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  • Met Dr. Hey

    HI All, Melissa I did tell Dr. Hey Hello for you. Wish you could have seen his face, he was delighted. My visit is difficult to explain in a short space, but will try. My curves are T59, L69, C? (forget), severe kyphosis, pseudoarthrosis, there is a list of issues. Surgery is scheduled, but think I will move it back as I need more then 2 weeks to get things lined up on the home front. Will use a 3 rod system, 1 is actually a wire of some sort. Said just 2 rods would break. Will go from T2 to L5. What I don't understand is why he does not want to do my neck. I explained it was the source of the greatest pain, past the threshold of what I can handle. He did not say so but I wonder if it has too much wrong for him to deal with, or if my being under-insured has anything to do with it as it would likely cause us to need more then 1 surgery. I just don't know. He sent me to PT, said that once the spine is straight the neck may come back in line. I hope to ask some of the questions this week that did not ask while there. I got a terrible case of information overload and kind of just sat there numb with my mind going completely blank. I may go forward with this surgery and if the neck is still as bad after a year then look for someone else to look at it. Any thoughts? I thank each of you for your support and encouragement. Anybody got any ideas on what I should do on a personal level during this time. I live in FL, do not want to drive that far. My husband had a stroke, can't speak. Yet, I want him with me. I live on a limited income. This makes things hard in so many ways. He & his clinic is just as stated in everything I have read. Very skilled, very kind.
    scoli appeared age 15
    untreated until age 30
    41* T & 72* L
    Harrington Rod T4 to L4
    33* T & 53* L
    neck instrumentation C3-4,C4-5,C6-7
    Revision coming up in Nov. 2012

  • #2
    I completely understand that "information overload" thing. Sitting in shock, I also understand! I think you're wise to delay in order to perhaps have another consultation with all your questions written down. Make two copies and give him one to run through and as he replies, fill in a few words of answer next to each one, so you're less likely to forget. I would definitely want to know if he expects your unfused cervical area to come back when the rest of your back is straightened, which sounds like a possibility. Best of luck!
    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


    • #3
      Taylor

      As far as the neck is concerned, I don’t think that anyone could handle having a full fusion revision AND cervical work done at the same time. Its just too much surgery....you wouldn’t be able to handle it, nobody could handle it.

      I went in with a broken shoulder....I broke it 10 days before my scoli surgeries and that problem was pushed aside. Yes, it did add to the pain in my recovery, but after talking to my arm surgeon about it, he said that since my humeral head was shattered like broken glass, it really didn’t matter. It had to fuse itself before he could have done anything. There are times you just cant get everything done all in one visit. The arm had to wait. It was done 8 months later.

      Information overload happens to all of us....I wouldn’t worry about it much, you did a good job.

      Chances are he will want to access some levels from the front or the side. You might ask him about this....If so, where will the cuts be and how long would they be? Each level can have different angles of attack and sometimes they have to get to the front of the spine for a better fusion. They can also use portals and go through a 1” slit or a few slits...

      When is the date?

      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


      • #4
        I thank you for the kind words

        Thanks guys, It's good to know that we all get stunned some times. I did make a list of questions, but never felt like the time was right because he answered most of them as he was explaining the surgery. He did mention going in from the back and possibly the side. However, I think plans are going to change as his nurse called, wants a new MRI of the upper spine. The area between my sholders did not fuse in first big surgery (1980). Also have a junction twist in the same area. He is taking a better look at that. As of now I am set to go in OR Nov. 13th. Several ostomies and normal list for those of us with degeneritive scoli. I'm feeling all the normal emotions before something like this. I did ask about the neck when he called back, his answer was indeed he expects improvement in neck pain when spine is picked up. I look like a swan right now.
        scoli appeared age 15
        untreated until age 30
        41* T & 72* L
        Harrington Rod T4 to L4
        33* T & 53* L
        neck instrumentation C3-4,C4-5,C6-7
        Revision coming up in Nov. 2012

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