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  • Interesting Paper

    Following is the abstract from an interesting paper that was just published. I'm not posting this to convince anyone to decide that their child should have surgery. Death from scoliosis is very rare.

    J Spinal Disord Tech. 2004 Oct;17(5):446-450. Related Articles, Links

    A Tale of Two Brothers: Ultra-Long-Term Follow-Up of Juvenile Idiopathic Scoliosis.

    Winter RB.

    Department of Orthopeadic Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN; Twin Cities Spine Center, Minneapolis, MN; and Research Department, Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare, St. Paul, MN.

    OBJECTIVE: The aim of this work was to demonstrate the life-saving benefit of spine fusion for progressive juvenile idiopathic scoliosis. A follow-up of this duration (73 years) has never been previously reported. RESULTS: The properly treated patient is alive and well 73 years after surgery, but the brother whose curve was ignored died of cor pulmonale at age 45. CONCLUSIONS: Properly done spine fusion can save the life of children with progressive juvenile idiopathic scoliosis.
    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

  • #2
    Linda..
    Thanks for posting the article. As a parent of a 13 y.o. scheduled for surgery Dec. 7th, it gives me more "proof" that my daugher needs this surgery for a medical reason and not just a cosmetic reason. Some people don't agree with our decision to have surgery. Unless you are personally dealing with or have dealt with Scoliosis, most people don't understand that some people's Scoliosis will progress to the point that it affects your heart and lungs.

    Thanks again...keep the info. coming! We all appreciate it!

    Mary Lou

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    • #3
      child's upcoming surgery

      In 1956, when I was 14 my mother was making the same decision. Friends said"do not do the surgery, just give her an education." My curve was 100 degrees, I was very deformed and in frequent pain!
      The surgery then was very dangerous and reserved for the most severe cases. It involved a series of casts, operating through a hole in the cast and a year without walking because hardware was not used then. Hardware enables immediate ambulation whils the fusion is reinforced. As crude as that operation was it gave me back my life at the time. I did need a revision at age 60 because my fusion had no hardware and weakened up to an 80 deg curve with breathing impairment.

      I am glad my mom(now 88) ignored the well-meaning advice of her friends.

      Karen
      Original scoliosis surgery 1956 T-4 to L-2 ~100 degree thoracic (triple)curves at age 14. NO hardware-lost correction.
      Anterior/posterior revision T-4 to Sacrum in 2002, age 60, by Dr. Boachie-Adjei @Hospital for Special Surgery, NY = 50% correction

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