RE: Anyone with a pin in the pelvis?

August 17, 2004

Hi in Long Island - lol

Don't know if it's what you mean, but I had to have my revision revised, at

which time they said they would anchor everything down with Schaefer iliac

bolts, which are like arms coming out from the rod and bolted to each pelvic

wing. I cried up a storm about it, as it sounded so terrible to me! It looks

pretty funny on x-ray also, but I've had no problems from it, nor do I feel

anything there. It sounds like that is what your doctor is talking about, so

fear

not. It sounds pretty horrifying, but after having the revision without them

the first time, I can't tell any difference now as far as mobility and pain.

Good luck and let me know how things go!

Hugs -

August 17, 2004

Hi ,

I had my revision surgery just 5 weeks ago, and it did include

screws and rods into my pelvis on both sides. I was told this would

not limit my movement much more than pre-revision. I'm only five

weeks into my eight week recoup period, the only thing I can tell

you so far is my lying around watching t.v. or reading a book

movements have not been noticeably effected.

Speaking of the initial healing period, can anyone tell me what

follows? Do they start us on physical therapy at that point?

Best,

Dianne in RI

> Hi My Fellow Flatbacks!

>

> Dr. Boachie is proposing to remove my existing rods, reallign with

> osteotomies, install cages around L4 & 5, put in new rods, then a

big

> ol' pin in my pelvis to anchor the whole she-bang! I'm ok with

> everything but the pin. Will this limit my mobility even more?

Is

> it neccessary? Will this be a new source of pain? I've asked the

> Dr. these questions, and he feels it's neccessary, but I'm not

fully

> convinced and would like to hear from someone who has had this

done.

> Dr. Farcy thinks he can solve my issues with just new fusions and

> new rods. (no pin or cages) Both are great doctors, but my gut

goes

> with Boachie. I'm scheduled for surgery with him in November. I

> could always change it though. (torn between two doctors...feeling

> like a fool...) I think maybe I just have cold feet and just

going

> through a phase where I'm having second thoughts. If anyone out

> there has had a revision with a pin in their pelvis, I'd love to

> hear from you. Thanks

>

> from Long Island

>

> PS There are 2 's in the group so it might be confusing. So

> I'll always sign off with " from Long Island " so you can tell us

> apart.

August 17, 2004

Dear ,

I have two five inch bolts going into my Illiac crests. When they were installed

I had L-5 fused and my sacrum and small rods installed, and cages. Six months

later my fusion above that surgery cracked and we had to go in again and put in

larger rods, stainless steel screws, and fuse T-2 to T-5. So you can see that I

have a very long fusion,T-2 to the sacrum, about twenty screws, two large rods

and one small one, and two five inch bolts. I have more hardware in me than the

Home Depot! Yes, having that much fused affects mobility, I can no longer bend,

I have a little leaning forward ability. I compensate by using grabbers for

things on the floor,wearing slip on shoes, etc. I look at it like this, before

surgery I couldn't walk more than a few feet, was in awful pain, was bent over,

and contemplating using a wheelchair to go places with my family that required

walking. At forty I felt like an eighty year old woman. After having a

decompression for steniosis and two full on revisions, 30 hours total of

surgery, I can walk anywhere I want to go, have zero pain, am upright, and have

level shoulders. I just got back from my family reunion, no one had seen me

since the surgeries, and my 22 year old nephew didn't recognize me, his reaction

was, " damn Aunt Suzie your doctor is a @#$% genius " . I wish some of them had

told me before hand how bad I'd gotten and maybe I would have pushed for surgery

sooner. I do feel a heavyness from the hardware, and I am numb over most of my

back and my left thigh. I don't think you can go through what I have been

through without a few drawbacks, but they are minor in the scope of things. I

hope this helps you!

Colorado Springs

Anyone with a pin in the pelvis?

Hi My Fellow Flatbacks!

Dr. Boachie is proposing to remove my existing rods, reallign with

osteotomies, install cages around L4 & 5, put in new rods, then a big

ol' pin in my pelvis to anchor the whole she-bang! I'm ok with

everything but the pin. Will this limit my mobility even more? Is

it neccessary? Will this be a new source of pain? I've asked the

Dr. these questions, and he feels it's neccessary, but I'm not fully

convinced and would like to hear from someone who has had this done.

Dr. Farcy thinks he can solve my issues with just new fusions and

new rods. (no pin or cages) Both are great doctors, but my gut goes

with Boachie. I'm scheduled for surgery with him in November. I

could always change it though. (torn between two doctors...feeling

like a fool...) I think maybe I just have cold feet and just going

through a phase where I'm having second thoughts. If anyone out

there has had a revision with a pin in their pelvis, I'd love to

hear from you. Thanks

from Long Island

PS There are 2 's in the group so it might be confusing. So

I'll always sign off with " from Long Island " so you can tell us

apart.

Support for scoliosis-surgery veterans with Harrington Rod Malalignment

Syndrome. Not medical advice. Group does not control ads or endorse any

advertised products.

August 18, 2004

Dear from Long Island,

I had cages placed at L4 & L5 and pins into the pelvis back in February of

this year. Dr. Rand in Boston is my doctor. Dr. Rand chose to keep part of

the old Harrington rod which bigins at T10 and create the proper lumbar

curve below that. The posts that I wrote in December and January show my

decision process that I shared with this group.

My spine is now very well realigned. I did have pain in the pelvic area

occasionally for the first few months post-op, but now I do not. If the

pelvic pain persisted I could have the pins removed from the sacro-iliac

joint after a year or so. Dr. Rand said that appproximately 20% of people

with pins in the sacro-iliac joint experience pain and may choose to have

the pins removed.

Trusting your intuition is very important. You need to feel good about your

doctor, because your feelings will effect your healing process. I was also

torn between two excellent doctors, but I felt secure and safe with Dr. Rand

and now I have no regrets.

Good luck with your decision.

>From: " nanfash " <nanfash@...>

>Reply-

>

>Subject: Anyone with a pin in the pelvis?

>Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2004 18:26:41 -0000

>

>Hi My Fellow Flatbacks!

>

>Dr. Boachie is proposing to remove my existing rods, reallign with

>osteotomies, install cages around L4 & 5, put in new rods, then a big

>ol' pin in my pelvis to anchor the whole she-bang! I'm ok with

>everything but the pin. Will this limit my mobility even more? Is

>it neccessary? Will this be a new source of pain? I've asked the

>Dr. these questions, and he feels it's neccessary, but I'm not fully

>convinced and would like to hear from someone who has had this done.

>Dr. Farcy thinks he can solve my issues with just new fusions and

>new rods. (no pin or cages) Both are great doctors, but my gut goes

>with Boachie. I'm scheduled for surgery with him in November. I

>could always change it though. (torn between two doctors...feeling

>like a fool...) I think maybe I just have cold feet and just going

>through a phase where I'm having second thoughts. If anyone out

>there has had a revision with a pin in their pelvis, I'd love to

>hear from you. Thanks

>

> from Long Island

>

>PS There are 2 's in the group so it might be confusing. So

>I'll always sign off with " from Long Island " so you can tell us

>apart.

>

August 18, 2004

That's wonderful news, . I hope you continue to heal well.

Sharon