question about Thoracoplasty for Rib Humps

[golfnut]

I have heard nothing but praise for Dr. Lenke and will not change surgeons, but hope that if he doesn't think the derotation will take care of the rib hump that he will consider doing a thoracoplasty. I guess I'll find out at the pre-op. I sure wouldn't want to go back at a later date for a thoracoplasty with another surgeon if the rib hump was still visible. I guess I'd just live with it. No matter what our age is, I think most of us want good cosmetic results as well as a good prognosis for later years.

[Doodles]

Anne--Thank you for that information. You must have had a great result.

Karen--I'll be anxious to hear what you find out from Dr. Lenke. I feel so stupid I didn't know about this part until afterwards. I thought I'd done so much research. It never came up for me. I just assumed the surgery would fix it. Yes, it made it much better but... Janet

[JenniferG]

I'm another one who didn't have thoracoplasty but my rib hump has gone. I left it to my surgeon to decide whether I needed the thoracoplasty on the day. Like some others here, I disliked my rib hump more than the curve.

[golfnut]

Jennifer,
That's encouraging to hear that you and others had a reduced rib hump without a thoracoplasty. I will also be fused T4-Sacrum, so that gives me hope.

[MarlenePowers]

I had a thoracoplasty done in conjunction with my fusion from T2-T12. Dr. West removed just the rear portions of 3 ribs to reduce the hump and use with the graft. I went from 50.11 to less than 10. I can say this, my ribs hurt more on the side that I have all of them(from the de-rotation), than the side the thoracoplasty was performed on. I was 40 when I had my surgery. I believe that the younger and more flexible your spine is the better result of rib hump reduction with de-rotation and fusion alone.

[kennedy]

I agree with Laurie on this about the Thoracoplasty me and her has the same spine surgeon. it also the experience that the surgeon has with that surgery. I didn't want to be at my gradaution from high school with the rib humb. my parents didn't no that Dr Gupta was going to do a Thoracoplasty to reduce the rib hump. I glad i went to my high school gradaution