CA bound

[mbeckoff]

I have the CT mylogram scheduled for next Thursday. At the hospital, here in NC, they had never had a patient due all three levels in one day. They wanted to do my back one day and then have me come back another day to do my neck. I told them I really wanted to have it done in one day.


Melissa

[mgs]

"We've never had. . ." is a sort of lame explanation of why it shouldn't be done in one visit. Hopefully, someone here will know if there is AN ACTUAL contraindication to doing it all in one fell swoop. Maybe you will have to do it in 2 sessions, even if it could/should be accomplished in 1, just because that is what they are used to, and straying from that might mess them up. It's no surprise that the hospital staff will find you unique - many of them will, most likely, never see another patient with your level of complexity, no matter how many years they have worked, or will work.

[mbeckoff]

"We've never had. . ." is a sort of lame explanation of why it shouldn't be done in one visit. Hopefully, someone here will know if there is AN ACTUAL contraindication to doing it all in one fell swoop. Maybe you will have to do it in 2 sessions, even if it could/should be accomplished in 1, just because that is what they are used to, and straying from that might mess them up. It's no surprise that the hospital staff will find you unique - many of them will, most likely, never see another patient with your level of complexity, no matter how many years they have worked, or will work.

They called me back and said that it could be done in one day.
I have a question for you . How is a osteotomy related to scoliosis?

Melissa

[mgs]

I am sooo glad that they are OK with doing it all in 1 appointment!!!

In my case, Dr. Tribus did the osteotomy to correct the sagittal imbalance that was an unwanted result of my first fusion surgery, and became starkly noticeable after my hardware removal surgery. Like they say, it can be a tough call as to getting the OR table's levels correct during a fusion surgery, and my initial surgery left me with no "small of [my] back". . .which led to my sagittal imbalance, which became more pronounced with time. I was pitching forward. By cutting out a wedge from a lower vertebrae (he cut from my L-3 or L-4, I forget which) I could again stand straight. I liken it to sewing - from the little I remember of sewing - making a notch in the fabric can make a garment hang properly. There may be other scoli reasons for an osteotomy, but I don't know what they are.

[mbeckoff]

I am sooo glad that they are OK with doing it all in 1 appointment!!!

In my case, Dr. Tribus did the osteotomy to correct the sagittal imbalance that was an unwanted result of my first fusion surgery, and became starkly noticeable after my hardware removal surgery. Like they say, it can be a tough call as to getting the OR table's levels correct during a fusion surgery, and my initial surgery left me with no "small of [my] back". . .which led to my sagittal imbalance, which became more pronounced with time. I was pitching forward. By cutting out a wedge from a lower vertebrae (he cut from my L-3 or L-4, I forget which) I could again stand straight. I liken it to sewing - from the little I remember of sewing - making a notch in the fabric can make a garment hang properly. There may be other scoli reasons for an osteotomy, but I don't know what they are.

Thanks for explaining and yes I am very happy that they can do all three CTs on the same day

Melissa

[JenniferG]

Good news Melissa and good luck. You'll be so glad when it's done and you'll be one step further towards a proper diagnosis and treatment decision.

PS Love the osteotomy. I had more than one (don't know the number) and I love what it did for the shape of my back.

[mbeckoff]

Thanks. Even though I am in so much pain, I feel better knowing that there is a plan. My new doctor seems so much more through than my last. My left hand has been swollen for several weeks now and when I mentioned it to my first surgeon, he just told me that there was nothing to be done. When I emailed Dr B, he immediately sent me for a ultrasound to rule out a blood clot


Melissa

[mbeckoff]

What , if anything, do I owe my old surgeon ? Do I owe him an letter telling him that I am having the surgery in CA? Do I go to have an appointment with him and tell him face to face? or do I just do nothing?


Melissa

[JenniferG]

Melissa, I feel very glad that you've at last found a doctor who's caring and thorough - and prompt.

Regarding the previous surgeon, my first thought was, he doesn't deserve a letter, however on second thoughts, I feel you should update him on what Dr. B has discovered, and what he's doing for you. I feel he needs to know his treatment of you was inappropriate and lacking, though you don't have to say this. He will know, simply by what Dr. B has discovered and is doing for you. Perhaps it might cause him to treat future patients with more care and with a determination to discover what's causing their pain and send on those patients to another surgeon if he feels he hasn't the skills to help them, which it seems to me, he didn't, in your case. Perhaps wait until Dr. B reads the results of your latest tests, so that you can include those results.

I don't think you should hope for an apology, but the knowledge he might have to re-think his mode of patient care, will be satisfaction enough.

[mbeckoff]

Melissa, I feel very glad that you've at last found a doctor who's caring and thorough - and prompt.

Regarding the previous surgeon, my first thought was, he doesn't deserve a letter, however on second thoughts, I feel you should update him on what Dr. B has discovered, and what he's doing for you. I feel he needs to know his treatment of you was inappropriate and lacking, though you don't have to say this. He will know, simply by what Dr. B has discovered and is doing for you. Perhaps it might cause him to treat future patients with more care and with a determination to discover what's causing their pain and send on those patients to another surgeon if he feels he hasn't the skills to help them, which it seems to me, he didn't, in your case. Perhaps wait until Dr. B reads the results of your latest tests, so that you can include those results.

I don't think you should hope for an apology, but the knowledge he might have to re-think his mode of patient care, will be satisfaction enough.

Thanks for the advice

Melissa

[mbeckoff]

Can someone explain to me in english what this means?


You will need a revision fusion with extension up to C2, osteotomies from C7 to T3 and possibly a staged anterior surgery for correction of the lumbar nonunions.

[mbeckoff]

Now I am having a EMG test done. What is this?

Melissa

[Elisa]

It looks as though it's a test for "evaluating and recording the electrical activity produced by skeletal muscles"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromyography

[LindaRacine]

Can someone explain to me in english what this means?


You will need a revision fusion with extension up to C2,.

As discussed previously, the fusion would be extended up to C2, the second vertebra in your neck.

osteotomies from C7 to T3

Osteotomies are wedges, taken out of the vertebrae, to allow for re-alignment. You can see diagrams of a few types of ostotomies here:

http://www.coa-aco.org/coa-bulletin/...teotomies.html

staged anterior surgery for correction of the lumbar nonunions.

The lumbar area that didn't fuse might need to be augmented with additional fusion material from the front (which would require an incision on your belly).

[mbeckoff]

As discussed previously, the fusion would be extended up to C2, the second vertebra in your neck.



The lumbar area that didn't fuse might need to be augmented with additional fusion material from the front (which would require an incision on your belly).

What does being fused to C2 do to my mobility?

Would I have 2 incisions or would the broken rod be fixed from the front?


Melissa