Steve.....yes, BOACHIE, LENKE AND BRIDWELL ARE ALL TOP NOTCH.....DR. HEY IS JUST CLOSER AND ALSO GOOD. PRAYING GOD SENDS YOU IN RIGHT DIRECTION!!!!
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1963 Fusion T4-L2 for congenital scoliosis. It was a bone graft and not instrumentation
1989 to Present....Have had chronic pain. MRI's show severe neural foraminal stenosis L2-S1, rotational scoliosis lumbar spine over 40 degrees, compression of nerve roots L5-S1, Broad Based Herniations L4-L5, L5-S
Surgery scheduled with Dr. Bridwell on December 11, 2012
December 11, 2012 Had surgery with Dr. Bridwell. He fused L4-L5 with rods and screws.
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successful broken rod revision one year ago
Hi Steve,
As Jess mentioned, I suffered broken rods 15 months after my original fusion surgery (which was T8-sacrum/pelvis). I had one extremely loud, painful pop one day when basically just standing, but nothing showed on x-ray or bone scan. A month later I was bending over to pick something up off the floor and felt and heard another extremely loud pop. This time I felt two distinct pops as the two rods broke completely through. I had a CT scan which suggested there might be a pseudoarthrosis at one level, but he couldn't see for sure. However, my surgeon told me that a broken rod means there is a non-union at that level.
I underwent a huge revision surgery to repair the rods. My upper back was fine, so my surgeon elected to remove all hardware from L1 down and cut off the broken rods there. He put on connectors and reinstrumented the L1-sacrum. He then did anterior fusions from my side (XLIF) to put cages and bmp between the vertebrae at the 2 levels that were not fused.
The recovery was still tough, but my pain from broken rods was gone immediately, and I did have an easier recovery than from the original surgery. I just passed the one-year mark after my revision, and my x-rays from last week all looked good. I work full-time, am an active mom, and consider my surgeries a success.
Here is a link for you to my thread about my experiences if you are interested: http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt...t%2Bwas%2Bhear
Please don't give up. There is a surgeon out there to help you, and you definitely need it. Do not give up, this can be fixed. You can't go wrong in St Louis (Lenke and Bridwell) although they may have a long wait. It seems like Dr Hey would be worth speaking to...he may be willing to look at your x-rays and speak to you by phone before you have to make a trip. Pashmann in Los Angeles (Cedars-Sinai) will do a consultation on x-rays for something like $150 dollars.
Best of luck, and please do not give up.Gayle, age 50
Oct 2010 fusion T8-sacrum w/ pelvic fixation
Feb 2012 lumbar revision for broken rods @ L2-3-4
Sept 2015 major lumbar A/P revision for broken rods @ L5-S1
mom of Leah, 15 y/o, Diagnosed '08 with 26* T JIS (age 6)
2010 VBS Dr Luhmann Shriners St Louis
2017 curves stable/skeletely mature
also mom of Torrey, 12 y/o son, 16* T, stable
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Dr. Hey has a very good reputation. I don't know how much revision work he does. Maybe make the appointment with Dr. Lenke just in case? You can always cancel if things go well with Dr. Hey.
This is not the time to worry about money. Beg, borrow or steal to get yourself to a doctor who can help. When you are healed, you will be able to work and pay off the debt. The focus has to be on getting better--you deserve it, and your family does, too!!age 48
80* thoracolumbar; 40* thoracic
Reduced to ~16* thoracolumbar; ~0* thoracic
Surgery 3/14/12 with Dr. Lenke in St. Louis, T4 to S1 with pelvic fixation
Broken rods 12/1/19; scheduled for revision fusion L1-L3-4 with Dr. Lenke 2/4/2020
Not "confused" anymore, but don't know how to change my username.
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Do keep us up to date. We are interested to follow you and look forward to a happy outcome. One step at a time.Surgery March 3, 2009 at almost 58, now 63.
Dr. Askin, Brisbane, Australia
T4-Pelvis, Posterior only
Osteotomies and Laminectomies
Was 68 degrees, now 22 and pain free
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I went to see Dr Hey in June 2011. I was living in NC , at that time. We were moving to CA . My CA surgeon sent me to see Dr Hey for a second opinion. Dr Hey and Dr Bederman both agreed on the same course of action for my revision surgery in July 2011. If I was still in NC, I would have used Dr Hey without having any second thoughts. He is a great person as well as being a great surgeonMelissa
Fused from C2 - sacrum 7/2011
April 21, 2020- another broken rod surgery
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Dr. Hey has a website and if I were computer savvy I could type it in.
Just go to google and type in Dr. Hey.
Best of luck.
I agree that you need to do whatever it takes to get a GREAT revision. Borrow money from relatives, drive, and stay in cheap motels. I am traveling 12 hours by car just to go to a surgeon that I trust.
You deserve to feel better and be more active in your family. The alternative is to give up and I do not sense that you will do that. Your family depends on you too much.
Keep in touch. You have a cheering squad here. Keep a picture of your family with you and let that picture remind you of why you are doing this.
Go get 'em!
SusanAdult Onset Degen Scoliosis @65, 25* T & 36* L w/ 11.2 cm coronal balance; T kyphosis 90*; Sev disc degen T & L stenosis
2013: T3- S1 Fusion w/ ALIF L4-S1/XLIF L2-4, PSF T4-S1 2 surgeries
2014: Hernia @ ALIF repaired; Emergency screw removal SCI T4,5 sec to PJK
2015: Rev Broken Bil T & L rods and no fusion: 2 revision surgeries; hardware P. Acnes infection
2016: Ant/Lat Lumbar diskectomy w/ 4 cages + BMP + harvested bone
2018: Removal L4,5 screw
2021: Removal T1 screw & rod
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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."
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Steve,
I don't know what part of the country you are from, but I think it's worth traveling to see Dr. Lenke in St. Louis. I met "Babyboomer" at my two year check up who had had several unsuccessful surgeries prior to seeing Dr. Lenke. She looked wonderful. If you are interested, the phone number is 314-747-2500 ext. 23Karen
Surgery-Jan. 5, 2011-Dr. Lenke
Fusion T-4-sacrum-2 cages/5 osteotomies
70 degree thoracolumbar corrected to 25
Rib Hump-GONE!
Age-60 at the time of surgery
Now 66
Avid Golfer & Tap Dancer
Retired Kdgn. Teacher
See photobucket link for:
Video of my 1st Day of Golf Post-Op-3/02/12-Bradenton, FL
Before and After Picture of back 1/7/11
tap dancing picture at 10 mos. post op 11/11/11-I'm the one on the right.
http://s1119.photobucket.com/albums/k630/pottoff2/
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ScubaSteve
I am so thrilled you are going to see Dr. Hey.....Like others who have commented on your post, if you have to borrow money, stay in cheap motels and eat peanut and butter sandwiches for dinner, you need quality of life. I have followed him and his miraculous surgeries for several years, and how disappointed I was when I called his office and they did not accept my insurance. I will be anxiously awaiting to hear about your Feb 19th appointment. You can be assured you and your family will be in my prayers.
Patty1963 Fusion T4-L2 for congenital scoliosis. It was a bone graft and not instrumentation
1989 to Present....Have had chronic pain. MRI's show severe neural foraminal stenosis L2-S1, rotational scoliosis lumbar spine over 40 degrees, compression of nerve roots L5-S1, Broad Based Herniations L4-L5, L5-S
Surgery scheduled with Dr. Bridwell on December 11, 2012
December 11, 2012 Had surgery with Dr. Bridwell. He fused L4-L5 with rods and screws.
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I am nervous now that he doesn't do revisions? Someone suggested he may not. I pray he does as I have already got my plane ticket and getting ready with hotel room.
I told his secretary that i had 3 breaks in hardware and whatnot so I would assume she would have said " he doesnt do that kind of surgery" right?
I mean if he doesn't then we just wasted a plane ticket, and we cannot afford to do that.
Does anyone know if he does do revisions? I have e-mailed his office again and left voicemail so we will see.
Thanks to all for your kind words and support I felt a new breeze of fresh air in my heart yesterday.
Pray that Doc. Hey does do revision work though and not just first spinal surgeries!!!!
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