit heavy here sorry about that!!!

            I hope I can ask my surgeon all those questions Jess, but - of course he may stop me halfway and say - NEXT! In other words, next patient please

            Pam - are you studying right now to be a massage therapist?
            Lynette - 44 years old.

            Pre-surgery thoracic 55 degrees
            Pre-surgery lumbar 85 degrees

            Post-surgery thoracic 19 degrees
            Post-surgery lumbar 27 degrees

            Surgery April 1st 2010.

            Posterior spinal fusion from T9 to sacrum.
            Dr. Cronen at University Community Hospital - Tampa, FL.

            Comment


            • #7
              Yes, right now, Lynette ...

              I'm actually going through a credit hour program vs. CE. Already passed 2401/2402 A&P (A&P I with a high B in a 5 week mini and A&P II with an A in a hybrid). Current school focus is on kinesiology (the rest isjust "stuff")- and wrapping my mind around a way to coordinate science and what so much of MT *is*. I want to present a new face to the stuff that I know works for me, and provide evidence that aids scientific community acceptance. I've tried it all(as far as pain mgmt), and massage therapy (with a good therapist) is one of the few things that ever brought me any relief.

              My focus will always be scoliosis patients. The more I learn about myself, the more directed my focus is on post fusion issues. There's a serious lack in that knowledge.

              Regards,
              Pam
              Last edited by txmarinemom; 02-21-2010, 08:06 PM.
              Fusion is NOT the end of the world.
              AIDS Walk Houston 2008 5K @ 33 days post op!


              41, dx'd JIS & Boston braced @ 10
              Pre-op ±53°, Post-op < 20°
              Fused 2/5/08, T4-L1 ... Darrell S. Hanson, Houston


              VIEW MY X-RAYS
              EMAIL ME

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by txmarinemom View Post
                Yes, right now, Lynette ...


                My focus will always be scoliosis patients. The more I learn about myself, the more my directed my focus becomes to post fusion issues. There's a serious lack in that knowledge.
                Oh Pam, I sure wished I lived close to you. I won't let anyone touch my back. The only exception was my PT when I went for 3 months for the back, and 2 months for the shoulder.

                There are going to be some lucki scoli patients down there in Texas!
                __________________________________________
                Debbe - 50 yrs old

                Milwalkee Brace 1976 - 79
                Told by Dr. my curve would never progress

                Surgery 10/15/08 in NYC by Dr. Michael Neuwirth
                Pre-Surgury Thorasic: 66 degrees
                Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 66 degrees

                Post-Surgery Thorasic: 34 degrees
                Post-Surgery Lumbar: 22 degrees

                Comment


                • #9
                  Yes, we all need a Pam close by. That sounds heavenly. Lynette, be sure to ask how many scoliosis fusions they do with adults during a year--not just kids. Actually, I forgot you probably basically are a kid! Ha. Janet
                  Janet

                  61 years old--57 for surgery

                  Diagnosed in 1965 at age of 13--no brace
                  Thoracic Curve: 96 degrees to 35 degrees
                  Lumbar Curve: 63 degrees to 5 degrees
                  Surgery with Dr. Lenke in St. Louis--March 30, 2009
                  T-2 to Pelvis, and hopefully all posterior procedure.

                  All was posterior along with 2 cages and 6 osteotomies.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Thanks Lynette for listing your questions here. Some really good ones. It's good to have such a comprehensive list. Since the surgeon's time is so limited, I'm wondering if we couldn't get some of them answered by the surgeon's nurse?
                    Glenda
                    Age 66 Georgia (63 at time of surgery)
                    Bi-lateral laminectomy 2006
                    Kyphoscoliosis, approx 38* lumbar scoliosis, stenosis, disk herniations, lower back and hip pain, w/radiating pain, stinging and numbness in legs.
                    A/P fusion (T10-S2) 5/17/10 and 5/20/10
                    Dr Yoon, Emory Orthopaedic and Spine Hospital, Atlanta, GA
                    Pleased with outcome

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Pam - Outstanding, that is fabulous what you are doing!

                      Janet - Yep you're right, I'm 44 going on 18
                      Lynette - 44 years old.

                      Pre-surgery thoracic 55 degrees
                      Pre-surgery lumbar 85 degrees

                      Post-surgery thoracic 19 degrees
                      Post-surgery lumbar 27 degrees

                      Surgery April 1st 2010.

                      Posterior spinal fusion from T9 to sacrum.
                      Dr. Cronen at University Community Hospital - Tampa, FL.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Lynette,

                        I had 5 pages of questions for my surgeon, a 3:00 appt. and left his office near 7:00pm (luckily I was his last appt). He never tried to rush me had another surgeon and his nurse in with us and went over everything throughly. My husband was the one who said we needed to wrap it up as we had a plane to catch a couple hours later to Cozumel for a vacation.
                        Patty 51 years old
                        Surgery May 23, 2007(43 Birthday)
                        Posterior T3- L4
                        Pre surgery curves
                        T-53degrees
                        L-38degrees
                        and a severe side shift to the right.
                        Post surgery curves
                        Less than 10 degrees
                        Surgery April, 2006
                        C4 - C6

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Patty - that's great that they were so wonderful with answering your questions. Nice that you had a Cozumel vacation to head off to afterward
                          Lynette - 44 years old.

                          Pre-surgery thoracic 55 degrees
                          Pre-surgery lumbar 85 degrees

                          Post-surgery thoracic 19 degrees
                          Post-surgery lumbar 27 degrees

                          Surgery April 1st 2010.

                          Posterior spinal fusion from T9 to sacrum.
                          Dr. Cronen at University Community Hospital - Tampa, FL.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            David - awesome questions - thank you so much - I've added those questions to my list
                            Lynette - 44 years old.

                            Pre-surgery thoracic 55 degrees
                            Pre-surgery lumbar 85 degrees

                            Post-surgery thoracic 19 degrees
                            Post-surgery lumbar 27 degrees

                            Surgery April 1st 2010.

                            Posterior spinal fusion from T9 to sacrum.
                            Dr. Cronen at University Community Hospital - Tampa, FL.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Hey, I noticed you saw Dr. Moreno too and are going with someone else as I am. Why did you decide not to use him? Just curious. Thanks
                              36 year young cardiac RN
                              old curve C 29, T 70, L 50
                              new curve C 7, T 23, L 20
                              Surgery June 11, UCH, Dr. Cronen T2-L5, posterior
                              Revision December 20 L5-S1 with pelvic fixation
                              and Osteotomy to L3 at Tampa General Hospital

                              Comment

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