Surgery for 30 degrees and less?

[trcylynn]

Hi,

Has anyone heard of or has anyone had surgery done when their curve was less than 30 degrees?

Mine is in the mid 20s lumbar (haven't had xrays in awhile) and I was always told no doctor would touch it until it was over 40. Is that still true?

Physically my curve looks a lot worse than it is: every couple degrees it increases on the xrays affects my body physically by what looks like 10 or so degrees.

Personally if I can find someone to do the surgery to fix it I would, especially after I hear how happy everyone is with their surgeries.

Just wondering if I should get the hope out of my mind that some respectable doctor will operate on my back or not.

Thanks,
Tracy

[LindaRacine]

Yeah, happy like this person ;-)

http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showthread.php?t=5805

Scoliosis surgery is a very big deal for most people. I'm guessing that the only surgeon you'd find who would do surgery on a moderate curve without significant pain, would be one who doesn't have a lot of experience.

Perhaps you could try something like http://www.yogaforscoliosis, which can make the deformity less obvious.

Good luck.

--Linda

[Houston Curves]

In truth...

Yes, they will operate on a curve less than 50 %, but my understanding is that you would have to be in debilitating pain (does the pain keep you in bed or at rest often?) or it would have to be progressing rapidly (they want to see xrays to show this). Hope this helps.

Ann

[CHRIS WBS]

Linda,

I’m so glad you pointed this out. I was thinking the same thing. While I can well appreciate the enthusiasm that some people exude over the end result of having a much straighter back and hopefully less pain, I think the seriousness of this surgery sometimes gets overshadowed on this board. Since I began my investigation and research almost two years ago, I’ve heard of one forum member suffering a stroke and almost becoming paralyzed and of course the tragic loss of a young mother from Texas. In addition, a top-notch surgeon who is at the end of his career, did not hesitate for a moment to let me know about a recent patient of his who was permanently paralyzed. While I have been advised to have surgery, I am struggling because most days I feel just fine. Yes, I do have some discomfort and spinal fatigue, but is it enough to justify such a HUGE surgery? I do not dismiss the possibility that I can very well end up in chronic pain like this woman. Sometimes I wish I could just take the leap and book surgery, but then I see a post like this and wonder if it’s better to leave well enough alone.

I know Karen’s going to come back and tell me that big progressive curves will only get worse and so on and so on. And I know she’s right, but shucks I sure as heck would hate to end up even worse off.

Chris

[trcylynn]

I am in constant pain everyday- it doesn't keep me from doing things but I've had it since I was little so I think my pain tolerance has gotten higher.

The current pain I am having is in my shoulder- that pain is bad enough to affect the way I do things- I no longer have a normal range of motion and certain movements put me in so much pain I have to stop whatever I'm doing to let my arm calm down. It has shot pain all the way down to my fingers following with a tingling feeling- from my experience/reading I know that it could mean a nerve is pinched somewhere.

Does risk of surgery increase with severity of the curve? For example if you have a longer fusion is that harder than if it is only a couple disks fused?

Maybe I'm reading too much on the positive info. listed on various websites it just seemed to me that the surgery is becoming more common and with new technology its less invasive and less risky. Maybe I'm just mis informed on those...

Thank you for all the information/feedback. I think I'm just so sick of the physical deformity and the fact that I'm only 22 but feel like I'm 80 trying to get out of bed in the morning- I'm so stiff I have to stretch in bed for 10 minutes or I can't get up the pain is so bad that I would jump at the opportunity to have surgery which I really shouldn't. Knowing more about the risks and other options helps but it seems as though surgery is the only real "cure." I have the yoga for scoliosis dvd but she doesn't seem to be in the best of shape and I am a person that believes what I see not what I hear so its hard for me to be convinced a program will help me when the instructor is not the "ideal" I want to attain from yoga for my scoliosis.

~Tracy

[Houston Curves]

Trclynn:

Surgery is not a cure. It is a drastic measure to take, but it also sounds like you're in a lot of pain for only being 22. I have struggled with intense chronic pain most of my life too, but wanted to put off this surgery as long as possible. I know what I am getting myself into for the most part, and perhaps it would do some good to post another true story here.

My sister, 10 years my senior (she's 50) is a perfect example of the risk associated with this surgery. She had Harrington rods placed in 1983. They broke within 1.5 years due to non-fusion. She has had three successive surgeries since that time, the last one to insert a morphine pump in her body. She is in such excruciating pain that she relies on morphine to make it through every day of her life. She is completely disabled and could not work if she had to in order to live. So, yes, there is a huge risk associated with surgery, and it isn't limited to death. My sister has called me before in so much pain that she was begging for death. So, there is worse. I am trying to get her to have a revision with the current technologies, but she has already been through 4 and has no reason to believe another one can help her. So, it isn't a cure...it isn't even a guaranty to relieve some of the pain. I don’t think she will live much longer due to the other health problems this surgery and drug dependence has caused her - she's had this &^%*# pump in her for over 10 years!!! Her heart is bad now, as are her veins in her legs, and all she wants is to die. I think she has nothing to lose, but what she has to lose may be all she has left.

Now, with that said, yes, I am scheduled for surgery in September. Why? Because I have no choice. I am 40, with progressive curves ("S"), chronic debilitating pain and I've tried everything else to avoid this surgery. Nothing has helped.

Please, don't take this surgery lightly. It is VERY hard to go through, there are no guaranties, and it is risky. However, most people don't die; don't have strokes or pulmonary embolisms. It's playing the odds.

I sincerely hope that I have not scared anyone too much. I do not have any intent to scare someone who needs this surgery away from having it. But if you need the surgery, then you probably already know the risks. This is not something to consider as a cosmetic "cure." As I said, the surgery doesn't cure you. It takes a multi-jointed spine and makes it into one solid bone along the fusion. Once fused, it will never move again (if you're lucky).

Again, I hope you take all of this with the sincere understanding that I am trying to help and not to offend.

Ann

[CHRIS WBS]

Ann,

Reading your post about what your sister has experienced is exactly what my primary care physician discussed with me when I saw him a couple of weeks ago. When he asked me if I had made any decision about surgery and I told him no, he then proceeded to tell me about another patient of his who is experiencing the same problems as your sister. He said this patient is completely bed-ridden and on morphine due to excruciating pain as a result of a prior fusion. She is not a candidate for revision surgery because of her deteriorating health and weakened state.

Hopefully, with the newer technology being used today, your surgery will prove to be a positive experience for you.

Chris

[SandyC]

Trclynn,
You stated that you are having pain in your shoulder down to your finger tips. Have you had your neck checked? Since you only have a very mild lumbar curve, I should think that pain in your shoulder would be extremely unusual. An EMG would be very useful in locating where the nerve in your neck and shoulder are that are causeing the problem. You might ask your doc about it.
Sandy

[trcylynn]

I have an appointment with a specialist tomorrow- I've begun to make a list of questions I have and will not leave until I get them answered. I'm hoping if he does think the shoulder is part of my neck that I am at a facility that can do an MRI then and there to get those results. I do have two herniated discs in my lower back so I'm wondering if somehow the same thing has happened in my upper back and caused a pinched nerve.

Thanks for the advice/info.

~Tracy

[BrianB]

Hi Tracy,

Do you know how fast (or if) your curves are progressing? From your initial post, it does seem like they are progressing to some extent, but I wasn't positive. My curves are currently at 50 and 43 degrees and I was all set to have surgery until I went for a second opinion with a doctor from Johns Hopkins. I think everyone on this forum is right on - surgery should really be considered a last resort. I wonder if your pain is really being caused by your curve or whether it can be addressed some other way. I would definitely explore all your options. The way I think of it - you can always decide that the other treatments did not work and it's time to do surgery. But you can't have the surgery and then several weeks later decide that you should wait and undo it. So I say explore every single possible alternative first.

[trcylynn]

After my appointment today the doctor said my curves (lumbar and then the rotation) have probably stabalized. But, if the rotation continues that would prompt surgery as that is the only way to fix/stop it from progressing- that bracing would not help.

I'm going for an MRI to make sure nothing else is wrong and then he prescribed physcial therapy and a chiropractor so we will see how it goes.

[briarrose]

Hi Tracy

My pain sounds very similar to yours. I have the sharp pains around my shoulder blade and tingling sensations down my arm to my finger tips. I've had 2 MRI's in the past 3 years and both came back free of pinched nerves. I just find this strange because what else could it be. Maybe it's muscle pressing on nerves or knots? I have tons of knots. I hope your pain decreases soon. I can relate to what you're going through. When I was 21 I went to an orthopedic surgeon because I was in horrible pain. My curve had moved from 18 degrees at age 16 to 33 degrees. Now it's 47 degrees 4 years later. Keep getting your back checked out.

Shell

[nj_jl]

Hi. This is not completely related to surgery for those curves 30 degrees and less, but it is related to the decision to have surgery. I recently saw a surgeon (Dr. Errico) and he recommended surgery as my curve is 61 degrees. He said that it will continue progressing and cause me problems. Dr. Errico is the chief of surgery at the spine unit of NYU Medical Center with almost 30 years experience so I trust that he knows what he is talking about. I have pretty much decided to have the procedure...am I rushing into it? I have started to have more pain as I have gotten older (I'm 25 now) and am worried that it will continue to grow.

Please let me know your thoughts.

Thanks!