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  • More harm than good?

    It seems like the majority what I'm hearing is negative. So, was it worth it to have the surgery? I am scheduled to have surgery on Nov 18. I want to get better, not live the rest of my life in worse pain. Also can someone tell me about the bracing after surgery? How long did you have to wear the brace? was it uncomfortable?

  • #2
    Lexy...

    Just like in a doctor's office, on any internet forum, you'll mostly find people who are seeking treatment. The people who have good outcomes tend not to hang around.

    I'd like to encourage you to look at the abstracts of published scientific studies on the outcomes of scoliosis surgery. Here is a link to a bunch of them:

    http://www.scoliosislinks.com/Outcomes.htm

    Regards,
    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

    Comment


    • #3
      Linda,

      This site you gave is very good. Very informative. I just had a ball reading a good portion of it and will continue next time as I am am trying to absorb all the info. Thanks.

      Letty

      Comment


      • #4
        Hey, for me, the surgery was well worth it. I am one of the good that hangs around this forum soley to help persons like you that are scared. I usually do not have much pain at all in my back. Rarely, unless i'm justused to it. sometimes my upper back will hurt a little to where if i pinch my shoulders back as far as they will go it wont. This hasnt really happened in the last 6 weeks when i fractured my L2. I had to wear no brace after the surgery; totally satisfied with doing the risky surgery. It's been 3 years post op. Thanks, Derek

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        • #5
          Wow, Derek, that was very encouraging. What was the degree of your curvature? Did you have a rib hump? How old are you? Take care and thanks for helping people like us who haven't had the surgery yet. Hang around for a while, will you? We need all the help we could get.

          Letty

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          • #6
            The curve of my spine was somewhere in the mid 70's, it is now at 29 degrees post surgery which is very good. I'm 19 years old now. Its been 3 great years.I'm not sure about any rib hump. I had a bone graft from my hip, that is all. There were no curves in my ribs, only upper back. I stay on this forum for a reason: I was 16 when i had my surgery so i didnt think about it before hand until the point where they were wheeling me into the surgery room and putting the mask over my face. Until that point I didn't really care and it wasn't a big deal(probablly cause of my age). Right then i was like "wow this is really happening" and i was pretty scared for those few seconds of fighting the anesthesia. This surgery is extremly helpful. A couple weeks ago when all the doctors were talking about doing operations on my shoulder and L2 fracture, that scared the piss out of me. So i see where everyone is coming from about this fear. Turns out I didnt need any surgerys for any of my 3 fractures and everything is healing fine. After one of those days that I was scared I came home and found this scoliosis forum so I could help people that were struggling. I wish you all the best of luck, Derek
            Last edited by derxz; 09-03-2004, 11:21 PM.

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            • #7
              Hi,

              I'm a little confused.....if surgery is indicated and necessary it should always be the better option....If I didn't have surgery my spine would have shifted until I would never been able to walk and live my days in a wheelchair...my quality of life would be nonexitence....soo deciding on surgery was easy..I'll take my chances how I recover when and if a problem developes ....life has it's risk and there are no garrentee..good luck..
              PS I'm so far very happy I had the surgery!
              CONNIE


              Surgery June 28th 2004
              fused T4 -L3
              Hip graft
              Grown 1 1/2 inches
              25/o upper T 15/o
              53/o T 15/o
              37/o L 6/o
              Dr. Micheal Nuewirth
              New York City

              August 6, 2004
              Pulmonary Embolism
              complication from surgery

              January 2007 currently
              increasing pain at the T4/5
              point irratation heardwear

              Comment


              • #8
                Connie...

                Did Dr. Neuwirth actually tell you that you'd end up in a wheelchair? Doctors using this type of intimidation is my pet peeve.

                There are plenty of people with curves > 100 degrees who lead relatively normal lives, and who do not use wheelchairs.

                In your case, it sounds like surgery was a sound decision. I suspect that you could have come to that decision, however, without the threat of being disabled.

                Regards,
                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

                Comment


                • #9
                  Dear Linda,,
                  I 'm sorry if I mislead you..My surgeon never told me I would be in a wheelchair if I didn't have surgery...If anything he tried to disway me... I read about being in a wheelchair on this websight...everyone talking about disabilty if they didn't have surgery...My decision was based on pain, progression of curve and unablity to stand and hold my body up for 15 minutes...As you mentioned , there are persons who are fuctioning with curves at 100 degrees....bravo to them...surgery should be anyones last option....
                  CONNIE


                  Surgery June 28th 2004
                  fused T4 -L3
                  Hip graft
                  Grown 1 1/2 inches
                  25/o upper T 15/o
                  53/o T 15/o
                  37/o L 6/o
                  Dr. Micheal Nuewirth
                  New York City

                  August 6, 2004
                  Pulmonary Embolism
                  complication from surgery

                  January 2007 currently
                  increasing pain at the T4/5
                  point irratation heardwear

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Connie...

                    I know hundreds of people with scoliosis, and probably only 2-3 who have ever had to use a wheelchair. I hope that we can stop anyone else from thinking that they'll end up completely disabled if they don't have surgery. There are good reasons for having surgery. That's just not one of them. :-)

                    Regards,
                    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

                    Comment

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