Update Re: Contemplating Surgery for my Scoliosis

[Guest guest]

Just to keep everyone up to date, my last orthopedist meeting Dr.

Burch pretty much ended things going along this route. In consulting

with his colleague (I believe the retired Bradford) He felt the

risk outweighed the benefits and wouldn't do it. Basically I am in no

pain, there wouldn't be much lung function improvement and since I

have goldharrs syndrome as well my scoliosis is more rigid then most.

That wouldn't be much in itself, I would then just try for a second

opinion, perhaps Dr. Boachie-Adjei or Randal R. Betz, who I heard

listed as the best in another scoliosis newsgroup (though they are on

the worse side of the country and who knows if they take mediCAL). But

on top of things he said the surgery if done would have to be much

more extensive than previously suggested....basically everything fused

even the neck. And even with that he said they'd probably be only able

to reduce things by 50% ...the 60 degree curve to 30 degrees.

He even seemed to poo-poo the getting rid of the rib hump since that

without the spinal surgery portion would reduce my lung function

10-15% I clarified with him that that meant since it's at 44% of

normal capacity now it would go down to 38-40% ...which for me is

something I may be willing to sacrifice...

So anyway now I got nothing to do but live with it I guess. He said he

wanted to follow up every 6 months to see if it was progressing,

indeed we took x-rays that day and it should a 2% curvature increase,

though the margin of error is 5%. If it does progress we'll then talk

about fusion to at least stop it getting worse, and perhaps some

straightening while we're at it.

Who knows what the future holds, maybe it's best to wait, I hear of

things like the advent of computer simulations to do dry runs before

the surgery coming out to make things safer and more precise. Maybe in

a few years they'll actually figure out a cause...

From here I guess I'll lightly consider seeing these other doctors,

and maybe even checking out this Scoliosis SOS in England since there

seems to be no risk in it except for loss of money (though I have my

doubts about it 4 weeks in england alone might be interesting in

itself). In all it comes down to travel money, which means it will be

a long while before any of this is pick up again. But thanks for your

input and support everyone.

-Daws

>

> After some complication in a cleft palette surgery gone awry -trouble

> establishing an airway since they couldn't see down there with the

> curve for intubation- I got a push to more look into getting my

> scoliosis corrected. Originally it was thought it would correct this

> problem, but the orthopedist thinks that may have been exaggerated.

> Still though in finding out I would gain 6-7 inches height (I am only

> 5' 4 " male), which agrees with my true height calculated via femur

> measurement, and that my lung capacity was only 44% of normal because

> of the curves...I'm to get it done anyway.

>

> Strictly speaking since there are no major concern caused by the

> scoliosis yet, and that's it's not really degenerating much

> further...then anyone else in the world, it is pretty elective surgery.

>

> Well I shouldn't get ahead of myself...for this we're considering

> getting the correction done surgically the old rods-in-the-back thing.

> In hearing about the movement restrictions with this I'm considering

> just getting the major curve in the middle upper back corrected (75

> degrees I believe) leaving the lower back still flexible. But anyway

> what I want to know is:

>

> What are peoples experiences with this type of treatment, and what

> other things have people done? Has anyone had complications from this

> surgery or most generally does it seem to turn out fine? What else

> possibly have I not heard of? And do people have any stats for thing

> going wrong down the line?

>

> I also have concerns regarding the decreased flexibility, how much

> have people seen it to effect their daily lives, housework, swimming,

> sex...?

>

> Lets not be shy here.

>

> -Daws

>