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  • Savannah's 7.5 monh post-op appt

    1. Radiographs show no change in the last six months (1.5 to 7.5 months post-op). So she's still at ~5*. Said it looks very good. Done growing so 5' 9" is going to be final height.

    2. Will be released from all restrictions (except bungie jumping ) in two weeks (26 November) which is 8 months post-op.

    3. Excused from gym for another two months because she is likely out of shape from restrictions and gym teacher might ask her to participate at peak level. She should use these two months to get back up to speed. Savannah was very glad to hear this because she goes to the art room instead of gym and helps the teacher there. She wanted to continue that for the rest of the semester. She got her wish. Small mercies in exchange for her scoliosis journey.

    4. I asked about what Savannah can do to avoid stress/strain/whatever on the spine and discs above and below the fusion to minimize injury and the need for future revision/extension. I had assumed that maybe 30, 40, 50 years from now she might need a revision or extension of the fusion.

    He said she has nothing to do... she is back in the general population and will have no higher likelihood of spine/disc/whatever pathology/pain/whatever than an unfused person. I had to have this repeated because I couldn't believe it. He was insistent that because of where the fusion ended (L1), she is back in the general population in every respect with the same odds of back issues.

    So Savannah really is done with her 15 month journey with scoliosis. Literally. When I realized that, my happiness was tempered with the thought of Willow's journey and that the most likely scenario at this point is failed bracing followed by fusion. With her identical twin needing fusion, it was always very likely I think.

    This surgery is easily the most amazing thing that has ever happened in my life. I can't get over how good these surgeons are. Not a miracle; rather the scientific method in action.

    I asked for the digital radiographs. When I get them, I post them.

    sharon
    Last edited by Pooka1; 11-11-2008, 03:23 PM.
    Sharon, mother of identical twin girls with scoliosis

    No island of sanity.

    Question: What do you call alternative medicine that works?
    Answer: Medicine


    "We are all African."

  • #2
    That’s great news, Sharon. Today’s adolescents with scoliosis are clearly the beneficiaries of much more advanced surgical technology. Scoliosis aside, I wonder what’s causing our young girls to grow so tall. When I was in high school, 5’6” or 5’7” was considered tall. Nowadays, it’s not unusual to see young girls reach heights of 5’11” and even 6 feet. Something in the milk?

    Chris

    Comment


    • #3
      Sharon, that's great news and she must be psyched to have restrictions lifted. I'm happy to hear it is working out so well.

      Also good what he says about her not being at higher risk for disc/spine problems in the unfused area a few decades down the line. That would be one of my concerns should my daughter ultimately require fusion (especially since I anecdotally see people here who have had issues but I guess fuse position and maybe newer instrumentation help offset that risk.) I'd love to see the studies on this -do you have those studies (or a citation of the studies that address this issue)?

      Thanks
      daughter, 12, diagnosed 8/07 with 19T/13L
      -Braced in spinecor 10/07 - 8/12 with excellent in brace correction and stable/slightly decreased out of brace curves.
      -Introduced Providence brace as adjunct at night in 11/2011 in anticipation of growth spurt. Curves still stable.
      -Currently in Boston Brace. Growth spurt is here and curves (and rotation) have increased to 23T/17L

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by CHRIS WBS View Post
        That’s great news, Sharon. Today’s adolescents with scoliosis are clearly the beneficiaries of much more advanced surgical technology. Scoliosis aside, I wonder what’s causing our young girls to grow so tall. When I was in high school, 5’6” or 5’7” was considered tall. Nowadays, it’s not unusual to see young girls reach heights of 5’11” and even 6 feet. Something in the milk?
        Thanks Chris.

        I'm 5' 6" but my husband is 6' 2." I feel like I'm in the company to two models when we walk around malls and such because they seem to dwarf me.

        A silver lining, if there is one, to their scoliosis is that it alerted us to the need to have their hearts tested regularly in case they have emergent Marfan's syndrome. They don't have it now but if they do develop certain heart/aorta issues, we will catch it very early and they can avoid aorta surgery hopefully.

        That's the way I have been looking at it.
        Last edited by Pooka1; 11-11-2008, 02:33 PM.
        Sharon, mother of identical twin girls with scoliosis

        No island of sanity.

        Question: What do you call alternative medicine that works?
        Answer: Medicine


        "We are all African."

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by jillw View Post
          Sharon, that's great news and she must be psyched to have restrictions lifted. I'm happy to hear it is working out so well.

          Also good what he says about her not being at higher risk for disc/spine problems in the unfused area a few decades down the line. That would be one of my concerns should my daughter ultimately require fusion (especially since I anecdotally see people here who have had issues but I guess fuse position and maybe newer instrumentation help offset that risk.) I'd love to see the studies on this -do you have those studies (or a citation of the studies that address this issue)?

          Thanks
          Thanks Jill.

          No I don't have any papers but I assume they are out there in the literature. Or maybe that is the experience of our surgeon over the years. I don't know which. I can try to search for something or I may ask him.

          I just assumed from reading the revision testimonials that revision/extension would be at least a possibility given how unnatural it is to have a block spine of 10 vertebra. His response on this completely blew me away. Some skepticism seems warranted but it was dispelled by how insistent/adamant/certain he was on this point. He says she is back in the population on back issues. But then again, I was in the general population and I have a fused area (see below). So we'll have to wait and see.

          I have a natural fusion (crushed disc) in my lumbar which I believe is a sports (riding) injury. Not from falling but from poor technique during sit trot. I now wonder if that will propagate up or down my lumbar. I know I have less and less ability over the last few years to stand for long without pain/stiffness so maybe that small fusion is propagating and injuring other lumbar discs. Who knows. As long as I can still ride several times a week, I'm not complaining. I never have back pain riding. Small mercies.

          ETA: He actually used the phrase "one stop shopping" in reference to Savannah's surgery to further make the point that she is back in the population. I think my mouth was hanging open or I was drooling or something so he had to say something.
          Last edited by Pooka1; 11-11-2008, 02:40 PM.
          Sharon, mother of identical twin girls with scoliosis

          No island of sanity.

          Question: What do you call alternative medicine that works?
          Answer: Medicine


          "We are all African."

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Pooka1 View Post
            He says she is back in the population on back issues.
            Call me stupid but what do you mean by that?

            and its really great to see that she has done so well after all those months. It gives me more hope =] And some of that applies to me as i was only fused to L1 and its practically straight from then on, on my back. Hopefully she and i wont need any revision EVER!
            -Marissa-
            28 degrees diagnosed summer '05
            boston brace? never wore it.
            (60 degrees) told surgery was needed.
            Pre-op = 67 degrees (5'2")
            Post-op = 24 degrees (5'4")
            FUSED *T3-L1*

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by curveof27 View Post
              Call me stupid but what do you mean by that?
              I mean she has the same odds of developing back issues in the unfused portions as the rest of the general population who are not fused. And I think that is, many if not most folks, including me. It is to say the fusion does not predispose her to back problems over and above unfused folks per the surgeon. It sounds fantasical but he seemed sure.

              Originally posted by curveof27 View Post
              and its really great to see that she has done so well after all those months. It gives me more hope =] And some of that applies to me as i was only fused to L1 and its practically straight from then on, on my back. Hopefully she and i wont need any revision EVER!
              Well I think the reference was to an extension though I did say both. I'm sort of sloppy in my word usage here. A revision would only be necessary if there was some hardware failure or a pseudoarthrosis I think. So the issue really was what is the likelihood of an extension in the future assuming a successful fusion.
              Sharon, mother of identical twin girls with scoliosis

              No island of sanity.

              Question: What do you call alternative medicine that works?
              Answer: Medicine


              "We are all African."

              Comment


              • #8
                Great news, Sharon! Wow, I can't believe it's been 7.5 months already.

                And, don't worry, most of us (who are sane) wouldn't bungee jump anyway
                mariaf305@yahoo.com
                Mom to David, age 17, braced June 2000 to March 2004
                Vertebral Body Stapling 3/10/04 for 40 degree curve (currently mid 20's)

                https://www.facebook.com/groups/ScoliosisTethering/

                http://pediatricspinefoundation.org/

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Pooka1 View Post
                  ... I asked about what Savannah can do to avoid stress/strain/whatever on the spine and discs above and below the fusion to minimize injury and the need for future revision/extension. I had assumed that maybe 30, 40, 50 years from now she might need a revision or extension of the fusion.

                  He said she has nothing to do... she is back in the general population and will have no higher likelihood of spine/disc/whatever pathology/pain/whatever than an unfused person. I had to have this repeated because I couldn't believe it. He was insistent that because of where the fusion ended (L1), she is back in the general population in every respect with the same odds of back issues.
                  Sharon, at my 6 (actually it was 7 with scheduling) week post-op check up, I asked Hanson the same thing ... "What can I do *now* to help avoid revision?".

                  As you know, my fusion area is identical to Savannah's: I particularly worried about the health of my discs (long term) below L1.

                  Yes, I slide on the ballfield ... and will start Muy Thai Kickboxing and MMA (I previously practiced martial arts for 7 years) after the first of the year. My surgeon is more concerned I stay at a healthy weight and stay in shape ... he says *most* revisions he sees are people who are overweight/out of shape (PNUTTRO is a definite exception to this!). Rarely does he see revision surgery from injuries when fusion has gone well.

                  I think the best thing Savannah can do, I can do, that any UNfused person among us can do is take CARE of our backs.
                  • Perform tasks on level.
                  • Lift things properly.
                  • Stay limber... especially in our hamstrings.
                  • Keep a strong core.

                  The "normal" population that develops back problems (outside an accident) don't follow these few simple guidelines. I'd actually consider those of us who are aware of the protective measures in the "lucky group".

                  Best regards,
                  Pam
                  Last edited by txmarinemom; 11-11-2008, 11:39 PM.
                  Fusion is NOT the end of the world.
                  AIDS Walk Houston 2008 5K @ 33 days post op!


                  41, dx'd JIS & Boston braced @ 10
                  Pre-op ±53°, Post-op < 20°
                  Fused 2/5/08, T4-L1 ... Darrell S. Hanson, Houston


                  VIEW MY X-RAYS
                  EMAIL ME

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Sharon,

                    Will Savonha continue to see the surgeon? and if so for how long? I have noticed on the boards some Dr.s stop seeing the patient at one year post op and others continue to go every year for years to come. This is just another area I see a lot of diffrences.
                    Patty 51 years old
                    Surgery May 23, 2007(43 Birthday)
                    Posterior T3- L4
                    Pre surgery curves
                    T-53degrees
                    L-38degrees
                    and a severe side shift to the right.
                    Post surgery curves
                    Less than 10 degrees
                    Surgery April, 2006
                    C4 - C6

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Hi Patty,

                      He said we wants to see Savannah in a year. I don't know what the schedule it after that.

                      sharon
                      Sharon, mother of identical twin girls with scoliosis

                      No island of sanity.

                      Question: What do you call alternative medicine that works?
                      Answer: Medicine


                      "We are all African."

                      Comment

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