Well I had a very good visit with Dr. Cronen today, I could not be happier with anyone else being my surgeon, he not only has a very polite manner, he is very efficient, and is an expert with scoliois and spinal deformities. He was very patient with all my questions, and answered all of them for me . I was there for nearly four hours today.
Here is my questions and answers:
1) Any deaths during his scoliosis surgeries? No.
2) Can I listen to my hypnosis? Yes - once I'm under anaesthesia, and the machines are operating sending electrical impulses etc., he has to remove the headphones, but will replace them back on me when I'm ready to come out of anaesthesia.
3) Levels of fusion? Due to the fact that not only do I have scoliosis, I also found out today that I have kyphosis in my upper thoracic area, so I will have to have surgery from T2 to the sacrum.
4) Length of surgery? Approx. 8 to 12 hours or until he has completed what he needs to do - he said he doesn't finish till he's finished everything he needs to do.
5) Correction on my spine? He hopes to get my thoracic from 45 degrees to approx. 35 degrees, and my lumbar from 85 degrees to 35 degrees, so not bad.
6) How long will I be in the hospital? About five days, and then he recommends I go straight into the rehab center which is part of the hospital for approx. a week and a half afterward.
7) Will I need a filter through my groin to my heart to stop blood clotting? If I keep taking my birth control pill yes, if I stop the pill then no. So I'm going to stop my pill so that I don't have to undergo yet another procedure.
8) Diet and exercise prior to surgery? He recommends eating a healthy diet and swimming as my main exercise which I love to do.
9) Does he have a spinal cord monitor? Yes the person is an expert in that field and is the same person throughout all his scoliosis surgeries.
10) Do I have to donate blood prior? No, he doesn't like people to do that, because he feels it weakens the person before surgery and he said it's more than likely though I'll need a blood transfusion during surgery.
11) Will I need a thoracoplasty? No.
12) Is he going to put a spacer at the base of my sacrum? Yes.
13) How necessary is it for me to have this surgery? If I don't, my ribs have twisted so much that eventually it pushes my abdominal organs up which squishes my lungs and heart, and also with my kyphosis I will end up looking very deformed (not an option for me).
14) Will I have more pain afterward than I do now? He said in his experience, people who have little or no pain prior to surgery, once you're recovered from the surgery and initial pain, then there should also be no pain afterward. People who do have pain prior to surgery, usually have a little pain afterward but a vast improvement to the pain they had prior.
15) Does he work with specific age group? He works with both children and adults equally, his specialty is spinal deformities - however he does do other surgeries also.
16)Does he use pedicle screws or hooks? Pedicle screws.
17) Will I see him in hospital after the surgery? Yes he said every day in the hospital after surgery.
18) Will someone inform my family of my condition after my surgery? Yes, someone will either call whoever is waiting in the waiting room, or my family at home.
19) Will I go to ICU after surgery? Yes.
20) Will I be on respirator after surgery? Yes for just that night, then when the staff come in the following morning and are fresh at the start of their day, they will remove my respirator.
21) Will I have a chest tube? No.
22) Will I have to wear a brace? No.
23) Will there be a possibility of getting an MRSA Staph Infection during surgery or at the hospital? Not likely - he said there is always a possibility in any hospital - however they do not have a high rate of that happening at the hospital where I'll be going. (UCH).
24) Can I have digital copy of my xrays? Yes, they gave me a disc today so I will try to upload it later when my boys are in bed.
Just wanted to get on here and give you my news - I'll write more later, gotta get my boys bathed and stories read now
Later,
Lynette.
Here is my questions and answers:
1) Any deaths during his scoliosis surgeries? No.
2) Can I listen to my hypnosis? Yes - once I'm under anaesthesia, and the machines are operating sending electrical impulses etc., he has to remove the headphones, but will replace them back on me when I'm ready to come out of anaesthesia.
3) Levels of fusion? Due to the fact that not only do I have scoliosis, I also found out today that I have kyphosis in my upper thoracic area, so I will have to have surgery from T2 to the sacrum.
4) Length of surgery? Approx. 8 to 12 hours or until he has completed what he needs to do - he said he doesn't finish till he's finished everything he needs to do.
5) Correction on my spine? He hopes to get my thoracic from 45 degrees to approx. 35 degrees, and my lumbar from 85 degrees to 35 degrees, so not bad.
6) How long will I be in the hospital? About five days, and then he recommends I go straight into the rehab center which is part of the hospital for approx. a week and a half afterward.
7) Will I need a filter through my groin to my heart to stop blood clotting? If I keep taking my birth control pill yes, if I stop the pill then no. So I'm going to stop my pill so that I don't have to undergo yet another procedure.
8) Diet and exercise prior to surgery? He recommends eating a healthy diet and swimming as my main exercise which I love to do.
9) Does he have a spinal cord monitor? Yes the person is an expert in that field and is the same person throughout all his scoliosis surgeries.
10) Do I have to donate blood prior? No, he doesn't like people to do that, because he feels it weakens the person before surgery and he said it's more than likely though I'll need a blood transfusion during surgery.
11) Will I need a thoracoplasty? No.
12) Is he going to put a spacer at the base of my sacrum? Yes.
13) How necessary is it for me to have this surgery? If I don't, my ribs have twisted so much that eventually it pushes my abdominal organs up which squishes my lungs and heart, and also with my kyphosis I will end up looking very deformed (not an option for me).
14) Will I have more pain afterward than I do now? He said in his experience, people who have little or no pain prior to surgery, once you're recovered from the surgery and initial pain, then there should also be no pain afterward. People who do have pain prior to surgery, usually have a little pain afterward but a vast improvement to the pain they had prior.
15) Does he work with specific age group? He works with both children and adults equally, his specialty is spinal deformities - however he does do other surgeries also.
16)Does he use pedicle screws or hooks? Pedicle screws.
17) Will I see him in hospital after the surgery? Yes he said every day in the hospital after surgery.
18) Will someone inform my family of my condition after my surgery? Yes, someone will either call whoever is waiting in the waiting room, or my family at home.
19) Will I go to ICU after surgery? Yes.
20) Will I be on respirator after surgery? Yes for just that night, then when the staff come in the following morning and are fresh at the start of their day, they will remove my respirator.
21) Will I have a chest tube? No.
22) Will I have to wear a brace? No.
23) Will there be a possibility of getting an MRSA Staph Infection during surgery or at the hospital? Not likely - he said there is always a possibility in any hospital - however they do not have a high rate of that happening at the hospital where I'll be going. (UCH).
24) Can I have digital copy of my xrays? Yes, they gave me a disc today so I will try to upload it later when my boys are in bed.
Just wanted to get on here and give you my news - I'll write more later, gotta get my boys bathed and stories read now
Later,
Lynette.
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