Sutter Health Commercial?

[turfxo]

Has anyone seen the Sutter Health commercial with Caitlin? It's about a girl who has scoliosis & they show her after surgery doing backflips, somersaults, etc. She said she doesn't have the scar down her back, she has four incisions on her side. I don't understand what kind of surgery this is & how she was able to do all these things after surgery since most of the people I hear from say you have minimal flexibility after surgery?

[Pooka1]

Has anyone seen the Sutter Health commercial with Caitlin? It's about a girl who has scoliosis & they show her after surgery doing backflips, somersaults, etc. She said she doesn't have the scar down her back, she has four incisions on her side. I don't understand what kind of surgery this is & how she was able to do all these things after surgery since most of the people I hear from say you have minimal flexibility after surgery?

I found the commercial and write up...

http://www.sutterhealth.org/stories/...in_barker.html

She had the minimally invasive procedure from Picetti. This is minimally invasive, not minimally fused. She doesn't say but I am betting she has a thoracic curve because that would not have affected her flexibility much. My kids are allowed to do gymnastics also but they have no interest. They are allowed to do anything except bungee jumping. I think most kids only fused through the thorax are released to do some gymnastics but I don't know that. And by the way, we don't know what level gymnastics she is doing post fusion.

In general, the only people who have noticeably lower flexibility after surgery are those with fusions into the lumbar and especially those fused to pelvis. There is very minimal loss of flexibility if fused only through the thorax. It is mainly the minimal side-to-side bending and just through the rib cage area that they can't do post fusion. Everything else seems the same to my daughters.

[jrnyc]

it is like a different operation, to get results like that...
maybe that is why, when i read a post from someone who had
surgery that doesn't go low on the spine, it seems foreign to me.
the procedures that go into the lumbar, and to the pelvis, seem to me
like a different world in the results achieved.
(that is just my personal reaction)

jess

[Pooka1]

it is like a different operation, to get results like that...
maybe that is why, when i read a post from someone who had
surgery that doesn't go low on the spine, it seems foreign to me.
the procedures that go into the lumbar, and to the pelvis, seem to me
like a different world in the results achieved.
(that is just my personal reaction)

jess

Jess it's the same operation (fusion) but done on a part of the spine that doesn't bend or flex much anyway, the thorax. So the loss of that small amount of bending flexing through the rib cage is very minimal. My kids didn't even notice anything different until I asked them to try to bend through the rib cage. And even then is was only a minimal loss from side to side. There was no noticeable loss front to back through the rib cage that they noticed. They truly look and feel normal after fusion.

Even lumbar fusions don't affect flexibility too much if they stay above L4 or so if I am remembering the testimonials correctly. Ti Ed posted something about range of motion of each lumbar segment and even the lowest (L5?) still had about a 25* ROM. It's mainly the fusions to pelvis that seem to have noticeable losses in flexibility but I hope others will comment if that is correct.

[Susie*Bee]

Sharon--mine is T2-L4 and that is almost 20" I think. I cannot bend, except from the hip. I don't know if others can or not. L4 is just a little bit above your "gluteal cleft" (ahem)... I am quite stiff. I still have the BLT limitations-- with the lifting being in the 20+ range. But those limitations are partly to save the remaining unfused vertebrae. But it also starts to cause pain if I lift something too heavy.

[jrnyc]

i know it is the same operation...
i am referring to the end result...

being able to bend at the waist, not losing any flexibility...
THAT is what i am referring to...
to my mind, it is absolutely not the same...
the end result is so different.
and that is why patients...and surgeons...try to avoid
going to the sacrum and try to stop at L3 or 4

jess

[titaniumed]

There is a big advantage in using “portals” in that the stripping and pulling back is eliminated... This girl in the film will probably not experience “bear traps”, that tight feeling in the thoracic that we talk about so often. Her Lumbar was probably in good shape.

Leave a bunch of lumbar levels unfused and untouched, and you have a pretty good situation as far as flexibility is concerned.

Marissa, Dr Picetti is a pioneer on minimally invasive (portal) scoliosis surgery....A compassionate soul. I would at least go and talk to him.....

Its about time I back flipped into bed. I’m tired tonight. LOL

Ed

[jrnyc]

yeah, Ed...i can just imagine that, after seeing your X rays...
be quite a feat, even for you!

Dr Anand in LA was the man i went to for minimally invasive
consult...
now i know Linda said he is not recommending it as universally
as he did when i saw him...
but i know he still believes in it...
less cutting, less muscle damage, less blood loss...
and Lonner offered me "modified minimally invasive"
so i think one can find a surgeon for it...if the patient is
determined...

jess...& Sparky, in the cold northeast

[turfxo]

Sharon, thanks for clearing things up.

Leave a bunch of lumbar levels unfused and untouched, and you have a pretty good situation as far as flexibility is concerned.

Marissa, Dr Picetti is a pioneer on minimally invasive (portal) scoliosis surgery....A compassionate soul. I would at least go and talk to him.....

Ed

I'm confused how I would talk to Dr Picetti? Also, this surgery is probably not for people with mostly lumbar curves? I'm a little confused.

[jrnyc]

nope...the surgeons who believe in MI approach do it
for any/all curves...
i need primarily lumbar fusion...
Dr. Lonner offered me "partial minimally invasive" from T11-sacrum, with
pelvic fixation...
you might want to write to Anne and ask her about her surgery (Admoul)...
or contact Dr Anand's office at Cedars Sinai in LA
he has a demonstration of the procedure on his website..
without the blood and stuff...
you might want to look at it...

jess

[titaniumed]

I'm confused how I would talk to Dr Picetti? Also, this surgery is probably not for people with mostly lumbar curves? I'm a little confused.

You make an appointment, or go to the scoliosis meeting that Diane Gums holds.

None of us can dictate surgical methods because we are not trained doctors....this is solely up to them, leave it up to them. If you have any issues with a particular method, you can always get a second opinion. Hopefully, they will agree with one another. If you don’t want surgery, its totally your decision.....There are ways to combat pain, I held on for many years.....I had twin 50”s when I was your age.

You “could” talk to Dr Picetti when Diane Gums RN holds the next scoliosis meeting at Sutter (downtown Sac) Her phone # is on the lower right of this page. I think she holds meetings once a month. Just call her up and find out.
http://www.checksutterfirst.org/neur...scoliosis.html

I would go to her meeting. She will have Dr Picetti there answering questions. You also get to meet and greet others with scoliosis and the meetings usually have around 30-60 people that show up. Coffee and donuts, no pressure relaxed kind of thing.....

This scoliosis meeting would be a good way to start and its free. You let me know, and I will come down, I am a strong supporter of scoliosis meetings!

Maybe I can shake a few trees and get some of the quiet NSF Sacramento forum members to show up......Hint!

Jess, My secret is doing the back flip in the “pike” position.....(smiley face) Don’t tell anybody, ok?

Ed

[jrnyc]

oh...ski talk, huh Ed?
i am beginning to think you are certifiable, with the
risks you take...(smiley face)
but i know you love skiing...so i guess that explains the crazy...
enjoy winter....we had a foot of snow last Saturday in northeast....
would like to send the next snowfall your way...

turfxo...minimally invasive is definitely done for lumbar curves...
if you look at the website for Dr Neel Anand at Cedars Sinai in LA,
you will find patient testimonials, as well as video of procedures..
when i met with Dr Anand a few years ago, he said MI procedures
can be done for any curves, anywhere on spine, including lumbar
curves, which is what i was interested in.

jess...& Sparky