Surgery or not surgery? That is the question...

[Laura]

Hi everyone, I'm 15 and I've had a brace since May of 2002. When I first got my brace, the doctor said that I needed a brace cause I was close to needing surgery. So I wore the brace 23 hours a day, then gradually reduced it as I was told. Two visits ago, my doctor said to go down to just at night. So, I did that for the first 3 months or so and then for the last month I occasionally didn't wear it. When I went back, he told me not to wear my brace for the x-ray, which is something new. He said that my back was worse out of the brace than in it, which i thought that was common sense but anyways, he wanted me to keep wearing my brace at night to avoid needing surgery. I really am afraid to have surgery, i've never even had stitches before or anything, but I still have worn my brace about 5 nights in the last 3 weeks. I know, that's stupid of me. But, in a way, I want surgery. My back is VERY crooked looking, just looking at me from the front you can see how crooked I stand. I don't even really care how I look though, I mean, I wore a brace under my clothes for 2 years lol. But anyways, I have pain. A lot of the time my lower back is sore, and sometimes when i lie in bed on my back it hurts for a minute, like the muscles are relaxing or something. I'm just thinking about when I get older, and will I have even more back problems than most old people (sorry for saying that, i couldn't think of a kinder way )? Would it be worth it to have the surgery now and have pain for a little while rather than having a bad back all my life? Also, after you heal and everything, can you like bend and stuff? Or can you feel that there's a metal rod going down your back? Like are you stiff all the time? or flexable? One more thing, do you have a big scar running down your back? or do they do it some other way??? Thank you in advance for answering all my questions!!

[mumof5]

Hi Laura,
I'll just try to answer a couple of your questions for you. My daughter has just turned 15 and had a double fusion 10 weeks ago. She never wore a brace.
I have looked at your others posts and it sounds like you will have a big scar. If they only do one of your curves it won't be so big. My daughter was 5'8" and is now 5'11 1/2". Her scar is 42cms (16 1/2 inches) long. She was fused from T4 to L4.
She will be able to bend from her hips but will never be able to bend or twist her back at all, ever. Right now she does not bend and uses her knees to lower herself.
I am guessing that your curves have progressed quite a bit and that is why surgery has become needed. You will need to talk to your doctor about this. In Australia the doctors that we have seen would not operate on 30 degree curves unless there was some other problem .
I hope this has helped you some.
Best wishes.
Cheryl.

[Laura]

o wow

thanks very much! I am 5'10" already, holy cow i can probably easitly be 6' if my back was straight lol. Thanks again for all your answers

[nanmccune]

Laura,

My daughter had surgery in October of 2002 for two curves 74 and 76 degrees. She had two rods put in and her scar is from her neck to her waist, with another one about 6 in. long on her hip from the doctor taking bone for the graft. Her scars have healed to the point that they are just two fine lines that are barely visible. She had no stitches or staples, since her surgeon in Pittsburgh, PA. used that new glue. It sounds weird, but it was unbelievable, her scar is perfecty flat. Natalie was a gymnist and all-around athlete before her surgery, and still is today. The only thing that she could do before the surgery that she still cannot do is back handsprings, however she can still do cartwheels and front flips, etc.... She bowls in tournaments and is an incredible short stop and pitcher for two fast pitch softball teams. She even plays tackle football. She can feel the rods, however and sometimes says they feel heavy when she gets tired. Only you and your doctor can decide if surgery would benefit you in the long run. Just be advised that the recovery is no picnic.

nanmccune

[thezman8756]

yea first of all i want 2 emphasize the last comment that nanmccue made that the recovery is no picnic. altho i am doing well 4 weeks post op i still suffer from sum harsh stomach aches which could b caused as a result of stopping taking my pain killers (withdrawl) and the hospital stay is quite a trip...but also u should definately ask ure doctor, or a couple(because it is always a good idea 2 get a couple different opinions 2 make sure that wat one doctor says is wat most would say) wat kind of surgery u would b getting and wat their recommendations would b. u can also ask them how u would b post op and afterward as far as motion goes. i kno that i am very happy with my backs bending ablilities this far out because my doctor did not fuse L-4 which is one of the main vertebrae 4 movement in ure back. just make sure u r doing wat u think is best and make sure u kno all the consequences of getting the surgery and not getting it. also if u do need surgery u probably shouldnt wait 2 get it b/c the curves can progress even if u dont grow ne and u could definately develope pain later on in life. hope that helps u out a little.

[paulasue2]

Hi, Laura,

My daughter had surgery on March 18, 2004 and is doing great. Recovery was rough, but you young people heal very quickly - you just have to stay confident during the difficult times and know that you will get through it. Regarding your two questions about the scar and flexibility - my daughter's scar is down the length of her spine, but is already MUCH less noticeable than it was a couple of months ago. Most of the redness has disappeared although the scar can be seen still. Her doctor assures us that this will become much less noticeable as time goes by and will end up about the width of a pencil line. My daughter was a little self-conscious about it at first but has decided that she just doesn't care what people think about it and has spent the summer in tank tops and whatever else she would normally have worn (but you have to be careful to protect the incision area from the sun - especially during the first year).
Regarding the flexibility issue - this is mostly dependent on the area of the spine that is fused. If your curve is in the thoracic area (the part of the spine where your ribs are), you probably won't notice too much difference because this area does not bend too much anyway). The more of your lumbar (lower) spine that is fused, the less flexibility you will have because your lumbar spine is the area where most of your bending and twisting is done. So, you would need to ask your doctor "how low" he intends to fuse. Also, sometimes if you have an "S" shaped curve, only one part of the curve is truly "scoliotic" and the other part is "compensatory". If this is the case, then only the scoliotic part of the curve has to be fused and the other part will "fix itself" once the scoliotic curve is corrected. This is a very important thing to remember and find out about. Take your time to find out as much as you can. There are several good books about scoliosis out there and lots of information about it on the internet. Good luck.

[mumof5]

Zach,
I don't mean to sound bossy but you are not supposed to be bending. It takes at least 6 months for the fusion to become solid.