I'm sure this question has been posed many times in this forum. I have a sister that is 16yrs with a S curve. 45 degrees lower curve and 61 degrees upper curve. She does not have any pain or discomfort due to scoliosis.
I understand that if she does not have surgery, she may have cardiac & breathing problems later in life. I also know that it is better to have the surgery when you are younger versus older. I've done quite a bit of research on the immediate and long term effect of having and not having the surgery. A lot of people still have some degree of pain decades after the surgery depending on the type of instruments used. Harrington vs. Cotrel-Dubousset. One concern is disk degenerative disease.
This feels like a no win solution to me right now. If she doesn't get the surgery, she risks a worsening curve and potential problems. If she has surgery, she risks a host of other complications. After doing more research, I'm still unsure on what to do. Of course we all will sit her down, give her the pros and cons and give her the ultimate decision. It's so hard to see a loved one need surgery but I'm know it is worse for the person needing surgery.
LindaRacine replied with:
hkt...
It's definitely a difficult decision. Most people who have scoliosis surgery are pain free and happy with their results. I have links to abstracts of a bunch of scoliosis outcome studies on my website at:
http://www.scoliosislinks.com/Outcomes.htm
Regards,
Linda
I understand that if she does not have surgery, she may have cardiac & breathing problems later in life. I also know that it is better to have the surgery when you are younger versus older. I've done quite a bit of research on the immediate and long term effect of having and not having the surgery. A lot of people still have some degree of pain decades after the surgery depending on the type of instruments used. Harrington vs. Cotrel-Dubousset. One concern is disk degenerative disease.
This feels like a no win solution to me right now. If she doesn't get the surgery, she risks a worsening curve and potential problems. If she has surgery, she risks a host of other complications. After doing more research, I'm still unsure on what to do. Of course we all will sit her down, give her the pros and cons and give her the ultimate decision. It's so hard to see a loved one need surgery but I'm know it is worse for the person needing surgery.
LindaRacine replied with:
hkt...
It's definitely a difficult decision. Most people who have scoliosis surgery are pain free and happy with their results. I have links to abstracts of a bunch of scoliosis outcome studies on my website at:
http://www.scoliosislinks.com/Outcomes.htm
Regards,
Linda
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