Hi everybody
i went to see another surgeon on thursday aug. 6th in nyc...i have only good things to say about the surgeons i am considering...so i will say that the doctor i saw for first time was dr. neuwirth...i liked him, tho i have felt for 2 years that i would go with dr lonner, who has been following my curves for 5 years! every surgeon i have seen has recommended the same surgery...basically A/P, with anterior L4-sacrum, & posterior T11-S1.... "w/bilateral pelvic fixation"....only thing different was dr neuwirth said was he would do front first, about 2 hours , he said, & then a few days later, do the back, about 8 hours, he said....dr lonner said he would do entire surgery in 1 day ( though i never asked if he would consider breaking it up into 2 days)...
anyway, i am still debating...i am just afraid i would trade one set of pain for another...& all i really care about is getting rid of the pain...i am on very strong meds from pain management, & i dont want to live like that, knowing i will need to increase the dose the longer i am on the meds...i like both surgeons very much...but i am so scared of the permancy of the rods...& i am told i may need as many as 16 screws!!!! wow, it sounds like ALOT of hardware!!!!
i would be so grateful for any info/advice....i know only i can make the decision...i am just interested in others' experience, especially those fused to the pelvis!! dr neuwirth admitted that fusing & anchoring that low makes any flexibility at all more difficult!! but he also said he has patients who are very active after surgery, & feels i would become so as well... i just cant wrap my brain around being able to do ANYTHING after being fused so low!
i know i have written on forum before about my indecision, but the pain is getting worse & surgery seems more of a necessary reality to me now....
thanks to anyone who can take the time to respond...
jess
i went to see another surgeon on thursday aug. 6th in nyc...i have only good things to say about the surgeons i am considering...so i will say that the doctor i saw for first time was dr. neuwirth...i liked him, tho i have felt for 2 years that i would go with dr lonner, who has been following my curves for 5 years! every surgeon i have seen has recommended the same surgery...basically A/P, with anterior L4-sacrum, & posterior T11-S1.... "w/bilateral pelvic fixation"....only thing different was dr neuwirth said was he would do front first, about 2 hours , he said, & then a few days later, do the back, about 8 hours, he said....dr lonner said he would do entire surgery in 1 day ( though i never asked if he would consider breaking it up into 2 days)...
anyway, i am still debating...i am just afraid i would trade one set of pain for another...& all i really care about is getting rid of the pain...i am on very strong meds from pain management, & i dont want to live like that, knowing i will need to increase the dose the longer i am on the meds...i like both surgeons very much...but i am so scared of the permancy of the rods...& i am told i may need as many as 16 screws!!!! wow, it sounds like ALOT of hardware!!!!
i would be so grateful for any info/advice....i know only i can make the decision...i am just interested in others' experience, especially those fused to the pelvis!! dr neuwirth admitted that fusing & anchoring that low makes any flexibility at all more difficult!! but he also said he has patients who are very active after surgery, & feels i would become so as well... i just cant wrap my brain around being able to do ANYTHING after being fused so low!
i know i have written on forum before about my indecision, but the pain is getting worse & surgery seems more of a necessary reality to me now....
thanks to anyone who can take the time to respond...
jess
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