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scoliosis & spinal stenosis

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  • scoliosis & spinal stenosis

    Hi, my name is Suzy and I'm new to this forum. I have a 60 * curve, lower vertabraes are shot L1-5. I'm presently doing a lot of research and speaking with several surgeons. Have seen Wm Horton in Atlanta and Keith Osborne, Alan Villavicencio in Boulder, CO and Andrew Casden In NY. Does anybody know any of these docs?
    I am a 50 year old, up to Labor Day!, very active person doing yoga, pilates, hiking, tennis and skiing. I have been crippled with excrutiating nerve pain since Sept 6. I know that it's no longer "if" I have the surgery but when. I know I can't continue to live in this pain. I have had 3 epidurals and next are facet joint blocks.
    Has anybody had this surgery? I will need scoliosis, spinal stenosis (up to 6 vertabrae fused), degenerative disk disease and bulging disks, also some arthritis.

  • #2
    Re: scoliosis & spinal stenosis

    Hey Suzy,

    If you search these forum you'll find alot of people who have had the spinal fusion surgery. I had mine this past April. I had anterior/posterior surgery, 6 discs removed, several cages with bone grafts taken from my hip and my rib that was removed. My fusion goes from T-2 to the sacrum. My lower discs were also shot. In fact, the doctor said that they were deformed. I had an upper curve of 79 that is now 22; and a lower curve of 44 that is now 18. I had 22 hours of surgery in two days, 7 units of blood, a plate attached to my sacrum for the fusion to take better hold down there. While in the hospital I developed an Ilias (sp), that's where your intestines go to sleep and they have trouble getting them to work again. I was in the hospital for two weeks. One month after the surgery I was at my daughter's law school graduation, I don't know how I did it but I wasn't going to miss it!!! In August we flew to Sedona, AZ for her wedding. I went back to work in an elementary school library at 5 months. I still need a cane to walk. I have finally gotten the okay to start PT. Three times a week, 2 of them in the pool. My doctor didn't want me to start PT earlier because he said he didn't want anything to disturb the growth of the fusion. It's a very long hard surgery and recovery period with lots of good and bad days. But, I know my future with be brighter because of the surgery. My lungs were starting to become compromised and the next thing could have been my heart. I don't have the pain that I had before surgery, what I have now will go away with the PT. Hope this helps you some. Theresa
    Theresa

    April 8 & 12, 2004 - Anterior/Posterior surgery 15 hours & 7 hours
    Thorasic - 79 degree down to 22
    Lumbar - 44 degree down to 18
    Fused T2 to sacrum
    June 2, 2005 - Pedicle subtraction osteotomy @L3 7 hours
    MAY 21, 2007 - Pedicle subtraction osteotomy @ L2, extended the fusion to S2 and added pelvic instrumentation 9 hours

    FUSED T2 - SACRUM 2

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    • #3
      Thanks Theresa for the info. I have lived with the scoliosis discomfort all my life, but would take advil for relief. My issues right now are severe sciatica and stenosis. I have had 3 epidurals and don't know if pain will ever go away.

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      • #4
        I'm interested in knowing what happened with you. And what your opinion of Dr. Horton was.

        I was diagnosed with scoliosis when I was in my mid-teens. I wore a brace for a while but hated it so I quit. Fastforward to now & I'm regretting it. I'm now 38. For fear of what I'd be told I haven't been to a doctor about my scoliosis since I was a teenager. Now I'm beginning to have back pain & numbness in my arms & legs. I went to see Dr. Stephen James this week. My curve is 60 degrees and he recommended surgery. My husband asked who he would recommend for a 2nd opinion. Dr. Horton was who he mentioned. Just wondering what you thought of him and if you've had surgery.

        Angie

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