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  • Growing rods or regular fusion? so confused!

    My daughter is having her spinal fusion on May 16th, she is 11 years old. I am now wondering why she isn't having growth rods put in, as she has not even had her period yet.

    She is about 5'2 now... I am only 5'3 and my husband is 5'10... So I guess she doesn't have too much left to grow, I guess I worry that the rest of her body will continue to grow and her spine wont where it's fused.

    Any opinions?
    Marlowe mom to Halle (age 11)
    Diagnosed January 11/08
    In Spinecor Brace for 2 1/2 years

    In the Cheneau Brace for 10 months
    Being treated at Sick Kids Hospital - Dr. Reinhard Zeller

    Surgery Scheduled at Sick Kids for May 16, 2011


    http://hallesscoliosis.blogspot.com/

  • #2
    I'll try to answer....

    Hello,

    My daughter and I are in the hospital as I write this (she's asleep). She is 11 years old as well (last September) and just had her scoliosis surgery on Thursday, 3/24. She has not started her period either. She was fused from T2-L2 and has Cobalt chrome rods with titanium screws. She had S-curve with biggest curve 68 degrees.
    We were concerned about her future growth...our doctor told us that most of the growth in the spine area has already occurred by this age. She will continue to grow in all other areas (rest of spine, arms, legs...), just not the fused area. She'll actually be taller after surgery than she would have been left untreated. The little growth she would lose in the fused spine area is actually gained by the surgery straightening the curve. (If she didn't have surgery she just would have continued to grow crooked, not upward.)
    I found a website that explains a little about this. http://www.iscoliosis.com/faq.html?i..._left_unfused?
    Figure she would grow 0.07cm per vertebrae for the next 4 years. So for example, my daughter had 13 fused. That would be 0.91cm lost per year. Over 4 years that would be 3.64cm of growth lost. (About 1 and 1/2 inches lost total.) But after her surgery...we're guessing she gained 1-3 inches in her spine after getting rid of the curve! We'll find out for sure after she gets measured later today.
    I hope my math is accurate and I hope this helps a little.

    Sincerely,
    Sonja Stevens

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    • #3
      Sonja, thank you for that explanation as it helps me understand the growing with spinal fusion. My son will be having his fusion on April 19th. and since he's only 14 and has quite a bit more growing to do (boys take much longer) I was kinda wondering how much height he'd lose, but as you said, the surgery actually helps them to gain height. He's just had a posterior spinal release a week ago and is in halo/weight traction and he is already taller!!
      Son 14 y/o diagnosed January 20th. 2011 with 110* Curve
      Halo Traction & 1st. surgery on March 22nd. 2011
      Spinal Fusion on April 19th. 2011

      Dr. Krajbich @ Shriners Childrens Hospital, Portland Oregon



      http://tinyurl.com/Elias-Before
      http://tinyurl.com/Elias-After

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      • #4
        Hi MJB, could you get another opinion? I think there probably are differences of opinion out there on this among surgeons. I can't tell you much except that when our daughter reached 35* at 7 years old and things didn't look so good, I recall our doctor saying that if she could make it to 12 years old without getting above 50-55*, she could be fused but younger than that we probably would be looking at growth rods. We didn't discuss it any further than that.
        mamandcrm

        G diagnosed 6/08 at almost 7 with 25*
        Providence night brace, increased to 35*
        Rigo-Cheneau brace full-time 12/08-4/10
        14* at 10/09 OOB x-ray
        11* at 4/10 OOB x-ray
        Wearing R-C part-time since 4/10
        latest OOB xray 5/14 13*
        currently going on 13 yrs old

        I no longer participate in this forum though I will update signature from time to time with status

        Comment


        • #5
          I agree with getting a second opinion if she hasn't even entered the adolescent growth spurt yet.

          I don't know what the upper curve limit is on growth rods. Maybe they are similar to staples. I have no idea.

          Good luck.
          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."

          Comment


          • #6
            I am really surprised that Dr Zeller is in a hurry to do her surgery but every case is different. If my memory is correct my sons curve was at 68 when Dr Zeller told me there was no hurry to do his surgery. When his curve was approaching 80 two months later he said it was probably best to go ahead with it even though he was not finished growing. Although I think under the circumstances it was the right call to do the surgery my son did get a "form of crankshafting". His rib hump returned and is now bigger then it was before surgery. But he has no pain and he has no limitations as to what he can do. Don't know what the future holds for him and if you ask him he will tell you he is glad to have had the surgery. We went to Mcmaster Childrens Hospital for our second opinion if that is an option for you.
            if you want to compare statistics Patrick was 5'7 before surgery. I am 5'9 my husband is 6'1. He is now (at age 19) 5'11
            mom of Patrick, age 15 at time of surgery
            diagnosed July 2006 curves T58 L 38

            Nov. 2006 curves T72 L38
            also lordoscoliosis

            feb.2007 curves T79 L43

            Surgery May 16 2007
            fused T4 to L1

            Comment


            • #7
              I don't have any advice but wanted to say that, as a former scoli kid, I just feel for your kids and for you parents as well. Puberty is such a difficult time, and throwing braces, surgery, and body image into the mix can make it a special kind of hell.

              Just a big hug for all of you going through this.
              Female, age 38
              4 years of bracing, concluded at 42*upper/38*lower
              currently 64*upper/40*lower
              Fused T3-L4 on Feb 23 2011
              now 32*upper/18* lower

              Comment


              • #8
                I was fused T1-T12 (entire thoracic spine) at the age of ten. I had an anterior release done first to prevent crankshafting and had no problems at all afterwards; I'm a normal height (5'3) and my torso is perhaps an inch shorter than it should be, but it is not noticeable to anyone else and just makes my legs look extra-long!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by mamandcrm View Post
                  Hi MJB, could you get another opinion? I think there probably are differences of opinion out there on this among surgeons. I can't tell you much except that when our daughter reached 35* at 7 years old and things didn't look so good, I recall our doctor saying that if she could make it to 12 years old without getting above 50-55*, she could be fused but younger than that we probably would be looking at growth rods. We didn't discuss it any further than that.
                  I also recall hearing that 12 years old was about the cutoff where most doctors would choose fusion over growing rods, and generally not before. Of course I realize each case is different and there are many factors to consider. That said, a second opinion is always a good thing.
                  mariaf305@yahoo.com
                  Mom to David, age 17, braced June 2000 to March 2004
                  Vertebral Body Stapling 3/10/04 for 40 degree curve (currently mid 20's)

                  https://www.facebook.com/groups/ScoliosisTethering/

                  http://pediatricspinefoundation.org/

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    . ( But after her surgery...we're guessing she gained 1-3 inches in her spine after getting rid of the curve! We'll find out for sure after she gets measured later today.
                    I hope my math is accurate and I hope this helps a little.

                    Sincerely,
                    Sonja Stevens[/QUOTE]

                    Sonja

                    My daughter was at 76 I think... and she gained 3 inches!! It's amazing! - HOpe she is doing well! The recovery can be a bit rough but they do so well as time goes on!!

                    Jen

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                    • #11
                      Sonja - all the best for your little girl.

                      I am so happy i found this site today - my daughter Maddy is 10 (11 in may) and we just found out from Dr. Zeller that she will need surgery in 6 months...her curve is now 61 degrees...

                      I didn't ask him about the growing rods - maddy will be 11.5 when she has surgery - no date yet - but she started her period 3 months ago which Dr. Zeller said is good - and he explained that the year before and year after it starts is when most of the growth happens... but I'm terrified about crankshafting too..
                      -----

                      Maddy diagnosed July 2008 (age 8) at 38 degrees
                      Dec 2009 - increased to 42/45 (age 9.5)
                      July 2010 – increased to 54 – surgery recommended in 1.5 to 2 yrs (age 10)
                      March 2011 – 61 degrees – surgery in 6 months (almost 11)

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Thank you for all the responses and everyone sharing their experiences!
                        Marlowe mom to Halle (age 11)
                        Diagnosed January 11/08
                        In Spinecor Brace for 2 1/2 years

                        In the Cheneau Brace for 10 months
                        Being treated at Sick Kids Hospital - Dr. Reinhard Zeller

                        Surgery Scheduled at Sick Kids for May 16, 2011


                        http://hallesscoliosis.blogspot.com/

                        Comment

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