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  • How to support, guide and not step on toes

    My cousin is seeing a DO who says he needs spinal fusion and will have to wear a cast from his neck to his thighs for three months post-op. I have never heard of this and am worried that it's indicative of outdated methods.

    I'm getting this information through a relative, but I am very concerned. First, that he is seeing a DO. Has anyone here had their fusion performed by a DO? To me, that's not a specialist and considering this is not a medical doctor, I have zero confidence that this guy has had appropriate training to specialize in spinal surgery.

    Second, I am not clear what it is they are planning to do and what the full diagnosis is. He mentioned that they said he has scoliosis, but he also has a lot of nerve damage from the work he used to do for a living. He retired last year because of back and neck pain associated with his job (it was very manual, technical stuff that required climbing poles, etc). This started out as needing to fuse 1 or 2 levels and now they're talking about a cast from neck to pelvis and possibly multiple surgeries? What the?!

    I don't want to scare him but I also think that he really should be meeting with a specialized spine ortho who knows what the h*ll they're doing.

    Any suggestions on what to say? If this goes badly and I sat by and said nothing, I would feel so guilty, but then I also am (luckily) the recipient of a single 14-level fusion that was all posterior and successful.

    Help!
    Female, age 38
    4 years of bracing, concluded at 42*upper/38*lower
    currently 64*upper/40*lower
    Fused T3-L4 on Feb 23 2011
    now 32*upper/18* lower

  • #2
    I hope this makes you feel better about D.O.'s.

    http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/e...cle/002020.htm

    You can look him up and see if he specializes in anything. A full body cast would concern me, too.

    All the best!
    Rohre01
    Be happy!
    We don't know what tomorrow brings,
    but we are alive today!

    Comment


    • #3
      There are actually a couple of DO's who are members of the SRS. With that said, I would be very concerned about anyone saying that they'd have to be in a cast after surgery. Hopefully, they'll get a second opinion. Either that, or we can hope that the information was misunderstood.

      --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


      • #4
        I had never been to a DO before now. A DO who specialized in Cataract surgery just did my eyes in December and did an amazing job. I had asked anybody who would listen to me for a recommendation on this Doctor and all I got was very positive recommendations for him. What I would suggest for you to mention to your cousin is to make sure he gets more than one opinion about his 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


        • #5
          I agree. If you can meet with him, relay what you have had done to yourself and see how he responds. If he asks questions, that’s a plus. If he freezes up and doesn’t respond much, he could be extremely afraid. You will have to read him face to face. Try to arrange a meeting with him.......

          Remember that stories coming from others are usually “tuned up” a tad to make things interesting.....A full body cast from head to toe, fusing the knees and hips, with just a hole for food makes things pretty interesting. It increases the “wow” factor.

          Where are you guys located?

          Good luck
          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


          • #6
            Here is a picture of a full body cast. This setup is great, you don’t have to wonder where your cat is, and with a handle on the back, you can carry him like a purse and set him down on your desk and you always have company. Just make sure you point him in the right direction or he could get pretty mad.

            If you have a mouse hole, you just set him in front of the hole. Its guaranteed! That is one heck of a mousetrap!

            full body cast.jpg

            (smiley face)
            I’m 4 years today.....whew.
            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


            • #7
              Originally posted by titaniumed View Post
              I’m 4 years today.....whew.
              Congratulations Ti Ed!!

              Sharon
              Sharon, mother of identical twin girls with scoliosis

              No island of sanity.

              Question: What do you call alternative medicine that works?
              Answer: Medicine


              "We are all African."

              Comment


              • #8
                that cat looks like a feline version of Sparky in his winter coat...

                i'd be pretty worried too about any doctor talking about a full body cast...
                thought that went out with leeches...
                seriously, i hope you can meet with him face to face, as Ed suggested....
                at the very least, maybe just suggest another opinion....
                after all, insurance companies used to require second opinions...

                congrats, Ed...
                maybe you can ski for your anniversary?

                jess

                Comment


                • #9
                  Thx Sharon

                  I still cannot believe how well I turned out. Im still amazed, I always will be, I guess.

                  Jess

                  Its raining today......pretty depressing stuff for skiers out here. I know, deep breaths!

                  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


                  • #10
                    Perhaps the story has, as Ed said, grown slightly, and the body cast is in fact a brace?

                    Hearty congratulations Ed! Will we ever cease to be amazed and will we ever forget our anniversaries? I doubt it.
                    Surgery March 3, 2009 at almost 58, now 63.
                    Dr. Askin, Brisbane, Australia
                    T4-Pelvis, Posterior only
                    Osteotomies and Laminectomies
                    Was 68 degrees, now 22 and pain free

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I remember when I was in 8th grade and they told me about the surgery--full body cast for 9 months! That was MANY years ago. No wonder I said I'll never ever have that surgery!

                      Ed,
                      You are the Fusion Poster Boy. Congrats!! Janet
                      Janet

                      61 years old--57 for surgery

                      Diagnosed in 1965 at age of 13--no brace
                      Thoracic Curve: 96 degrees to 35 degrees
                      Lumbar Curve: 63 degrees to 5 degrees
                      Surgery with Dr. Lenke in St. Louis--March 30, 2009
                      T-2 to Pelvis, and hopefully all posterior procedure.

                      All was posterior along with 2 cages and 6 osteotomies.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Ed, may I someday have the sac to attempt learning to snowboard. Alas, at this point I am just looking forward to the driving range. Baby steps in bravery, right?!


                        It's actually my cousin, and the info is from his sister, so I don't think it's being overblown. Possibly misunderstood. I have his email address now (the patient) and will email and ask him what is going on. It sounds like it's neck and lower back damage. But the cast thing throws me off completely. We live far apart and I haven't seen him face to face since we were kids...we keep up on holidays and facebook, so we aren't close like that.

                        Ed, he is in Columbus OH. It looks like Ohio State has a great spine care facility there. Why he's going with this, I don't know. But to each his own and apparently this is the third "doctor" he's seen. Sorry, I know that DOs are certified in many cases, but I'm heavily biased toward MDs for something as delicate (well, delicately brutal) as spine surgery.

                        Thanks again you guys. And WAY TO GO on the four years Ed!!!
                        Female, age 38
                        4 years of bracing, concluded at 42*upper/38*lower
                        currently 64*upper/40*lower
                        Fused T3-L4 on Feb 23 2011
                        now 32*upper/18* lower

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Lily

                          On the snowboarding question, I think I understand what you are asking, uhhh, yes, snowboarding would be harder on a fused spine because snowboarders seem to fall OFTEN. Sorry snowboarders, but it is true. I don’t think I will ever board again because of this. I have to worry about my neck now since my spine is no longer flexible, all the force will transfer right to the neck in a crash.

                          Be sure to keep us up to date on your cousin. I wonder if there is a reason to ‘plaster cast” anything anymore? What do they use in you break your arm now? Hmm....Its seems that they would have something pretty fancy these days.

                          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


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by titaniumed View Post
                            Lily

                            I wonder if there is a reason to ‘plaster cast” anything anymore? What do they use in you break your arm now? Hmm....Its seems that they would have something pretty fancy these days.

                            Ed
                            They use this stuff that looks like gauze but is made of, I believe, fiber glass. It has something in it that activates with water and gets a little hot. They wrap the arm very heavily with fluff and then in a big hurry apply the cast material as it hardens very quickly.

                            The only reason I know is because my grandson had to have a tendon repair when he was two and they casted him almost all the way up to the shoulder (it was in his finger). My son also broke his hand a couple of times several years back and it was the same material then.

                            Rohrer01
                            Be happy!
                            We don't know what tomorrow brings,
                            but we are alive today!

                            Comment

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