had my one year check

[green m&m]

I had my one-year follow-up with my ortho this afternoon. My scoliosis has progressed just a little. I thought I'd leave this appointment with a follow-up appointment for 2/3 years later but alas, I'll have a follow-up next year this time.

I got to hear his opinion on some other medical issues I've been having and am glad not everyone is cut-happy. Unlike my other surgeons who seem rather, urh eager to cut into me he thought unless I was having lots of problems things should be left alone.

He mentioned that I will need a fusion if the curve progresses toward 60 degrees. If my curve progresses at the rate it did this year, I'll reach the 60' mark in another 2 - 3 years. I think I'll wait 10 years, thank you very much

Overall, I believe my curve is stable. It'll be more apparent if my curve is really progressing of if the 'progression' seen today is a measuring discrepancy.

[JamieAnn]

Hi there,

I cannot remember if you've said this already, but who is your surgeon? I'm also in NJ so I'm curious! My surgeon said the same thing about holding back on surgery unless I was having issues and pain, etc.

Anyway, glad you can hold off even for now. Hopefully that puts your mind at ease at least for another year!

-jamie

[Cakedec]

Your curve may not correct so easily in 10 years

Dear Green M&M,

Remember that the older you get, the less the curve correction that they will be able to get. So if you get to 60 degrees in 2 or 3 years, a 40-50% correction is considered good. That might get you to 30 or 36 degrees with your fusion. THe longer you wait and the more your spine progresses, the bigger the corrected curve you will be left with, not to mention more twisting of your ribs, pelvis, SI joints, shoulder blades, pinched nerves, etc, and those things can't be corrected as well as the spine.

It's good that you are being monitored closely and that your doctors are cautious.

Deb
age47
posterior surgery T5-L5 7/24/06
for T70, L76 S curve
30 degrees of correction
DON"T WAIT TO GET STRAIGHT!!

[green m&m]

Jamie,

My surgeon is Joseph Dryer... he's in Millburn in NJ and is also at NYU. Actually the holding back surgery thing I posted about is for a paraspinal mass that my CINJ/RWJ surgeons want to take out. ...they were going to but the surgery got cancelled.(which in retrospect I'm glad) He didn't think it was needed unless it was causing pain or started encroaching vital structures. I'm gonna wait until I can get a biopsy to decide either way but until then... no cutsies


Cakedec

I know I shouldn't wait that long (10 years) if I need the fusion but I can hope ;-). I have reasons to believe my spine is pretty flexible -- I'm very flexible overall... I had a CT scan of my chest/abdoman/pelvis and on the ap view they took, my curve looked to be about half of my current (standing) curve... so I guess I'm 'stretchy'(?). The majority of my curvature stems from two wedged vetebrae and essentially, if they weren't wedged, I'm pretty sure my spine would be stright.

[Frosty]

My doctor told me that up until the age of 30 surgery for adults is not greatly different from that for teenagers. I suppose it's like for athletes, after the age of 30 some of them can't cut it anymore as your body isn't what it was.

While you shouldn't rush into surgery and afterall it is your decision I do think there is something to be said for getting it done and out of the way. Having it hanging over you is not very pleasant in itself.

In my understanding it is a safer operation than it was for previous generations and they have better means for looking after you when your recovering. If you get to avoid surgery and are happy to do so then great but if you are going to need surgery at some point then it is generally better to get it sorted out when your young.

[berta@aloha.net]

I was very flexible when I was young, doing gymnastics, etc. and even until 10 years ago, I was considered really flexible for my age. Now at 57, I WISH that the knowledge and type of surgery was available to me years ago, and I WISH I had known how much my curves would progress and the pain I would be facing, and I would have had my surgery when I was young.
I went from a 30 something curve upper and lower at 30yrs old, and now I'm at 50+ and 70+ curves and in lots of constant pain. My pain just started last year. I'm going for surgery as soon as I can, and just hope that that old flexibility will help somewhat with my correction.

Good luck in your decision of when! But I agree, don't wait too long because you are almost guanteed to face more curving and pain as you get older. Sorry to paint such a grim picture, but it's reality, darn it!

[green m&m]

I'm not too worried about the prospect of surgery in the future. I'm 100 percent certain I will need it but until I know for sure (when the degree #s indicate so) I'm not going to dwell over it. And even if the the curvature doesn't increase, I'll probably need some fusion done since the discs on the concave side of my curve above/below my wedged vetebrae most likely will degenerate to the point of being replaced/removed. So yeah, I know I'll need surgery and I probably won't get to wait much more than another few years.

As for pain, I've had pain due to scoliosis since I was 16 and I'm expecting it to get worse as I get older. Oddly though, the pain I was experiencing was much worse in my teens than it is now -- There was a point in time during high school I dreaded college because I didn't know how I'd be able to handle college with the pain I was having.

Don't worry Berta, you didn't paint a grim picture for me . I hope you get to have the surgery done soon and get relieved from the pain

[sweetness514]

I think it's safe to say that it's good to wait and see, and I can say that between having surgery in your twenties and your thirties won't make that much of a difference, unless you get out of shape.

When I had surgery at 26 the first time I was not in shape, very thin and as a result it took a LONG time to get back to "normal". My last surgery I was more in shape and even if the surgery was not as serious it was still a big one but physically I was much more ready, and I was 35.

For those who didn't have surgery years ago, consider it was maybe a blessing in disguise as a lot who did have to have revision now, so there are pros and cons for both having it early or later in life. I lean toward the middle ground, as I believe it's good to have it when you're young enough so that you're spine is flexible and your body in shape enough, but that can be achived in your thirties as well.

[berta@aloha.net]

Oh! And to me 35yrs old IS still young! I agree that the 30's are fine too, so I guess having surgery young, I, being 57, meant all the way to late 30's, as being fine. I didn't really feel my body decline too much until almost 50, and then it seems to all start catching up to you!