Thoracoplasty or costectomy

[debrasym]

I have CD rods in my back and lead a healthy lifestyle. I swim and go to the gym. I was wondering if any of you good people :) can put me in touch with anyone who has had a thoracoplasty or a costectomy operation. Both these terms refer to the cosmetic operation to reduce the residual rib prominence after a spinal fusion.
I am about to have this operation done at age of 45. My surgeon says that the ribs will not grow back as they do in younger patients.
Do you know anything about this type of surgery and the post operative effects in older patients? Thank you for replying. All the best. Debra

[susannajon]

Hi Debra,

You might want to post this again on the adult/revision surgery page. I'm not sure the teens and us moms who look at this section will have much info for you. Good luck with your upcoming surgery!

Susanna

[jc3]

My daughter had surgery this past november and also had a thoracoplasty done. I'm sure recovery is much different in an adult then a child, but she did not have any extra complaints about it and her rib hump looks great!
Jennifer

[debrasym]

I am wondering how one feels when the thoracoplasty has just been done. Also, does the rib cage hurt where the ribs have been taken for a long time after, especially when rolling over in bed, swimming or doing anything physically demanding. With the ribs unsecured does it feel strange? I am in good health and do not want to create any new health issues in my desire to improve the cosmetic appearance of my back.

[KRIS ATKINSON]

My daughter had thoracoplasty July 18, as well as anterior and posterior surgery. I, her mom, am 49 years old and would not want to go through what she is going through now. She is 15, almost 15, and has many years ahead of her, so we decided to have the thoracoplasty. She has less trouble with her shoulder being forced to jut forward already, which was most of the reason we chose the extra surgery. We hope this relief of pain from the shoulder area continues when she tries to sit in hard-back chairs in the future. Because she is still young and is more likely than me to want show her pretty shoulders in the future (mine aren't pretty, at 49, anyway!), we opted for the extra surgery. It is not recommended by any doctor I have heard from to do the thoracoplasty for merely cosmetic reasons. Our doctor did discuss her self-esteem as a reason to do it cosmetically, as he doesn't want her to be self-concious all her life when he could have spend an additional 40 minutes of around 9 hours under the anasthesia, to remove some ribs for self-esteem and shoulder comfort. We chose for mainly comfort and also for looking less of a hump. She does still have some hump, but it is hopefully less noticeable, and more important to us, less aggravating to her shoulder. Consult the adult forum also. Good luck! Kris

[KRIS ATKINSON]

Also, yes, she is having a fair amount of pain on her side that had the thoracoplasty. However, that is also where they put the chest tube for anterior. That is where she continues to have pain and she complains about it most when she is tired. It is known that thoracoplasty causes a longer recovery than the posterior/anterior. At my age, I sure don't want any surgery I don't really really have to have! Kris

[Karen Ocker]

I had a thoracoplasty with my revision at age 60. They use that bone for the fusion which is superior to donor bone.

I had such a large hump from my first curve(100deg) at age 14-that hump came down a little from that original surgery but it pained me psychologically my whole life and I applaud any mother who wants to spare her child that pain. When I needed the revision and they measured my hump in the office it was too large for the "humpmeter?". I got an 80% reduction of the hump. My right shoulder blade still protrudes some but is not NEARLY as noticeable as before and I sit more comfortably in chairs. Before the surgery people actually bumped into my hump in small spaces!

It was painful for a long time but I would do it again; the results were worth it.

Karen