Osteotomy

[MariHOU]

My doctor just diagnosed me as needed a wide pedicle subtraction osteotomy in the lumbar area. Can anyone who's had one please share your experience with me please? I have questions, below, but anything else you can share will be helpful to me.

- How long did you stay in the hospital?
- Did you experience any complication(s)?
- Pain level?
- How long after the operation did you leave the hospital?
- Did you go to a rehab center? How long and how much did it work for you?
- Did you experience any type of paralysis, either temporary or permanent?
- How long were you away from work?
- How are you feeling now?
- How long ago were you operated for this?

The doctor told me that I would be in the hospital from 5-6 days and at the rehab center for about 5-7 days. He gave me an 85% success with 15% risk of partical paralysis, with only 5% of the 15% possibly permanent paralsys.

Any input from anyone out there who has had a wide or whatever size pedicle subtraction osteotomy? I haven't decided, yet, whether to have this operation and if I do, I do not know when yet.

Thank you.

Marilyn

[Theresa]

Marilyn,

That is what I had done June 2005. We are on the way out to a movie right now. If you want, PM me with your phone # and I will call you back later on today. I will also PM you with my number.

[mattie]

Marilyn, What is this osteotomy consist of? I have never heard of such a thing. Will they put in extra hardware or repair something? Is it to fix a specific problem? I know I am full of questions but I am just curious. I have always been a person that if I hear of a new procedure or invention or something, I like to know all I can about it. Forgive me for being so questionable.
Mattie

[LindaRacine]

Hi Mattie...

You can read a paper and see drawings of osteotomies here:

http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article858.html

Regards,
Linda

[Theresa]

Mattie,

I find it easier to describe an osteotomy like you're chopping down a tree. You swing the axe in and chop out a "V" section of wood, then the tree falls down on itself before it falls over. That's basically like an osteotomy except they pull the spine together when the "v" piece of bone is taken out.

[MariHOU]

Theresa....wow, I could not have said it better myself. Thanks.

Mattie....ask as many questions as you like. That's a big part why we are all sharing on this website. :) Hugz!

By the way....even though Dr. LaGrone sent me a write-up of my office visit on 11/28, I never paid much attention to reading my height. I was shocked to see that I shrunk 2 inches! I've been reading posts here and there about shriking but it never hit home until I read my height. So so so short! Hopefully the osteotomy will give me a bit more height along with less pain and walking straighter. Sigh. Geez....so short.

[mattie]

Linda, Thank you for the site it described the procedure fully for me.
Theresa, thank you for describing it to me in terms i can understand instead of a lot of medical mumbo jumbo.
Maryln, I hope everything turns out ok if you decide on this procedure. Sounds like you have a difficult decision to make.
Good Luck.
Mattie