Spinal Fusion Problems

[geneticsgirl]

Hi, my name is Erin, and I had a spinal fusion in May 2003 to correct
my double major curve. The top curve was 36, the bottom was 40, and
they kept progressing after I was done growing. We fused from T2 to
L2. They achieved 100% correction on the top curve, and my lower
curve is now 18 and stable.

I'm 22 years old now, and I've had a lot of upper back pain since
surgery, which they think is due to the instrumentation. I am
discussing the possibility with my surgeon of removing the
instrumentation, with the hope of trying to lessen my pain. Does any
one have advice or experience with this?

Thank you!

Erin
geneticsgirl80239

[LindaRacine]

Hi Erin...

In addition to any responses you receive here, please do a search (see Search link above) on ROD REMOVAL. There have been several discussions on that topic.

Regards,
Linda

[green m&m]

I'm curious because your degrees before fusion typically wouldn't be fused. Hope you don't mind my asking.

How much did your curves progress after you stopped growing? and when did you stop growing?

I personally can't tell you anything about having the instrumentation removed, but there are few on this board that have partial and full removal.

[geneticsgirl]

I stopped growing when I was 15, and then in those few years between 15 and 19 my curves progressed approximately 6-10 degrees. It was a recommendation from my orthopedist, because the curve was progressing at a rate of 2 degrees per year, and so it was better to do it when I was 19, and the recovery would be better, than to have to do it when I was 40 or 50. I don't have any regrets about choosing to do the surgery, even though I have the pain still. I would make the same decision again today if I given the chance.

Linda-Thank you, I will definitely check that out.

Thank you.
Erin

[sweetness514]

I wouldn't recommend having the whole harware removed b/c the curves might come back. However, if your pain is located in one area, and you have your surgeon do a cortisone shot test done to see if it is one partcular hook or screw hurting, you can have that removed, like I had years ago. It is much easier as far as surgery and I was in the hospital the morning, out that night. Recuperation was only a few weeks to a month-max.

[itsjustme]

Are you sure you didn't have just a thoracic curve with a compensatory lumbar curve?? That would seem the only logical explanation to me as to why they only went down to L2. Just curious. Best of luck to you, I hope the pain gets better for you. ~Shelley

[geneticsgirl]

I'll have to ask my doctor about the cortisone shot-that's a great idea, and I've never heard of it before.

They only went to L2 because they didn't want to limit my mobility quite as much as if they went to L3. It worked out well, because I have almost the same amount of mobility as I did prior to surgery, except for side bending. I am very happy with the way my surgeon dealt with it, and I am still sure I would make the same decision about my surgery today.

Thanks for the info! It was really helpful, and I really appreciate it.

Erin

[ScoliGal]

green m&m
i have one curve of 40 degrees and its not progressing and im still getting surgery this summer...so they can be fused

[green m&m]

green m&m
i have one curve of 40 degrees and its not progressing and im still getting surgery this summer...so they can be fused

You can fuse the spine at any degree. I was just a bit suprised b/c doctors tend to try to avoid fusing smaller curves, and like I said in my previous post, the degrees geneticsgirl mentioned is generally not fused. Of course, there are always exceptions.

[PNUTTRO]

geneticsgirl--I am curious about this name, only because I am a cancer genetics person myself.

I had my harrington rod removed. It was obvious from the X-ray that there was a gap between the bone and the hook. And I was having severe pain with it. I have other pain too, but removing the rod and rapairing the fusion at L3/L4 did stop the big pain.

Why do you think that your pain is related to the hardware and not disc degeneration etc? Usually, the surgeon will send you to cheaper treatments first. (PT and/or pain management)

[geneticsgirl]

I am still discussing it with my surgeon. I tried PT-didn't really help. At this point, since I am only 3 years out from surgery, it may be the best solution to just take out some of the instrumentation. They can press around on my back and find the exact spot that is hurting me (I'm not sure, but I think it is a hook). I'll be meeting with him in June, and we will see from there.

I'm working on my PhD in Human Medical Genetics right now at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.

Thanks,
Erin

[PNUTTRO]

I hope you and your doc can figure out what's wrong.

My PhD is playing second fiddle to my children right now. I spend more time at home that at work. At my commencement ceremony, our Keynote speaker told us. (I am paraphrasing.) If you think that being a student is hard, wait until you are a PI.