Need Surgeon Recommendation Michigan

[whitney81180]

Hello All,

I am 27 years old with a double major curve. About 50 degree top and 40 degree bottom. I am looking for specialized scoliosis surgeons who treat adults. I live in a small town near Kalamazoo Michigan and need information. I am about 2 hours from Chicago and 3 hours from Detroit. I figure everyone here knows about the situation and I would like to get to know some people with a condition similar to mine. I want to get married and have children but am scared that this condition might prevent that. Is it better to have surgery while one is young or wait. I am no major pain but want to be able to walk later in life. Thanks for any info provided to me. This forum is great and I am glad that I found it.

Is recovery long now?
Does age play a factor in recovery times?
Are these surgeries successful?

Anything other information would be great!

Thanks,
Becky

[blairf83]

Hi Becky!
I'm in Michigan (Flint area). A year and 3 months or so ago, I had surgery for a single 52 degree curve at the age of 20.
My surgeon is Dr Harry Herkowitz at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak.
The results were FANTASTIC (close to 100% correction) and i couldn't be happier!
I was not pleased with Dr Montgomery, who is also in Royal Oak.

I can't speak to whether it's better to wait or not... On one hand, the longer you wait, there's a better chance of technological improvements. On the other hand, if your scoliosis is increasing, then you risk not getting as good a correction...

The recovery does take a while. IMO, it's about 3 months to feeling "good" (not that you're feeling rotten the whole time, but it's a big surgery and took me a while to just get my energy back, etc...) and 1 yr to feel 100% back to normal (but... my definition of normal is a bit diferent than some. I have horses, so "normal" includes handling and riding 1000 pound animals, moving 50 lb feed bags and hay bales, and this summer included working with untrained horses).

Many people have scoliosis and have children, just as many people have the surgery and have children. Unless you have a VERY severe curve, it shouldn't effect much of anything.... (except if you have surgery and are fused in your lower back, you won't be able to have an epidural)

[lrmb]

Hi Becky,

Welcome to the forum! You have found a great place here :)

I am 29 years old and with similar curves to yours (around 49/30; your lower is bigger). My curve was 40/30 when I stopped growing. I recently saw three well-regarded scoliosis surgeons, one recommended surgery and two recommended against. Both surgeons who recommended against surgery advised that I wait until the upper curve was around at least 55-60 and showing steady progression. (They seemed to think I could remain stable at around 49 for some time, and that there was plenty of time later on for surgery.)

I'm happy to private message or email if you would like to "talk." I was all geared up for surgery a few months ago, and now am still certainly concerned about the same things as you including timing of children and surgery, the risks of leaving surgery until I'm older, etc.

All the best finding a good surgeon! Take care ~Laura