Why you did/didn't have surgery?

[macky]

I am grateful every single day of my life that I had the operation when I was 15. My mother made the decision with the doctors and of course myself but there was never any other option for me. I was horribly bent over and also had a lumber scoliosis and consider myself so very, very lucky that I went through it. The operation had only been performed seven times in Australia before me so I was so very fortunate.

Without it I would be dead now, and would have suffered a great deal. But instead I have led a normal life had terrific jobs have 2 wondeful sons, and life has been good. OK I suffer with pain but that is nothing compared to what may have been.

Macky

[ddr]

Wow - Macky - 85 degrees
What a great outlook on life you have!
dd

[txmarinemom]

I've been told several times over the years that I needed "THE SURGERY" but have never been told what that would entail. It would be interesting to know exactly what was done during surgery to help correct your problems. Example: put in a rod, take out the hump, how they relieved pressure on the lungs, what procedure was done in surgery to make you feel better? Does the straightening of the spine cure all or are other things involved when they do "THE SURGERY".

dd,

Although my curve was stable, and had been for years, the pain was increasing. I don't regret having it done for a minute.

Your signature is a little confusing: "rotatory component" at L1 ... do you mean this is the curve apex on your structural curve? It sort of sounds that way since you speak of a thoracic compensatory, and a lower lumbar compensatory.

How they do the surgery depends on where the curve is located. Some people require a 2 stage anterior/posterior approach, and some get by with "just" a posterior. You ask about "take out the hump", and that's another thing that varies: Not everyone has a thoracoplasty done (I didn't).

Even without a thoracoplasty, my rib hump was reduced by about 50%. It never bothered me before, so than was perfectly fine by me.

I'm unclear about your questions:

• "how they relieved pressure on the lungs", and
• "what procedure was done in surgery to make you feel better during surgery".

You'll have to elaborate on those.

The posterior part of the surgery is pretty common no matter whether you have the A/P approach or posterior only ...

There'a a lot of work that goes into the surgery before they "put in the rods". They insert the pedicle screws, place the rods, do in situ contouring and straightening and then tighten everything up with set plugs.

After that, they'll place BMP (soaked into absorbable collagen sponges) if you're getting that, and then pack the area between the rods with bone graft material (harvested from you - autograft, or cadaver bone - allograft).

I had my surgeon photograph my posterior fusion: If anyone would like to see it, email me and I'll give you the password.

Word of caution, it's graphic, but not as graphic as I expected ...

Regards,
Pam

[ddr]

Pam,

I have no idea what my signature means. I copied it verbatim from a report that was with my xrays.

Thanks for your explanation regarding the surgery. I understand it a little better now.

Sarah mentioned that it started to affect her lung function. I'm assuming that the straightening of the spine fixed that.

I guess the whole point of the surgery is to straighten the spine as much as possible with the rods???? Do all these surgeries require rods? And that requries another surgery to take the rods out???

Thanks so much for your detailed explanation.

dd

[txmarinemom]

I have no idea what my signature means. I copied it verbatim from a report that was with my xrays.

LOL! Fair enough, dd ;-).

I guess the whole point of the surgery is to straighten the spine as much as possible with the rods???? Do all these surgeries require rods? And that requries another surgery to take the rods out???

Thanks so much for your detailed explanation.

You're very welcome, and I just sent you the link, BTW.

I don't know about Sarah's case, but in *some* cases, usually severe curves, impaired lung function is not significantly improved by surgery. In some cases it does help.

The rods are used to straighten (you'll see this in my photos) and also hold the spine until the fusion is solid. Yes, all of today's scoliosis fusion surgeries use instrumentation. Unfortunately (like with Karen Ocker's first surgery - and Ginger W, as well), this wasn't always the case. They placed fusion material and then immobilized the spine with a body cast. In Karen's case, her correction was lost at some point (sans instrumentation), while Ginger's held for 40+ years.

While the rods could feasibly be removed after a solid fusion is achieved, I have never heard of anyone who's done that unless there's a problem with the rods (breakage that's causing pain, unbearable nerve pain, rod allergy or infection). Other than that, I can't imagine why anyone would have them removed.

Feel free to ask more questions as they come up!

Regards,
Pam

[ddr]

Pam-Graphic is the word. Can't handle it tonight - will look again tomorrow.
Just curious - Are you a doctor, in the medical field or just done years of research on the subject?.

dd

[nestorc1]

I was told my curves were stable.
They were wrong.
After 2 kids my curves progressed to 68 degrees (12 of it in the last 2 years)
My lungs and organs aren't suffering so I'll be giving the SpineCor a try.

I know it hasn't been too long but I'm wondering if you got the SpineCor and how it's working for you. I'm 42 and because my upper curve progressed 15 degrees in one year to 52 I was advised to have surgery, which I would like to avoid if at all possible. This was back in September 2008. I've been wavering between surgery/no surgery back and forth continuously. One day I decide I ought to do it before I get too old. The next day I decide I won't because I shouldn't give up on my back without a fight. God help me! I'm looking into yoga and pilates to see how they can help.

[Karen Ocker]

Brace for curves in the 60

Bracing does not stop or correct curves in adults. Even braced kids' curves progress. Wearing a brace permanently will cause muscle weakness in the torso.

Even curves in the 60's can impact breathing. On another thread I posted studies, in the medical literature, showing reduced lung function in persons with 60 deg curves. Once you start feeling the shortness of breath panic sets in. It happened to me and I got very scared. Just remember as your spine curves every organ in your chest moves along with it: lungs, heart, blood vessels, stomach, kidneys, and spinal cord.

[ddr]

Sorry for taking this off topic for a minute because I think this is a valuable thread.

Karen, do you have a link to the study you posted. I can't find it. Thanks,

dd

[Karen Ocker]

Message with link about pulmonary function

http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showp...53&postcount=8

[mamamax]

Specialists always told me that it would take three surgeries to correct my spine - so that has always been a deterrent. Now, in my late 50's the pain has become quite difficult to live with. After researching the Spinecor brace i decided to give it a try - and so far am glad that i did. We'll see how it goes two years from now

[txmarinemom]

Anchie

Well, I haven't yet decided what to do!

there is a surgery as an option in my mind on one hand. On the other hand, I dread all the recovery process, possible complications and failures....

Maybe I would think differently If I had some problems with daily life and routines. For the time being I'm fine.... If only I could see the future....

Anchie, were you posting this for you or your friend? If it's the latter, um ...