Re: Re: Why fusion afterall?

[Guest guest]

You are right Willow........cervical fusions are much different than having a

laminectomy and fusion of the thorcolumbar area of the spine due to stenosis.

Caleb has a cervical fusion because of an unstable neck as well. But have

also been dealing with the thorcolumbar area into the sacrum.

I think over the years various ways have been attempted to see what the best

outcome would be in achondroplasia and decompressive/fusion with

instrumentation. The instrumentation is simply put there to stabilize the spine

until it

fuses. Can be removed, once fused but most likely left as it doesn't hurt

anything and why put a patient through another surgery to remove rods that are

not

bothering anything.

There have been various ways to do this. Some docs have tried just

laminectomies of a few vertebrae, but have to go back in alot of cases, and

increase

the levels they decompress. Some have done multiple levels and not fused but

found the spine collapses, some have done just fusions with instrumentation and

not decompress if the area is not stenosed alot, which works, and some have

had to decompress a tight spine and do anterior/posterior fusion with

instrumentation.......not sure there is an exact on this because each person is

so

individualist in their problems and where the stenosis is that no two can be

treated the same..............and as we all know, once the spine is operated on,

whether average people or short-stature, they are never the same......scarring

can occur, pain can still occur, limited activity is a probable........so again,

no clear cut answer to the question. But it does take someone who

understands skeletal dysplasias because where the average leaves off, the

dysplasia

begins.....a whole different way of treatment......there is no book out there

that

gives you a 'picture and explanation' of how to do a spinal surgery on anyone

with skeletal dysplasias, only the various ways that have been attempted.

Trudy (mom to Caleb 16, achondroplasia, who has been through the whole gammit

of spinal decompressions and fusion both cervical and thorcolumbar into the

sacrum as well)

[Guest guest]

My son had a fusion of his top three vertebrea in the neck. That was because it

was unstable at birth and for four years thereafter risking paralysis or death

in the event of uncontrolled forward motion. Fusions are supposed to be only

for stabilization of the spine not for pain control. Willow

Re: Why fusion afterall?

Hi Gang.

Happy New Year to All.

I am confused : I heard that laminectomy's to remove stenosis , even when

done up and down the entire back DOES NOT leave a person's spine unstable/at

risk, therefore, they would not need a fusion?

My sister (also a lp) had 2 laminectomy's done in MO, and she did not have a

fusion, and her surgeon told her that her spine would be stable afterward and

she didn't need one.

So my question is, for those of you who had fusions: why were they necessary?

Also, how many lp's on here had laminectomy's ? What were your outcomes? Were

you left unable to walk? My back is ok for now, but as I get older, I am

fearing I will also need a laminectomy.

Thanks.

Jackie

[Guest guest]

As a lot of mothers that I have met on here, you seem to have done your

homework. :-) We have been lucky that Jarrod has only had the one surgery on

his spine. I suppose time will tell, but our goal is to keep him in the habit

of muscular toning and weight bearing activities, along with postural training

throughout his life.

He is getting massaged pretty regularly and seems to really

benifit with pain relief from that. As a matter of fact, when he is getting

massaged regularly, he doesn't take any Ibuprophen for his back and neck. His

knees still bother him, but that is another story.:-)

Thanks for the informative posts and may this year bring you rest and happiness.

Willow

Re: Re: Why fusion afterall?

You are right Willow........cervical fusions are much different than having a

laminectomy and fusion of the thorcolumbar area of the spine due to stenosis.

Caleb has a cervical fusion because of an unstable neck as well. But have also

been dealing with the thorcolumbar area into the sacrum.

I think over the years various ways have been attempted to see what the best

outcome would be in achondroplasia and decompressive/fusion with

instrumentation. The instrumentation is simply put there to stabilize the spine

until it fuses. Can be removed, once fused but most likely left as it doesn't

hurt anything and why put a patient through another surgery to remove rods that

are not bothering anything.

There have been various ways to do this. Some docs have tried just

laminectomies of a few vertebrae, but have to go back in alot of cases, and

increase the levels they decompress. Some have done multiple levels and not

fused but found the spine collapses, some have done just fusions with

instrumentation and not decompress if the area is not stenosed alot, which

works, and some have had to decompress a tight spine and do anterior/posterior

fusion with instrumentation.......not sure there is an exact on this because

each person is so individualist in their problems and where the stenosis is that

no two can be treated the same..............and as we all know, once the spine

is operated on, whether average people or short-stature, they are never the

same......scarring can occur, pain can still occur, limited activity is a

probable........so again, no clear cut answer to the question. But it does take

someone who understands skeletal dysplasias because where the average leaves

off, the dysplasia begins.....a whole different way of treatment......there is

no book out there that gives you a 'picture and explanation' of how to do a

spinal surgery on anyone with skeletal dysplasias, only the various ways that

have been attempted.

Trudy (mom to Caleb 16, achondroplasia, who has been through the whole gammit

of spinal decompressions and fusion both cervical and thorcolumbar into the

sacrum as well)