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Thoracoplasty Question--PLEASE HELP!

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  • Thoracoplasty Question--PLEASE HELP!

    Please bear w/ me. I've been crying all night so I am an emotional wreck right now. The candidate in question is my grandma. She's 80, perfectly healthy (no high blood pressure, no high cholesterol, no diabetes, you'd think she's 70 or something...everyone in my family ages well )--PERFECTLY fine except 1 thing. She sure has the biggest hump ONLY ON THE RIGHT (not a typical old person back hunch) that I've ever seen in my life. When she was a lot younger (back in her 20s), she was 5'3, perfectly straight (no scoliosis) and over the yrs, she's shrunk (she's ab 4'5" now and I suspect that is due to her outward curve. This shrinking does NOT run in our family--my great grandma lived to be 94 (she died in March 1995) , no scoliosis (just your typical old person back hunching) and was probably 5'3" (I saw her once when I was little). My mom is 52 and she's 5'4", no scoliosis or anything.

    She doesn't complain at all, just usually she's tired (being the ignorant idiot that I was, I figured it was just 'cuz she's old). Well, I recently grew a brain as well as experienced a lot of back pain (not severe but more so than in the past) and I'm only 22, only 16* curve, can barely notice my hump (unless I tell you) and I AM TRYING TO IMAGINE HOW AN 80 YR OLD W/ A HUUUUGE BACK HUMP to the right must feel!!! She's doing physical therapy 3 days a week now but still not very helpful.

    Tonight I called her and it was SO hard holding back the tears (I don't want her to know I am crying ABOUT her b/c then it'll sadden her). She was saying how her back hurts a LOOTTTTTTTTTTT. That nealrly broke me to pieces. Yeah, I'm afraid I'll be like that when I am 80 but I am more concerned about her. I don't want her to live her last few years in agonizing pain. If I was to be in her shoes, I'd rather die painfree.

    SOO...I know thoracoplasty is a very risky surgery for us (yes, us young ones!) so I think it would be too risky for an 80 year old! But given how her back hump is sooo huge (you can see it even w/ layers of clothing on!), I was wondering if perhaps the benefits would outweigh the risks? I don't want her to eventually suffer from lung issues. The issue w/ the lungs is, unfortunately, a concern from both not having surgery and as a result of surgery. What conditions qualify benefits to outweigh the risks???

    I am in graduate school 2 hours away from her so I've never had the opportunity to take her to her doctor's appointments. Since I will get 3 weeks off for xmas break, I am going to make sure I go w/ her to her doctor to find out the exact degree of her curve and discuss what little options that are there for her.

    I'm so heart broken. Growing up, my parents were always working and she acted like a mother to me--prepared breakfast, lunch, dinner, took me trick-or-treating, walked me to my friend's house, played cards w/ me. Ok, I'm gonna stop here now b4 I begin crying again.

    Sorry for such a long post.

  • #2
    Hi...

    A thoracoplasty probably would do nothing for your grandmother's pain, and I doubt you'd find any surgeon who would even consider it. She may still be a candidate for a fusion.

    --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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    • #3
      Hi Alex,

      It's always very hard to accept a loved one's pain, whether it be physical or mental!!! You have a big heart.

      I'm not sure you should compare your condition to her condition at such a young age. I had an aunt that had scoliosis and if you would have compared her xrays to mine, when I was in my 20's and she was in her 40's, they were very similar. Her's never progressed like mine did. You just never know.

      I think your concerns and questions are heart felt and loving, but it's a rough surgery. And a decision that she would have to make for herself. She is blessed to have someone that cares so deeply. You're a good granddaughter!!!

      Thinking of you and her,
      Shari

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