Serial Casting - infantile scoliosis

[Celia]

I would like to introduce myself and my daughter, Deirdre. She is now three years and five months. At 18 months, I discovered during one of her baths that her ribs were not where they should have been. I remember looking at myself in the mirror at the time and I was white as a sheet. I didn't know what she had, I thought it was cancer or something. I didn't know what scoliosis was or what to look for. I always thought her back looked a little funny, but I never thought that it was possible for a spine to curve and rotate like that. I do recall her pediatrician looking at her back during the three month check-up but he never said anything to me !!!

Later, when an x-ray was done I discovered that she had a sixty
degree curve. Within two weeks, just before she was placed in her first cast, her curve had already progressed to 68 degrees. The medical objective was to delay surgery for as long as possible. Filled with fear about the possibility of spinal fusion, I read about different treatment options. I came across the following websites:

http://www.sauk.org.uk/infant_treatment.htm

http://www.scoliosis.org/resources/medicalupdates/earlyonset.php

The only option that held out any hope for Deirdre seemed to be
serial casting. At the next visit with her orthopedist, I insisted
that he keep her in the cast and have it replaced within three months time (to allow for growth). Everytime we went for a visit with the doctor, I kept insisting that he continue to change her cast. By the third cast( six months later ) her curve had decreased to 14 degrees !!! (lying down) A stand-up x-ray later revealed that her curve was at 19 degrees.

The last time she had an x-ray done was in November of 2003, and her curve was 13 degrees (standing-up). She has been in and out of casts for the past 21 months. She has had five cast changes. Sure it hasn't been a cup of tea, but who ever said scoliosis was going to be easy. I am hoping that her next cast change will be her last and that she will be straight once and for all !!!

Thanks for listening and I hope this story will inspire someone out
there.




Celia

[Celia]

There is misinformation circulating on other websites about the requirement for parents to travel sometimes thousands of miles to see a particular doctor that has "experience" using serial casts. There are also claims that the cast MUST be completely made of plaster of paris.

It was my doctor's idea to cast my daughter immediately. I went along with it because I trusted his judgement. Once I came across the SAUK website and the National Scoliosis Foundation information on early onset scoliosis, I knew it was the way to go. My doctor is twenty minutes away. Her cast has a thin sheet of plaster in the molding - perhaps about 1/ 4 of an inch thick and the molding is wrapped in fibreglass. It looks like a regular boston brace however, it cannot be removed. We have had EXCELLENT correction with these casts and I can tell you, that today she is almost straight.

I don't advocate that parents sever all ties with their current pediatric othopaedic doctors in favour of travelling in some cases, thousands of miles to get their children casted every three or four months. Work with your doctor - it's not rocket science - I am sure he/she can be convinced. If not, phone around local children's hospitals to find out who does casting. Granted, casting is not standard procedure, BUT it is NOT such a remote unused procedure as some will lead you to believe. There are numerous children's hospitals who routinely treat infants with serial casts There are many GOOD, CARING doctors out there ! Have faith in yourself and your doctor.








Celia :)

[mariaf]

Cecilia - I am interested in hearing more. Where do you live? - where was your daughter treated? Thanks.

[Celia]

Hi Maria,

Telling you who was/is treating her, sort of goes against my message to NOT travel too far to see a doctor - but anyway....she was treated with serial casts by Dr. Douglas Hedden who is now Chief of Surgery at Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta. Post casting, she is being treated by Dr. Rivard in Montreal, Quebec with the Spinecor brace.

[Jaz]

Hi Maria

My dd is being treated very successfully with a plaster cast.

A great place to go for information and support is
www.infantilescoliosis.org
At the bottom of the page is a link to a very active and supportive on-line support group.

Hope that helps.

Jaz

[Celia]

Hi All,

I've been trying to upload a picture of my little cutie in her cast, but it has not been an easy task. The picture will probably be ENORMOUS. I have been trying to reduce it with no luck !

[Celia]

Here is another picture of my little princess :p

[Nicky's Mom]

Hi Celia,
Just wanted to say that I love the pictures of your little angel, she is beautiful! Take care, and keep up the good work!!
Cathy (Nicky's Mom):)

[Celia]

Thanks Cathy :) :) :)

I hope things are going well for you and your family. How's little Nicky ? He's quite a cutie himself :p







Celia

[Nicky's Mom]

Celia,
Everything is great with us! The TRP/VEPTR has been a huge success for Nicky! He has sailed through the surgeries so far, and has gotten really good correction!
We will keep you, and your family in our prayers!
See you "around"!:D
Cathy

[Celia]

Cathy,

It feels like I'm bumping into an old friend - we just pick up on conversations that were left off months before. I was thinking, why don't you write up a little story about Nicky's positive experience with the TRP ? I'm sure there are a lot of parents who are new to this that would benefit. ;)






Celia

[Celia]

Hey Gang,

Here are current photos of my little cutie without her cast - she got it off yesterday !!!!! Beware, picture texture is not that good since I had to reduce the size of the photos and for some reason it didn't turn out :(



Celia

[Jacque's Mom]

Congratulations! Remembering way back when, that was the best day of my life, removing my cast. Your daughter is beautiful and her back looks great! I wish you all the best. LYNN

[Celia]

Thanks Lynn !

It's been 4 months since Deirdre had her cast removed and as some of you know, she has been wearing the Spinecor brace full time. I've taken a few pictures recently to show you how GREAT she looks ! :) Anyway.... I hope they come through. I've also included her initial x-ray taken in May 2002 and the most recent one I have, April 2005 ( of course the straight one is the most recent :D )

[gerbo]

for what reasons do doctors not use serial casting, there must be some reason, some reasonable sounding arguments??? :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

(nice pictures by the way)

[Celia]

Gerbo,

I really don't know :confused: I'm sooooo thankful Dr. Hedden did. :) :)

[tonibunny]

From what I've heard, many doctors who are unfamiliar with serial casting think that it sounds "barbaric" to put a child in a body cast for months/years on end.

This view is utter rubbish - surely it's far more barbaric to "watch and wait" whilst a little child grows more and more deformed, and then have to put it through surgery.

Casting has been used to hold curves (and more recently, to correct them too) for at least 40 years here in the UK. I wore body casts from the age of 6 months until I was 10 years old and didn't have any major issues with them. They were an annoyance rather than something that caused me distress. If I had a child with scoliosis I wouldn't hesitate to have her put into casts.

[Celia]

From what I've heard, many doctors who are unfamiliar with serial casting think that it sounds "barbaric" to put a child in a body cast for months/years on end.

This view is utter rubbish - surely it's far more barbaric to "watch and wait" whilst a little child grows more and more deformed, and then have to put it through surgery.



Toni,

I couldn't agree with you more ! Dr. Edgar did such a fantastic job looking after you and today you look amazing. I'm going to try to get one of the pictures to show up a little better so everyone can see the difference between the very first x-ray and now. It's almost miraculous considering she had a 60 degree curve at the age of 19 months. Oh....she also scratches like crazy as soon as the spinecor brace comes off. She managed to scratch THAT much within 5 minutes of the brace coming off.



http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e251/sealy25/Picture144.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e251/sealy25/Picture133.jpg

[Celia]

We got back from our Montreal Trip last week and it was lovely!!! Have I mentioned that I *love* Dr. Rivard and Dr. Coillard - they are the nicest people/doctors in the world!!!! Without further ado.... here is Deirdre's latest x-ray as of March 2007. She has been wearing the Spinecor brace for 16 months. I am beginning see a light at the end of this tunnel :)

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e251/sealy25/deirdre200703.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e251/sealy25/Picture004_edited.jpg


******

[christine2]

Hi everyone

Here are Dierdre's X rays from Celia

After serial casting and Spinecor. I myself am just amazed at the results!!

March 2008
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e251/sealy25/deirdre032008.jpg

May 2002
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e251/sealy25/deirdresfirstx-ray.jpg