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  • Devastated: Bone Density Results

    Hi Everyone,

    The surgeon called today and said my bone density results are not favorable and she is not able to do surgery because my bones are too soft. My next step is to see a bone specialist who will determine why my bones are so soft (genetics, nutrition, etc.) and tell me if there is a medication to "beef up my bone density" to some day have surgery. I'm crushed.

    Warmly,
    Doreen
    44 years old at time of surgery, Atlanta GA

    Pre-Surgery Thorasic: 70 degrees, Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 68 degrees, lost 4 inches of height in 2011
    Post-Surgery curves ~10 degrees, regained 4 inches of height

    Posterior T3-sacrum & TLIF surgeries on Nov 28, 2011 with Dr. Lenke, St. Louis
    2 rods, 33 screws, 2 cages, 2 connectors, living a new life I never dreamed of!

    http://thebionicachronicles.blogspot.com/

  • #2
    i am so sorry to hear this, Doreen...
    i hope you can find the right doctor to help you...
    there are specialists in that are...i was actually referred to one by my own gyn in NYC...

    in the mean time, i also hope you can find a pain management doctor who can help you with some kind of shots (or other treatments) while you are trying to improve your bone strength....it took me a few years to find the injections that relieve my pain
    (for 3 months) but i am so grateful i stuck with it!

    best of luck
    jess

    Comment


    • #3
      I am so sorry to hear this news. I know how difficult it is to make the decision to go for the surgery and then to have it denied. It iIS devastating. However, you and the surgeon do NOT want the surgery to fail. It is a worry that the fusion takes even when there is no problem with bone density.

      Hopefully, you will find a doctor who can help you get your bone density such that you can have the surgery in the future. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

      Take care,
      Irene

      Comment


      • #4
        Hi Doreen,

        I am in the same boat, except not a month away from surgery. I was also told that my bone density needs to improve so I am waiting and hoping that something can be done so that I might be able to "qualify" for surgery next year hopefully. I am sorry that you got this news so close to your surgery date. If you need to talk please p.m. me.
        Pam, age 49
        Thoracolumbar curves 80 and 40 corrected to 20 degrees
        April 20, 2012 surgery with Dr. Lenke
        T-3 to sacrum

        Comment


        • #5
          Oh Doreen, I am so very sorry to hear that!

          I'll be praying that your bones are able to regain enough strength to endure the surgery, and that in the meantime you can find some sort of relief for the discomfort and pain.

          Again, so so sorry to hear that...I can't imagine how difficult this must be for you.

          Blessings,
          Rebecca
          Age: 28
          Dx w/ scoli @ age 12 S curves T-40* L-42*
          wore night bending brace as teenager
          Curves changed to 50's plus or minus
          herniated disc L2-3, Discectomy October 2007
          fusion L2-3 November 2008
          Revision L2-3 Fusion, Removal of hardware August 2009
          Curves measuring 52 T&L September 2010
          Fused T4-L4, all posterior December 27th 2010
          gained almost two inches in height

          Before and After Exterior
          Before and After X-rays
          My blog: http://herscoliosisjourney.blogspot.com/

          Comment


          • #6
            I'm so confused right now. Hubby and I are jotting down questions for when we see specialist: Does this mean I can never have surgery? How fast can density improve for surgery? What are the treatment options?

            Warmly,
            Doreen
            44 years old at time of surgery, Atlanta GA

            Pre-Surgery Thorasic: 70 degrees, Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 68 degrees, lost 4 inches of height in 2011
            Post-Surgery curves ~10 degrees, regained 4 inches of height

            Posterior T3-sacrum & TLIF surgeries on Nov 28, 2011 with Dr. Lenke, St. Louis
            2 rods, 33 screws, 2 cages, 2 connectors, living a new life I never dreamed of!

            http://thebionicachronicles.blogspot.com/

            Comment


            • #7
              Doreen and Twin

              I’m so sorry to hear about this, you were so ready. Think of it as a good thing, you wouldn’t have wanted to proceed unless everything was ok to begin with.....

              Keep your head up, visit this new doctor and get your self ready. Your day will come.

              Keep posting. We enjoy your posts!
              Ed
              49 yr old male, now 63, the new 64...
              Pre surgery curves T70,L70
              ALIF/PSA T2-Pelvis 01/29/08, 01/31/08 7" pelvic anchors BMP
              Dr Brett Menmuir St Marys Hospital Reno,Nevada

              Bending and twisting pics after full fusion
              http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt...on.&highlight=

              My x-rays
              http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...2&d=1228779214

              http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...3&d=1228779258

              Comment


              • #8
                I am so sorry to hear that . I hope that you are able to find a doctor that can get your bones stronger

                You are in my prayers

                Melissa
                Melissa

                Fused from C2 - sacrum 7/2011

                April 21, 2020- another broken rod surgery

                Comment


                • #9
                  So sorry you will need to postpone your surgery. There seems to be a lot of products that will help with bone density--they have side affects, but it sounds like this might be a path you might need to take.

                  I have to redo my bone density test on Friday when I have my two week pre-surgery meeting. Apparently the test my local hospital ran last year was not the right type for determining true bone density.

                  I know that on my first meeting with the surgeon, explained how much he can straighten my spine is in some correlation how dense my bones are.

                  Best wishes and hope you find the right combination of bone strengthener and exercising to get you back on track.
                  Discovered scoliosis when 15 years old.
                  Wore Milwaulkee Brace for 1.5 years.
                  Top curve 85 degrees, bottom curve 60 degrees

                  Surgery completed August 23, 2011 (during an earthquake, can you believe that?)
                  Dr. Charles Edwards, II
                  The Spine Center at Mercy Hospital in Baltimore, MD
                  Before and after xrays:
                  http://www.valley-designs.com/myspine

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Spine surgery in patients with osteoporosis can be a slippery slope, but I don't think I've seen a case here at UCSF where a patient has been denied surgery because of it. There are some techniques that can be used, to help keep implants in place when there's low bone density. You might want to shop around a bit, and see if you can find someone who has more experience... perhaps a university doctor. Where are you located?

                    --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


                    • #11
                      Hi, Doreen,

                      I'm so sorry your surgery can't proceed as scheduled. It must be very
                      disappointing. There are many medications to improve bone density. (I have
                      osteopenia, and have taken Actonel, Boniva and Atelvia for the past six years or
                      so. My 80-year-old mother, who has osteoporosis, is on a two-year regimen of
                      Forteo, after a number of years on other medications. When my surgeon came into
                      the family waiting room to tell my husband how my surgery had gone he said that
                      my bones were soft. I'll find out more when I see him for my first post-op visit
                      next week. My surgery only took three hours; it has occurred to me that maybe
                      part of the reason the surgery was fast is that my bones were soft. I had a
                      bone density test as part of my pre-op testing but I haven't yet found out the
                      results of the test.

                      I hope with all my heart that eventually you'll be able to have the surgery.

                      Mary, 54 years old
                      T57, L43
                      surgery - 7/05/11 - Dr. Boachie , Hospital for Special Surgery, NYC
                      T2-T12, posterior

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        The surgeon's office just called to say they spoke with the bone specialist and he had a cancellation for Aug 24, so I'm scheduled to see him. Surgeon's nurse said he will most likely put me on meds. Surgeon wants to see me in 6 months to run another bone scan.

                        My current bone density is T score of lumbar (the area that has the surgeon most concerned) -2.4. Z score is -2.0 Nurse said healthy range is 0 to -1, osteopenia -1 to -2.4, osteoporosis -2.5 and lower.

                        Warmly,
                        Doreen
                        44 years old at time of surgery, Atlanta GA

                        Pre-Surgery Thorasic: 70 degrees, Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 68 degrees, lost 4 inches of height in 2011
                        Post-Surgery curves ~10 degrees, regained 4 inches of height

                        Posterior T3-sacrum & TLIF surgeries on Nov 28, 2011 with Dr. Lenke, St. Louis
                        2 rods, 33 screws, 2 cages, 2 connectors, living a new life I never dreamed of!

                        http://thebionicachronicles.blogspot.com/

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Results in Hand - Confused

                          Hi Everyone,

                          I finally have the density report in my hand and a couple things confused me. The report states:
                          "please note that the presence of severe dextroscoliosis of the lumbar spine may falsely elevate the bone mineral density." I had just read over the weekend that doing a bone scan at the location of surgery is not always good because if, in the example of spinal surgery, scoliosis is present, the spine will not have normal load bearing which may negatively impact the test results.

                          The other surprise on the report is that all other bone areas tested at normal ranges of 97% and 99%. So how is it possible for one section of bones in a body to be greatly different in density (my spine is at 75%). I'm thankful God put this little hiccup in my path and redirected me to Dr. Lenke.

                          Warmly,
                          Doreen
                          44 years old at time of surgery, Atlanta GA

                          Pre-Surgery Thorasic: 70 degrees, Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 68 degrees, lost 4 inches of height in 2011
                          Post-Surgery curves ~10 degrees, regained 4 inches of height

                          Posterior T3-sacrum & TLIF surgeries on Nov 28, 2011 with Dr. Lenke, St. Louis
                          2 rods, 33 screws, 2 cages, 2 connectors, living a new life I never dreamed of!

                          http://thebionicachronicles.blogspot.com/

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            My bone density was right on the edge of being osteopenia but when I had my surgery, my Doctor said that he could stabilize my spine, but not straighten it because the bones were a little too soft. I was a little disappointed about not getting a couple of inches back, but at least, I have an active life which I wouldn't have had without surgery.
                            Sally
                            Diagnosed with severe lumbar scoliosis at age 65.
                            Posterior Fusion L2-S1 on 12/4/2007. age 67
                            Anterior Fusion L3-L4,L4-L5,L5-S1 on 12/19/2007
                            Additional bone removed to decompress right side of L3-L4 & L4-L5 on 4/19/2010
                            New England Baptist Hospital, Boston, MA
                            Dr. Frank F. Rands735.photobucket.com/albums/ww360/butterflyfive/

                            "In God We Trust" Happy moments, praise God. Difficult moments, seek God. Quiet moments, worship God. Painful moments, trust God. Every moment, thank God.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              What is considered low bone density ? I had a BMD in June of 2009 by my Gyncologist and I was told I had Osteopenia and put on Fosomax. I told my surgeon this in Oct 2010 before my Nov surgery and he made no comment, wasnt concerened. I was never given a BMD before my surgery by my surgeon or asked to see the results of my June 09 one..

                              Comment

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