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    Hi, my son had vertebral stapling in June of 2004 with no problems. His curved is around 30-32. He wore a brace for 7 years before he had the stapling done. His doctor said he couldn't play football, which is not a big deal, but he said he couldn't play because the doctor doesn't like the sport. He wants to play. Do I not let him play because the doctor doesn't like it? Anyone heard anything on football? He is 9 years old. Thanks in advance for your help.
    Andy's mom

  • #2
    Andy's Mom;
    From what I understand football is out of the question because it is a full contact sport. I think some of the other sports have a lot of contact, but football is played with full contact. So, I wouldn't be letting him play. Find another sport for him to do. A lot of the kids go back to playing soccer and basketball.

    'til later,
    Nikki

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    • #3
      Andy's mom...

      I think you need to follow the surgeon's instructions. I seriously doubt that the surgeon said he couldn't play football simply because he's not a fan of the sport.

      You'd probably never forgive yourself if you allowed Andy to play football, and it somehow affected the staples and his curve increased.

      Regards,
      Linda
      Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
      ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
      Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

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      • #4
        Our doctor prefers Erica not go skiing, because he sees injuries from skiing frequently, and he personally does not ski or encourage his family to ski. However, he is not prohibiting the sport for Erica, and I know Erica is a very careful skiier, like myself. Unlike her brothers and her father, we don't like the steep hills and difficult moguls, so it is unlikely for her to have a high-impact accident, in a year or so. However, the main objective of football is to bash into the opponent, with the full force of the body. I can see no way the surgery would be able to hold up to that kind of force, and I'm sure that is why the doctors all prohibit the sport. With soccer and basketball, you have some bodily contact, but it is to get the ball away from someone, supposedly without bodily contact, whereas with football, you intentionally bash each other to the ground. I have also read that stapling is not quite as sturdy as rods, but is of course quicker recovery and also is only done in special circumstances. I would assume the staples could come loose easier than the rod could break, but I may be wrong. I was stapled when I had a C-section years ago, and those staples are much thinner than the rods they put in my daughter's back 2 weeks ago. Good luck and enjoy the sports and fun you all decide is best! Kris

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        • #5
          Hi Andy's mom,

          If Andy still has the staples in his spine, I would think full-contact sports would have the potential of disrupting the staples, possibly having them invade the spinal column. That would not be a good plan. If the staples have been removed and he is instrument-free, that's another story altogether. At age 9, football isn't as physically demanding as even highschool football, but still, the risks are there. My Braydon wishes he could play football like his brother, but with two vertical rods in his back, NO WAY.

          Re: skiing - its interesting to hear the opinions of different docs. My son's ortho is an avid skier himself. He and his family ski often. At least one of his patients is a VEPTR patient, and at age 11, she won a gold medal in the local Winter Games in her age division for downhill skiing. Her mom told me that after her VEPTR implant surgery (at age 9), her ski instructer called her to say that her daughter had much better balance than before her implant surgery. She was able to learn to fall correctly and has been a skiing fool since!

          Interesting...
          Carmell
          mom to Kara, idiopathic scoliosis, Blake 19, GERD and Braydon 14, VACTERL, GERD, DGE, VEPTR #137, thoracic insufficiency, rib anomalies, congenital scoliosis, missing coccyx, fatty filum/TC, anal stenosis, horseshoe kidney, dbl ureter in left kidney, ureterocele, kidney reflux, neurogenic bladder, bilateral hip dysplasia, right leg/foot dyplasia, tibial torsion, clubfoot with 8 toes, pes cavus, single umblilical artery, etc. http://carmellb-ivil.tripod.com/myfamily/

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          • #6
            2nd oppinoin

            hi andys mom.. i think before you tell your son no footbal u should get a 2nd oppionin ..or mayby even a 3rd.. ive gone to 4 docters for my scolip and each one says a differnt thing but they have atleast one thing in comman ..and the one thing that they all say i belive is the real truth.. if that made sence :/ ..but i think u should definatly get a 2nd opiionin on the whole footbal thing...
            nessa

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            • #7
              Hi Andy's Mom,

              My son, David, also had stapling done (March 2004). He had been braced since before his second birthday up until the time of the surgery. He will be turning 7 in November (so I think we have a lot in common). His curve is also about same as Andy's, and he's doing well - but I know we have a long way to go. I am very cautious about his activities (perhaps too much so, since he really has no restrictions according to his doctor except to stay off really big roller coasters - which we'd do anyway - LOL). If it was me (and I of course can't make the decision for you) I wouldn't let my son play football even if the doctor said he could. But that's just me. Believe me, I know it's hard to tell your kid he can't do something other kids are doing, but not playing football or not going on roller coasters is a small price to pay, in my opinion, for their continued well being. In a nutshell, I'd rather be safe than sorry. And my son has been great about understanding this. He knows that some kids can't eat peanut butter and he can't do certain things because of his surgery. His attitude makes it easier for me I guess. If he was begging me to go on a roller coaster, I guess it'd be more difficult.

              Anyway, I truly wish you and Andy all the best, and I'd love to hear from you.
              mariaf305@yahoo.com
              Mom to David, age 17, braced June 2000 to March 2004
              Vertebral Body Stapling 3/10/04 for 40 degree curve (currently mid 20's)

              https://www.facebook.com/groups/ScoliosisTethering/

              http://pediatricspinefoundation.org/

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