Hi Ron,
Mary Lou pretty much made the point. Even though i had heard doctors would be different, I was surprised at just how much.
My first opinion told me that I should do surgery as soon as possible (I'm 28, with an upper curve of 46, slowly progressing), that it would take me 3 weeks to recover with no major side-effects. He was a bit blase for my taste--he called the surgery "easy"! Maybe I would have been an "easier" case than some he takes, but it was a bit of a warning flag that he wouldn't suit my personality.
The second opinion told me I was in great shape, that I might never need surgery if the curve didn't progress any more, and that it would be "no problem" to have surgery in my 40s or 50s. He seemed trustworthy, but certainly was not particularly interested in my individual case and was a bit abrupt with my questions.
My third opinion fell somewhere in the middle, recommending I delay surgery until my curve reached about 55-60, when progression would be inevitable. He took plenty of time in answering my questions. However, I really took a dislike to the attitude of some of his office staff, so that might influence my future treatment options. (I get the impression you have to deal with the office staff a lot during recovery and for insurance purposes.)
As you can see, a lot of my "issues" with the surgeons were personal impressions about how I would be treated along the way if I trusted them with the surgery, as well as their medical recommendations. From what I've read, knowing and trusting your surgeon can really help make the experience somewhat less stressful. One thing I learned from Dave Wolpert's book, which didn't apply to me as I went the rounds this time, but which seems very important, is to have the doctors specify which vertebral levels they would fuse in surgery. Even one vertebral level can make a difference to future mobility and risks. (Have you red the Dave Wolpert book? It's really great. You can get it from this website, if you call they might rush it to you as well.)
All the best with your appointments. We'll be hoping you find somebody right for you and your daughter.
~Laura
Mary Lou pretty much made the point. Even though i had heard doctors would be different, I was surprised at just how much.
My first opinion told me that I should do surgery as soon as possible (I'm 28, with an upper curve of 46, slowly progressing), that it would take me 3 weeks to recover with no major side-effects. He was a bit blase for my taste--he called the surgery "easy"! Maybe I would have been an "easier" case than some he takes, but it was a bit of a warning flag that he wouldn't suit my personality.
The second opinion told me I was in great shape, that I might never need surgery if the curve didn't progress any more, and that it would be "no problem" to have surgery in my 40s or 50s. He seemed trustworthy, but certainly was not particularly interested in my individual case and was a bit abrupt with my questions.
My third opinion fell somewhere in the middle, recommending I delay surgery until my curve reached about 55-60, when progression would be inevitable. He took plenty of time in answering my questions. However, I really took a dislike to the attitude of some of his office staff, so that might influence my future treatment options. (I get the impression you have to deal with the office staff a lot during recovery and for insurance purposes.)
As you can see, a lot of my "issues" with the surgeons were personal impressions about how I would be treated along the way if I trusted them with the surgery, as well as their medical recommendations. From what I've read, knowing and trusting your surgeon can really help make the experience somewhat less stressful. One thing I learned from Dave Wolpert's book, which didn't apply to me as I went the rounds this time, but which seems very important, is to have the doctors specify which vertebral levels they would fuse in surgery. Even one vertebral level can make a difference to future mobility and risks. (Have you red the Dave Wolpert book? It's really great. You can get it from this website, if you call they might rush it to you as well.)
All the best with your appointments. We'll be hoping you find somebody right for you and your daughter.
~Laura
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