Lexy
09-14-2004, 02:55 PM
I am scheduled for surgery on November the 18th. I found out Friday that my curvature has progressed to 70 degrees. That is an average of 2 degrees per year. 5 years ago I was at a 60 degree curvature. My doctor said that he would make a small incision under my armpit and remove three of the rigid disks. He would then flip me over and make a foot long incision from right below my neck to right above my waist. He said I should not lose too much flexibility since the thoractic vertabrae are the only ones being fused. He also said that my lower curvature would straighten once the upper is fixed. The scariest thing about the surgery is that they will have to collapse one lung. I will have to wear a drain tube for 3 or 4 days. I've heard it is really hard to breath with the chest tube.