Hi folks,
Well for all you who followed Elysia's progress prior to Surgery in Feb this year - you will be aware of how concerned I was at the time that she was being fused with a Risser 0. She had a compensatory curve in her lumbar of 23 degrees and we hoped by having this surgery on her Thoracic that the lumbar would sort itself out.
Surgery was successful and she was fused T5-L1 with 5 ribs removed. June 08, 5 months after surgery and her x-ray looked beautiful.
In the last few months - problems started. I noticed Elysia's hips out of line again and her chest development prominent on one side.
Our x-rays last week and subsequent Dr appointment confirmed my fears. Her lumbar is now curving and her spine is crankshafting!
At this stage we're back playing the scoli waiting game again and will see our surgeon in June 09 to see what is happening, but things don't look too promising. Elysia has only started menses and will have by all accounts another 2 years of growth.
Our surgeon is suggesting that he may have to try removing her hooks (she did not have pedicle screws, all hooks as her pedicles were just too tiny for the screws and too risky to use) and inserting some screws through her fused spine to try de-rotate her and also to extend her fusion down into her lumbar region. Very scary stuff as this will be no text book scoli surgery but a more complicated and I presume more dangerous procedure.
Am wondering if anyone has come across this before and what things I may need to be concerned about regarding a second surgery on my child.
Cheers
Del
Well for all you who followed Elysia's progress prior to Surgery in Feb this year - you will be aware of how concerned I was at the time that she was being fused with a Risser 0. She had a compensatory curve in her lumbar of 23 degrees and we hoped by having this surgery on her Thoracic that the lumbar would sort itself out.
Surgery was successful and she was fused T5-L1 with 5 ribs removed. June 08, 5 months after surgery and her x-ray looked beautiful.
In the last few months - problems started. I noticed Elysia's hips out of line again and her chest development prominent on one side.
Our x-rays last week and subsequent Dr appointment confirmed my fears. Her lumbar is now curving and her spine is crankshafting!
At this stage we're back playing the scoli waiting game again and will see our surgeon in June 09 to see what is happening, but things don't look too promising. Elysia has only started menses and will have by all accounts another 2 years of growth.
Our surgeon is suggesting that he may have to try removing her hooks (she did not have pedicle screws, all hooks as her pedicles were just too tiny for the screws and too risky to use) and inserting some screws through her fused spine to try de-rotate her and also to extend her fusion down into her lumbar region. Very scary stuff as this will be no text book scoli surgery but a more complicated and I presume more dangerous procedure.
Am wondering if anyone has come across this before and what things I may need to be concerned about regarding a second surgery on my child.
Cheers
Del
Comment