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  • #16
    Originally posted by Singer View Post
    It may be totally irrational, but I just have a funny feeling about surgeons who self-promote. Dr. Hey's blog is perhaps more informational than promotional (he obviously loves/lives and breathes his work), but it still smacks faintly of "hard sell" to me.

    That being said, I'd probably seriously consider going to the guy if I needed revision surgery and Dr. B had retired. He appears to get very good results.
    I know what you mean. I had other concerns as well though I think the guy is very good. We could have gotten an opinion from him but I didn't need it at that point.

    Our non-SRS surgeon doesn't maintain a blog and yet he has SRS surgeons referring patients, including their own daughters, to him. There is a reason for that. Those types of surgeons don't need to advertise... their dance card is always full, if only from SRS surgeons. Our surgeon told me as much when I mentioned I remark often about his work with my daughter on web sites. He basically said he really didn't need more patients.... full up. There are only 24 hours in the day.

    Things like this steal the ground completely out from under the woo-woo pushers who have no factual argument in favor of their "treatment" so they imagine one where surgeons are operating on sub-surgical cases just for the money. Absurd and insulting. And ignorant.
    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


    • #17
      Originally posted by Pooka1 View Post
      Things like this steal the ground completely out from under the woo-woo pushers who have no factual argument in favor of their "treatment" so they imagine one where surgeons are operating on sub-surgical cases just for the money. Absurd and insulting. And ignorant.
      wow, that's quite the generalization.

      Comment


      • #18
        I'd have to agree, it is an unfair generalization.

        I believe there is a bias toward surgery for surgeons. It makes sense.
        Are they performing unnecessary surgeries (pulling the trigger early), I dont think so.

        But, I wonder how many of them view bracing (pro of con) with the angle of,"well, if I am wrong, I know I can do a good surgery and fix the problem".

        But there has to be a bias. My dad used to say that "if the only tool you have is a hammer a lot of your problems start looking like nails".

        Comment


        • #19
          boys vs. girls

          leahdragonfly

          I knew that young kids were about 50/50 boys and girls and teen cases ran something like 10 to 1 girls. But is this guy saying that progression risk is 10 to 1 girls or just case load?

          My son goes in for his first recheck on Monday. It's my opinion that in the last 8 months his curve has rotated but I hope I'm wrong. Uggh... I'm not looking forward to night bracing. We started strength training/stretching/balance exercises a week ago and I have some reason to believe this may help.

          The thinking behind this is that the younger JIS cases may contain some hold-overs from infantile idiopathic scoliosis (previously undetected cases).
          That's interesting you say that. I was just talking to a surgeon and I'm beginning to suspect this may be true for my son. Scott was officially diagnosed at age 5 but his pediatrician noticed a small rib hump at age 4. That means that his curve got started at least in his 3s if not sooner. We have some reason to believe it may have been present since birth. He was born extremely stiff on one side which took months to correct. Although he's neurologically healthy and very athletic he has always run in a visibly "stiff" manner. We never connected that with his Scoliosis until I talked with the surgeon yesterday. This man has never met my son and when he mentioned that stiffness in the ligaments of the spine is the physical precursor to Scoliosis my jaw dropped. My son is the definition of stiffness.
          Last edited by Dingo; 05-15-2009, 10:40 AM.

          Comment


          • #20
            Dingo, You mention "Balance".
            That reminded me of my one experience with a Wii Fit.

            I wonder how kids with scoliosis do with the balance measurements on the Wii Fit Balance board. If you've ever checked it out you will know what I am talking about. If not, you'll think me crazy.

            Comment


            • #21
              Originally posted by MissEmmyF View Post
              wow, that's quite the generalization.
              Why do you think so?
              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


              • #22
                Originally posted by concerned dad View Post
                But there has to be a bias. My dad used to say that "if the only tool you have is a hammer a lot of your problems start looking like nails".
                Surgeons are the ONLY people with ALL THREE tools.

                Nobody else can say that.

                The woo-woos have one or two but never three (if you don't count chanting and such).
                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


                • #23
                  Originally posted by Pooka1 View Post
                  Why do you think most surgeons would rather operate than brace (or watch and wait)? I can't imagine that could possibly be true.

                  They want to operate on cases that require it. They would be insane (and subject to malpractice claims) to want to operate and cases that don't require it.
                  I absolutely agree. What I meant is that in terms of things they like to do, surgery would fall much higher than watching a kid in a brace.
                  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


                  • #24
                    Originally posted by LindaRacine View Post
                    I absolutely agree. What I meant is that in terms of things they like to do, surgery would fall much higher than watching a kid in a brace.
                    I don't think that is true for most surgeons.

                    I don't think they like seeing kids go through surgery and recovery.

                    They are human.
                    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


                    • #25
                      Originally posted by Pooka1 View Post
                      I don't think that is true for most surgeons.

                      I don't think they like seeing kids go through surgery and recovery.

                      They are human.
                      No way. I've watched enough stuff on TV to know this is wrong. Ever see the doctors on Greys Anatomy get excited when they get to do a surgery.
                      They are not happy someone needs surgery. But they are happy they can do it (and help the person) when needed.

                      And, if it is on TV, it HAS to be true.

                      They do have all 3 tools. But do they ever introduce themselves at a party saying "I'm Dr. Smith the bracer" or I'm Dr. Smith the Watcher".
                      They say, "I'm Dr. Smith, the Surgeon".

                      Again, they dont "like" that someone needs surgery. But I bet they love the fact that they can do it efficiently, safely, and change someones life for the better.

                      Now, as a "community" do they lobby pro-surgery. I bet they do.
                      What is their comunity view on political issues like school screening?

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Hi Sharon....

                        I know a lot of surgeons. There's a reason they go into the field.

                        I'm not saying that they like doing unnecessary surgery. I'm saying that they'd rather spend their time in the OR than in the clinic. Like, they'd rather eat cinnamon rolls than spinach. They wouldn't choose to eat cinnamon rolls all the time, as they know the outcome wouldn't be great.

                        --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


                        • #27
                          Originally posted by concerned dad View Post
                          I wonder how kids with scoliosis do with the balance measurements on the Wii Fit Balance board. If you've ever checked it out you will know what I am talking about. If not, you'll think me crazy.
                          I used the Wii Fit before and after my most recent surgery. I found that I wasn't really that unbalanced. I was compensating by shifting my hips and leaning forward a little. After surgery, I noticed the difference.

                          I imagine a compensatory curve might accomplish the same thing.

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            Hi everybody. I have to say that I find Dr. Hey a reasonable sounding surgeon, however, I have to admit that when I'm reading his current blog I feel like I'm in a used car lot. I personally would probably choose the "mad scientist" over him.

                            To not realize that people work for their own benefit is rather naive. It has helped me to protect myself a lot in life when I consider people's motivations behind their actions. Dr. Hey has a large clinic and facility, it looks like, and a payroll to meet. To think that he won't try to get the bodies through the door to pay his expenses is just not realistic. If he's prescribing braces for his patients according to medical standard guidelines, he's working in an ethical manner, if he's not prescribing braces I would have to conclude that he is able to get more profitable surgical business for himself that way and I would run like heck from him. I don't know anything about him, so I can't say one way or the other.

                            I have to admit when my daughter went back for her x-rays after wearing her brace for two months and both curves had temporarily reduced quite a bit in response to the Charleston brace, I did see a fleeting glimpse of disappointment cross the surgeon's face...heh. To deny self-interest is to deny human nature. Just realize it is what it is and act accordingly to protect yourself and your loved ones.

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              Originally posted by LindaRacine View Post
                              Hi Sharon....

                              I know a lot of surgeons. There's a reason they go into the field.

                              I'm not saying that they like doing unnecessary surgery. I'm saying that they'd rather spend their time in the OR than in the clinic. Like, they'd rather eat cinnamon rolls than spinach. They wouldn't choose to eat cinnamon rolls all the time, as they know the outcome wouldn't be great.

                              --Linda
                              Yes but that doesn't mean they operate on sub-surgical cases or do anything to convert sub-surgical cases to surgical ones. Actually it is not possible for a surgeon to convert a sub-surgical case to a surgical case though that fact escapes many.

                              If they did then that would be malpractice which I suggest is not happening in the bulk of surgeons and is certainly not happening with the ones who have enough patients and then some.

                              I think some here would have a different view of surgeons if they ever got an opinion from one of these top guys.
                              Last edited by Pooka1; 05-15-2009, 12:09 PM.
                              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


                              • #30
                                I don't really agree with that Sharon. My daughter comes up on all the studies shown recently on this forum as showing that she had a 100% chance of progressing and 100% chance of surgery. And through my observations, I would absolutely agree that without the brace she absolutely would have progressed to surgery. But by utilizing the Charleston brace, the doctor now thinks she won't progress anymore. So she was able, I think quite obviously, that she avoided surgery by using the brace. If a doctor hadn't prescribed one to her, she would have been in surgery. And the head of orthopedics of another major facility saw the exact same result with the cheerleader with the same Cobb Angle and age. So, it's not a miracle.

                                I actually think that your doctor is not following standard medical procedure by not prescribing braces, although I would make sure that was true, maybe he was just following your lead and he actually does brace other kids. If he's not prescribing bracing when it is the medical standard, I would think the state's medical oversight board might want to investigate further.

                                Comment

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