I am looking for input from people who have lived with being fused to L3 or L4 for a number of years. My 12 year old daughter was fused almost a year ago from T6-L1. Her lower curve extended below L1, but the surgeon was hopeful that he would get good results without having to fuse so low at her young age; hopeful it would turn out to be a residual
curve and would self-correct. It has not corrected as much as he'd hoped - from 47 degrees to about 35 degrees. Her upper curve responded well to surgery, from 65 degrees to about 20 degrees.
The question of revision surgery, extending the fusion to L3 or L4 is on the table for now. Her right hip flares upward and toward the front, and gives her a sort of uneven look. She wears a lift in her left shoe, in an effort to help balance her out. Also this past year she wore the brace after sugery for awhile, and also had physical therapy. Still did not get the results with the lower back. The doctor's concern with the revision surgery is that, further down the road, her remaining unfused vertebrae below will degenerate and she will wind up needing further surgery. By the way, we trust our
surgeon implicitly; he was the second opinion we sought a year ago. He is William Lauerman at Georgetown University, and did his fellowship in Minnesota which, as I recall from one of Linda Racine's posts, is a plus.
Here is what I would like to know from anyone who has lived with such a low fusion for a number of years...
How flexible are you? Can you do things like tie your shoes?
How is your back years later - did you, or will you, require fusion to your sacrum?
She has recently been complaining of pain in her tailbone area and right leg. She sees her doctor in a few weeks and I will bring it up with him. Does anyone have an opinion on whether this is due to the lower back situation?
Thank you-
Judy
curve and would self-correct. It has not corrected as much as he'd hoped - from 47 degrees to about 35 degrees. Her upper curve responded well to surgery, from 65 degrees to about 20 degrees.
The question of revision surgery, extending the fusion to L3 or L4 is on the table for now. Her right hip flares upward and toward the front, and gives her a sort of uneven look. She wears a lift in her left shoe, in an effort to help balance her out. Also this past year she wore the brace after sugery for awhile, and also had physical therapy. Still did not get the results with the lower back. The doctor's concern with the revision surgery is that, further down the road, her remaining unfused vertebrae below will degenerate and she will wind up needing further surgery. By the way, we trust our
surgeon implicitly; he was the second opinion we sought a year ago. He is William Lauerman at Georgetown University, and did his fellowship in Minnesota which, as I recall from one of Linda Racine's posts, is a plus.
Here is what I would like to know from anyone who has lived with such a low fusion for a number of years...
How flexible are you? Can you do things like tie your shoes?
How is your back years later - did you, or will you, require fusion to your sacrum?
She has recently been complaining of pain in her tailbone area and right leg. She sees her doctor in a few weeks and I will bring it up with him. Does anyone have an opinion on whether this is due to the lower back situation?
Thank you-
Judy
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