Guest guest Posted September 10, 2011 Report Share Posted September 10, 2011 Hello again, I know many dr's that cast well before 18 months. The key is to cast before 2, but I know my daughters dr cast as young as 9 months. I would go with your gut. If you feel like he should be casted then get another opinion. You dont want a dr your not comfortable with or one whom you dont feel like your getting the whole truth from. It's up to you and your husband to be advocates for your son so you have to do what you feel is best. There are numerous kids that were casted before 18 months on this group so hopefully they'll chime in soon. - mother to - 3 yrs 3 mths old - 2 cast, 1 brace - currently cured and treatment free for a year and a halfSent from my iPhoneOn Sep 10, 2011, at 1:00 AM, "torrieric" <torrieric@...> wrote: Hi All, My husband and I were curious about something Dr. T had said at our first appointment. He said that he tries not to cast children before 18 months and won't bother casting unless the curve is very progressive or goes above 50 degrees unless there's significant rotation. He also indicated that's fairly standard practice in the field. Any truth to this? I had seen at least one other parent on here who's daughter was casted at 12 months with a less than 50 degree curve (but I don't know about the rotation). This has been bugging us a lot as we feel from Dr. Mehta's paper and other things we'd read that early casting is best. How old were your kids when they started being casted and what were their Cobb and RVAD if you have them? Were they very progressive curves? We're trying to figure out if we're being told the whole truth or just this one doc's opinion. He said Dr. was one of the casting gurus but when we showed Dr. T pages written by him in "The Growing Spine" (published in 2010) which states "...nearly full correction starting at average age of 1.1 years and full correction rare in those started above the age of 18 months." He said if you talked to him in person he wouldn't cast a child so young with such a small curve. Thanks! , mother of iel, 5 months, 29 degrees Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 10, 2011 Report Share Posted September 10, 2011 Hi, Just wanted you to know that my daughter got her first cast when she was 15 months old. Her curve then was 48 degrees. She is now 25 months old and is in her 4th cast (after a summer break in a brace). Her curve is now down to 8 degrees! I think that the earlier you can have your child casted, the better! They are much more flexible before age 2 and easier for the doctor to correct their curves. - , mom of Abby (2 years) 48* down to 8* in 4th cast. > > > Hi All, > > My husband and I were curious about something Dr. T had said at our first appointment. He said that he tries not to cast children before 18 months and won't bother casting unless the curve is very progressive or goes above 50 degrees unless there's significant rotation. He also indicated that's fairly standard practice in the field. Any truth to this? I had seen at least one other parent on here who's daughter was casted at 12 months with a less than 50 degree curve (but I don't know about the rotation). This has been bugging us a lot as we feel from Dr. Mehta's paper and other things we'd read that early casting is best. > > > > How old were your kids when they started being casted and what were their Cobb and RVAD if you have them? Were they very progressive curves? > > > > We're trying to figure out if we're being told the whole truth or just this one doc's opinion. He said Dr. was one of the casting gurus but when we showed Dr. T pages written by him in " The Growing Spine " (published in 2010) which states " ...nearly full correction starting at average age of 1.1 years and full correction rare in those started above the age of 18 months. " He said if you talked to him in person he wouldn't cast a child so young with such a small curve. > > > > Thanks! > > , mother of iel, 5 months, 29 degrees > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 10, 2011 Report Share Posted September 10, 2011 Hi , We started at 14 month with a curve of 80 degrees and significant rotation. I know that our doc doesn't want to cast at 5 or 6 months, but have also heard that he did cast a babes at 9 months. My concern for you with staying at Spokane is just their lack of experience. Definitely go with your instincts. Maybe ask the Dr how many casts he's applied, how many patients he's done the casting on and what his success numbers are. I know you would rather stay locally and not travel, but sometimes more experience is well worth it. Just my opinion, for what it's worth. :)Also, our son shot from 32 degrees to 80 degrees in 3 months, all while my husband and I thought he was looking better. Just be careful, you definitely don't want to let your window of opportunity pass. Noah 6 yrs 2 moSent from my iPodOn Sep 9, 2011, at 11:00 PM, "torrieric" <torrieric@...> wrote: Hi All, My husband and I were curious about something Dr. T had said at our first appointment. He said that he tries not to cast children before 18 months and won't bother casting unless the curve is very progressive or goes above 50 degrees unless there's significant rotation. He also indicated that's fairly standard practice in the field. Any truth to this? I had seen at least one other parent on here who's daughter was casted at 12 months with a less than 50 degree curve (but I don't know about the rotation). This has been bugging us a lot as we feel from Dr. Mehta's paper and other things we'd read that early casting is best. How old were your kids when they started being casted and what were their Cobb and RVAD if you have them? Were they very progressive curves? We're trying to figure out if we're being told the whole truth or just this one doc's opinion. He said Dr. was one of the casting gurus but when we showed Dr. T pages written by him in "The Growing Spine" (published in 2010) which states "...nearly full correction starting at average age of 1.1 years and full correction rare in those started above the age of 18 months." He said if you talked to him in person he wouldn't cast a child so young with such a small curve. Thanks! , mother of iel, 5 months, 29 degrees Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 10, 2011 Report Share Posted September 10, 2011 My daughter was 16 months old and had a 39 degree curve and 20 degree rotation. Our Dr wanted us casted immediately. 2 weeks after our consultation we had the MRI and less than 4 weeks after, we were casted. Hope this helps.From: torrieric <torrieric@...>infantile scoliosis treatment Sent: Saturday, September 10, 2011 1:00 AMSubject: Earliest casting? Hi All, My husband and I were curious about something Dr. T had said at our first appointment. He said that he tries not to cast children before 18 months and won't bother casting unless the curve is very progressive or goes above 50 degrees unless there's significant rotation. He also indicated that's fairly standard practice in the field. Any truth to this? I had seen at least one other parent on here who's daughter was casted at 12 months with a less than 50 degree curve (but I don't know about the rotation). This has been bugging us a lot as we feel from Dr. Mehta's paper and other things we'd read that early casting is best. How old were your kids when they started being casted and what were their Cobb and RVAD if you have them? Were they very progressive curves? We're trying to figure out if we're being told the whole truth or just this one doc's opinion. He said Dr. was one of the casting gurus but when we showed Dr. T pages written by him in "The Growing Spine" (published in 2010) which states "...nearly full correction starting at average age of 1.1 years and full correction rare in those started above the age of 18 months." He said if you talked to him in person he wouldn't cast a child so young with such a small curve. Thanks! , mother of iel, 5 months, 29 degrees Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 10, 2011 Report Share Posted September 10, 2011 Hey , My daughter was casted at 8 months back in June of this year. Cobb was 47/ RVAD 55. She is now 11 months and just got her second cast this week and is doing great! The doctor here locally wanted to watch and wait till she was 1. We didn't like the sounds of that so we went for a 2nd opinion at Shriners Greenville and he totally disagreed with the local doctor!! He said this was the absolute best time to start and possibly get a cure!! In fact, the very next week she was casted! While it is quite a haul each time to travel 7 hours one way, I am so glad we did it! I feel like Cortlynn is in the best possible hands for her situation!! They are so great at the hospital and Dr. P is truly amazing and so knowledgable!! So my advice would be to obtain a second opinion just to see what the other doctor might advise. I know there are some cases that they won't cast right away and maybe that is your babies case but either way I think you and your husband would feel much better hearing from another doctor as well. I know it helped us! We knew either way hearing from 2 different doctors our decision would be so much easier! Good luck with everything!! I'll be thinking and praying for you guys! Let us know what you find out! Caren > > Hi All, > My husband and I were curious about something Dr. T had said at our first appointment. He said that he tries not to cast children before 18 months and won't bother casting unless the curve is very progressive or goes above 50 degrees unless there's significant rotation. He also indicated that's fairly standard practice in the field. Any truth to this? I had seen at least one other parent on here who's daughter was casted at 12 months with a less than 50 degree curve (but I don't know about the rotation). This has been bugging us a lot as we feel from Dr. Mehta's paper and other things we'd read that early casting is best. > > How old were your kids when they started being casted and what were their Cobb and RVAD if you have them? Were they very progressive curves? > > We're trying to figure out if we're being told the whole truth or just this one doc's opinion. He said Dr. was one of the casting gurus but when we showed Dr. T pages written by him in " The Growing Spine " (published in 2010) which states " ...nearly full correction starting at average age of 1.1 years and full correction rare in those started above the age of 18 months. " He said if you talked to him in person he wouldn't cast a child so young with such a small curve. > > Thanks! > , mother of iel, 5 months, 29 degrees > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 10, 2011 Report Share Posted September 10, 2011 There could be truth to is as lots of docs practice differently and not all are true Mehta believers..... But many docs believe differently. There are 100s of stories on this site involving children casted earlier than 18 m and below 50 degrees. Email heather for some hot tips about Mehta or look on isop and think about pushing for a cast. Your baby is young but eating until 18 m is insane. If your babe is going to progress even slowly, you will know soon enough. By the time he's 9 months you should have a clear picture of what's going on w the spine.your doc probably is hoping it will self correct but not saying so. I would personally start crusading for a cast then. I get a little upset about some of this sometimes and I'm sure others will chime in but from my perspective though what your doc told you holds some truth it's total crap and the reason so many of our kids progress beyond help or a cure at it is just wrong! On the other hand you have a little time so dint panic. His numbers are low, he is young so play your game smart and see how things progress. Get everything in order, make a notebook including paperwork and a timeline. Make a solid case of why you need to cast so when you feel things reach that point you are ready. Think about pushing for an MRI sometime in the near future - when's his next apt? Don't wait 6more months if they scheduled you that far out. That's too long and too much can happen! Tame Sent from my iPhone On Sep 10, 2011, at 12:00 AM, " torrieric " <torrieric@...> wrote: Hi All, My husband and I were curious about something Dr. T had said at our first appointment. He said that he tries not to cast children before 18 months and won't bother casting unless the curve is very progressive or goes above 50 degrees unless there's significant rotation. He also indicated that's fairly standard practice in the field. Any truth to this? I had seen at least one other parent on here who's daughter was casted at 12 months with a less than 50 degree curve (but I don't know about the rotation). This has been bugging us a lot as we feel from Dr. Mehta's paper and other things we'd read that early casting is best. How old were your kids when they started being casted and what were their Cobb and RVAD if you have them? Were they very progressive curves? We're trying to figure out if we're being told the whole truth or just this one doc's opinion. He said Dr. was one of the casting gurus but when we showed Dr. T pages written by him in " The Growing Spine " (published in 2010) which states " ...nearly full correction starting at average age of 1.1 years and full correction rare in those started above the age of 18 months. " He said if you talked to him in person he wouldn't cast a child so young with such a small curve. Thanks! , mother of iel, 5 months, 29 degrees ------------------------------------ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 10, 2011 Report Share Posted September 10, 2011 Casting is most effective before 20 months and under 50 degrees. Casting usually starts between 9 and 12 months. You can start as soon as you know it is progressive or with an RVAD over 20. If your Dr. doesn't believe in starting early and at lower curves than they aren't really following true Early Treatment. I would get a second opinion from another Mehta Trained Dr. I will also say that by 50 degrees they are already past the point that as a teenager they would have to fuse their spine, so saying you have to wait that long is ridiculous. Jenn Mommy to Cole & MaxOn Sat, Sep 10, 2011 at 10:28 AM, Tame Olson <dazies2001@...> wrote: There could be truth to is as lots of docs practice differently and not all are true Mehta believers..... But many docs  believe differently. There are 100s of stories on this site involving children casted earlier than 18 m and below 50 degrees. Email heather for some hot tips about Mehta or look on isop and think about pushing for a cast. Your baby is young but eating until 18 m is insane. If your babe is going to progress even slowly, you will know soon enough. By the time he's 9 months you should have a clear picture of what's going on w the spine.your doc probably is hoping it will self correct but not saying so. I would personally start crusading for a cast then.  I get a little upset about some of this sometimes and I'm sure others will chime in but from my perspective though what your doc told you holds some truth it's total crap and the reason so many of our kids progress beyond help or a cure at it is just wrong! On the other hand you have a  little time so dint panic. His numbers are low, he is young so play your game smart and see how things progress. Get everything in order, make a notebook including paperwork and a timeline. Make a solid case of why you need to cast so when you feel things reach that point you are ready. Think about pushing for an MRI sometime in the near future - when's his next apt? Don't wait 6more months if they scheduled you that far out. That's too long and too much can happen! Tame Sent from my iPhone On Sep 10, 2011, at 12:00 AM, " torrieric " <torrieric@...> wrote: Hi All, My husband and I were curious about something Dr. T had said at our first appointment.  He said that he tries not to cast children before 18 months and won't bother casting unless the curve is very progressive or goes above 50 degrees unless there's significant rotation.  He also indicated that's fairly standard practice in the field.  Any truth to this?  I had seen at least one other parent on here who's daughter was casted at 12 months with a less than 50 degree curve (but I don't know about the rotation).  This has been bugging us a lot as we feel from Dr. Mehta's paper and other things we'd read that early casting is best. How old were your kids when they started being casted and what were their Cobb and RVAD if you have them?  Were they very progressive curves? We're trying to figure out if we're being told the whole truth or just this one doc's opinion.  He said Dr. was one of the casting gurus but when we showed Dr. T pages written by him in " The Growing Spine " (published in 2010) which states " ...nearly full correction starting at average age of 1.1 years and full correction rare in those started above the age of 18 months. "  He said if you talked to him in person he wouldn't cast a child so young with such a small curve. Thanks! , mother of iel, 5 months, 29 degrees ------------------------------------ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 10, 2011 Report Share Posted September 10, 2011 Hello, My daughter was casted at 4 months old with a curve between 30-40 degrees. Cast early! On Sat Sep 10th, 2011 12:00 AM CDT torrieric wrote: >Hi All, >My husband and I were curious about something Dr. T had said at our first appointment. He said that he tries not to cast children before 18 months and won't bother casting unless the curve is very progressive or goes above 50 degrees unless there's significant rotation. He also indicated that's fairly standard practice in the field. Any truth to this? I had seen at least one other parent on here who's daughter was casted at 12 months with a less than 50 degree curve (but I don't know about the rotation). This has been bugging us a lot as we feel from Dr. Mehta's paper and other things we'd read that early casting is best. > >How old were your kids when they started being casted and what were their Cobb and RVAD if you have them? Were they very progressive curves? > >We're trying to figure out if we're being told the whole truth or just this one doc's opinion. He said Dr. was one of the casting gurus but when we showed Dr. T pages written by him in " The Growing Spine " (published in 2010) which states " ...nearly full correction starting at average age of 1.1 years and full correction rare in those started above the age of 18 months. " He said if you talked to him in person he wouldn't cast a child so young with such a small curve. > >Thanks! >, mother of iel, 5 months, 29 degrees > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 11, 2011 Report Share Posted September 11, 2011 my son had a curve of 68 degrees at 4 months of age. we live in a county where you can't get private (or that's what they would have you believe, especially back then) health care. Lots of rotation too and high RVAD. At 12 months of age he had a curve of 48 degrees!! Yes, he got a lot better. We did a lot of home physio of our own accord. Slight rotation, high RVAD. At 18 months, as we went about every 6 months for an xray, he had a curve of 68 degrees and we set a date for when he was 20 months old. On his first cast day he was 85 degrees, RVAD of 110 and Rotation of 90. He was in rough shape. Today he is around 50 degrees in cast. If we could only go back in time I would have had him cast no matter what between the ages of 9 and 12 months, when we could have cured him. 20 months was too old for my son, and we made the appointment before he turned 18 months and it was the earliest we could get. We where sure we would have gotten in by 18 months I was very disappointed when I was given the cast date and he was going to be 20 months at the time. He went down hill lots between when we where given the date and when that cast date arrived. I agree, somewhere in the 20 degree range or higher and around 20 degree or higher RVAD and any rotation cast. Mehta's principles are good and very helpful. I think between 9 months and 12 months has often worked out for a lot of parents. I know my son could have used the cast at 4 months when he was 68 degrees high RVAD and high rotation, but we could have saved him so much troubles in his life if even between 9 and 12 months we had cast him. But that's just Kieran. Each kid is different. > > >Hi All, > >My husband and I were curious about something Dr. T had said at our first appointment. He said that he tries not to cast children before 18 months and won't bother casting unless the curve is very progressive or goes above 50 degrees unless there's significant rotation. He also indicated that's fairly standard practice in the field. Any truth to this? I had seen at least one other parent on here who's daughter was casted at 12 months with a less than 50 degree curve (but I don't know about the rotation). This has been bugging us a lot as we feel from Dr. Mehta's paper and other things we'd read that early casting is best. > > > >How old were your kids when they started being casted and what were their Cobb and RVAD if you have them? Were they very progressive curves? > > > >We're trying to figure out if we're being told the whole truth or just this one doc's opinion. He said Dr. was one of the casting gurus but when we showed Dr. T pages written by him in " The Growing Spine " (published in 2010) which states " ...nearly full correction starting at average age of 1.1 years and full correction rare in those started above the age of 18 months. " He said if you talked to him in person he wouldn't cast a child so young with such a small curve. > > > >Thanks! > >, mother of iel, 5 months, 29 degrees > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 11, 2011 Report Share Posted September 11, 2011 Mehta also says that we have to get involved with casting kids when the curves are small, before they become a big problem. It is in her video. If you have not watched it it is fantastic. You can get it on the Amil casting frame web site. http://www.amilframe.com/what-is-scoliosis.htm the three parts of the video are through the links at the bottom of the page from the link above. You can also find it on youtube. Shauna mother of Kelsey, Kieran and > > > > >Hi All, > > >My husband and I were curious about something Dr. T had said at our first appointment. He said that he tries not to cast children before 18 months and won't bother casting unless the curve is very progressive or goes above 50 degrees unless there's significant rotation. He also indicated that's fairly standard practice in the field. Any truth to this? I had seen at least one other parent on here who's daughter was casted at 12 months with a less than 50 degree curve (but I don't know about the rotation). This has been bugging us a lot as we feel from Dr. Mehta's paper and other things we'd read that early casting is best. > > > > > >How old were your kids when they started being casted and what were their Cobb and RVAD if you have them? Were they very progressive curves? > > > > > >We're trying to figure out if we're being told the whole truth or just this one doc's opinion. He said Dr. was one of the casting gurus but when we showed Dr. T pages written by him in " The Growing Spine " (published in 2010) which states " ...nearly full correction starting at average age of 1.1 years and full correction rare in those started above the age of 18 months. " He said if you talked to him in person he wouldn't cast a child so young with such a small curve. > > > > > >Thanks! > > >, mother of iel, 5 months, 29 degrees > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 11, 2011 Report Share Posted September 11, 2011 We go to Greenville, SC Shriners!! > > Thank you all so much for your responses! > My husband and I were so mixed after meeting with Dr. T. On one hand being told self correcting was likely made me want to shut up and do what the doc said, while my husband and the other half of me just wanted to punch the Dr. in the face! He told us flat out that after 4 months of observation even if iel's curve progressed to 35 or 40 degrees (from 29) he wouldn't want to do anything about it before 18 months; that's just not an option for us, progression will only get worse! I just don't understand how we can have a doc who claims to be Mehta trained who doesn't want to cast early! He wouldn't even tell us the RVAD score when we were in the office. He claimed it was because it was so low. We wrote Shriners and asked for copies of our x-rays and the RVAD score. If he did lie to us about the RVAD we'll be filing a complaint. In the mean time I think we'll try and get a second opinion. For those of you with lower scores who got casted before 18 months what hospital did you go to? It'll help if we have our second opinion from someone who does what we're wanting to do. > Thank you! > , mother of iel 5 months, 29 degrees > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 12, 2011 Report Share Posted September 12, 2011 We go to Childrens Mercy is Kansas City, Missouri On Sun Sep 11th, 2011 2:24 PM CDT torrieric wrote: >Thank you all so much for your responses! >My husband and I were so mixed after meeting with Dr. T. On one hand being told self correcting was likely made me want to shut up and do what the doc said, while my husband and the other half of me just wanted to punch the Dr. in the face! He told us flat out that after 4 months of observation even if iel's curve progressed to 35 or 40 degrees (from 29) he wouldn't want to do anything about it before 18 months; that's just not an option for us, progression will only get worse! I just don't understand how we can have a doc who claims to be Mehta trained who doesn't want to cast early! He wouldn't even tell us the RVAD score when we were in the office. He claimed it was because it was so low. We wrote Shriners and asked for copies of our x-rays and the RVAD score. If he did lie to us about the RVAD we'll be filing a complaint. In the mean time I think we'll try and get a second opinion. For those of you with lower scores who got casted before 18 months what hospital did you go to? It'll help if we have our second opinion from someone who does what we're wanting to do. >Thank you! >, mother of iel 5 months, 29 degrees > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 12, 2011 Report Share Posted September 12, 2011 We go to Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, INDon't remember if you had said where you were from, so wanted to throw it out there.ThanksFrom: torrieric <torrieric@...>infantile scoliosis treatment Sent: Sunday, September 11, 2011 3:24 PMSubject: Re: Earliest casting? Thank you all so much for your responses! My husband and I were so mixed after meeting with Dr. T. On one hand being told self correcting was likely made me want to shut up and do what the doc said, while my husband and the other half of me just wanted to punch the Dr. in the face! He told us flat out that after 4 months of observation even if iel's curve progressed to 35 or 40 degrees (from 29) he wouldn't want to do anything about it before 18 months; that's just not an option for us, progression will only get worse! I just don't understand how we can have a doc who claims to be Mehta trained who doesn't want to cast early! He wouldn't even tell us the RVAD score when we were in the office. He claimed it was because it was so low. We wrote Shriners and asked for copies of our x-rays and the RVAD score. If he did lie to us about the RVAD we'll be filing a complaint. In the mean time I think we'll try and get a second opinion. For those of you with lower scores who got casted before 18 months what hospital did you go to? It'll help if we have our second opinion from someone who does what we're wanting to do. Thank you! , mother of iel 5 months, 29 degrees Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 12, 2011 Report Share Posted September 12, 2011 We go to Shriner's in Philly, PA. Dr. C (who does casting) is extraordinary. Best wishes. Jen > > Thank you all so much for your responses! > My husband and I were so mixed after meeting with Dr. T. On one hand being told self correcting was likely made me want to shut up and do what the doc said, while my husband and the other half of me just wanted to punch the Dr. in the face! He told us flat out that after 4 months of observation even if iel's curve progressed to 35 or 40 degrees (from 29) he wouldn't want to do anything about it before 18 months; that's just not an option for us, progression will only get worse! I just don't understand how we can have a doc who claims to be Mehta trained who doesn't want to cast early! He wouldn't even tell us the RVAD score when we were in the office. He claimed it was because it was so low. We wrote Shriners and asked for copies of our x-rays and the RVAD score. If he did lie to us about the RVAD we'll be filing a complaint. In the mean time I think we'll try and get a second opinion. For those of you with lower scores who got casted before 18 months what hospital did you go to? It'll help if we have our second opinion from someone who does what we're wanting to do. > Thank you! > , mother of iel 5 months, 29 degrees > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 12, 2011 Report Share Posted September 12, 2011 Anyone try Strong Memorial in Rochester, NY? The Dr. there referred to as "Dr. R" was a resident of Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC. We were referred to him by HSS when my son was at 54 degrees. His spine has been now holding at 6 for over a year after nine casts, he now wears a night brace.Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerryFrom: " Heath" <jaheath86@...>Sender: infantile scoliosis treatment Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2011 04:06:20 -0000<infantile scoliosis treatment >Reply infantile scoliosis treatment Subject: Re: Earliest casting? We go to Shriner's in Philly, PA. Dr. C (who does casting) is extraordinary. Best wishes.Jen>> Thank you all so much for your responses!> My husband and I were so mixed after meeting with Dr. T. On one hand being told self correcting was likely made me want to shut up and do what the doc said, while my husband and the other half of me just wanted to punch the Dr. in the face! He told us flat out that after 4 months of observation even if iel's curve progressed to 35 or 40 degrees (from 29) he wouldn't want to do anything about it before 18 months; that's just not an option for us, progression will only get worse! I just don't understand how we can have a doc who claims to be Mehta trained who doesn't want to cast early! He wouldn't even tell us the RVAD score when we were in the office. He claimed it was because it was so low. We wrote Shriners and asked for copies of our x-rays and the RVAD score. If he did lie to us about the RVAD we'll be filing a complaint. In the mean time I think we'll try and get a second opinion. For those of you with lower scores who got casted before 18 months what hospital did you go to? It'll help if we have our second opinion from someone who does what we're wanting to do.> Thank you!> , mother of iel 5 months, 29 degrees> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 12, 2011 Report Share Posted September 12, 2011 Hi, I concur with everyone not to wait if there is progression. Most casting docs seem to not cast much earlier than a year old, unless the case is extreme. However, very progressive cases can progress very fast, as I'm sure you know.I may have missed where you're located, we love Shriners SLC (Salt Lake City) and travel there from Los Angeles.(Dr. D'A).Have you already done MRI (s), head and spine? Most casting docs want that first, and 2 things to bear in mind: MRI waits at some hospitals can be as long as 2 months, and it can also take that long to get an appointment with a top casting doc. So 4 months can pass, etc., that's why I always say get your ducks in a row with setting the appointments, you can always cancel them later if you don't need them.Hope this helps, you are definitely on the right track, Mama! :-)Heidi, Bexon's Mommy, (4 years old, in 10 casts from Salt Lake City Shriners, currently down from 63 degrees to 10.9 in first brace. You can read Bexon's Story on www.GirltoMom.com)From: "jmcnally4171@..." <jmcnally4171@...>infantile scoliosis treatment Sent: Mon, September 12, 2011 4:41:10 AMSubject: Re: Re: Earliest casting? Anyone try Strong Memorial in Rochester, NY? The Dr. there referred to as "Dr. R" was a resident of Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC. We were referred to him by HSS when my son was at 54 degrees. His spine has been now holding at 6 for over a year after nine casts, he now wears a night brace.Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerryFrom: " Heath" <jaheath86@...> Sender: infantile scoliosis treatment Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2011 04:06:20 -0000<infantile scoliosis treatment >Reply infantile scoliosis treatment Subject: Re: Earliest casting? We go to Shriner's in Philly, PA. Dr. C (who does casting) is extraordinary. Best wishes. Jen > > Thank you all so much for your responses! > My husband and I were so mixed after meeting with Dr. T. On one hand being told self correcting was likely made me want to shut up and do what the doc said, while my husband and the other half of me just wanted to punch the Dr. in the face! He told us flat out that after 4 months of observation even if iel's curve progressed to 35 or 40 degrees (from 29) he wouldn't want to do anything about it before 18 months; that's just not an option for us, progression will only get worse! I just don't understand how we can have a doc who claims to be Mehta trained who doesn't want to cast early! He wouldn't even tell us the RVAD score when we were in the office. He claimed it was because it was so low. We wrote Shriners and asked for copies of our x-rays and the RVAD score. If he did lie to us about the RVAD we'll be filing a complaint. In the mean time I think we'll try and get a second opinion. For those of you with lower scores who got casted before 18 months what hospital did you go to? It'll help if we have our second opinion from someone who does what we're wanting to do. > Thank you! > , mother of iel 5 months, 29 degrees > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 16, 2011 Report Share Posted September 16, 2011 Again, Im no doc, but casting under 1 yrs old is not unheard of. Its essential to get the rvad. In some cases the rvad is higher than the cobb and if so, then casting should begin w/ out delay. I understand completely his/her reasoning in wanting to wait because of age. But, lets get the rvad and go from there. HRH > Hi All, > My husband and I were curious about something Dr. T had said at our first > appointment. He said that he tries not to cast children before 18 months > and won't bother casting unless the curve is very progressive or goes > above 50 degrees unless there's significant rotation. He also indicated > that's fairly standard practice in the field. Any truth to this? I had > seen at least one other parent on here who's daughter was casted at 12 > months with a less than 50 degree curve (but I don't know about the > rotation). This has been bugging us a lot as we feel from Dr. Mehta's > paper and other things we'd read that early casting is best. > > How old were your kids when they started being casted and what were their > Cobb and RVAD if you have them? Were they very progressive curves? > > We're trying to figure out if we're being told the whole truth or just > this one doc's opinion. He said Dr. was one of the casting gurus > but when we showed Dr. T pages written by him in " The Growing Spine " > (published in 2010) which states " ...nearly full correction starting at > average age of 1.1 years and full correction rare in those started above > the age of 18 months. " He said if you talked to him in person he wouldn't > cast a child so young with such a small curve. > > Thanks! > , mother of iel, 5 months, 29 degrees > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 16, 2011 Report Share Posted September 16, 2011 A New Direction dvd can also be viewed on the youtube portion of ISOPs site in 3 parts. It can also be purchased to view ond DVD, if needed. Just a fyi... HRH > Mehta also says that we have to get involved with casting kids when the > curves are small, before they become a big problem. It is in her video. > If you have not watched it it is fantastic. You can get it on the Amil > casting frame web site. > > http://www.amilframe.com/what-is-scoliosis.htm > > the three parts of the video are through the links at the bottom of the > page from the link above. You can also find it on youtube. > > Shauna > mother of Kelsey, Kieran and > > >> > >> > >Hi All, >> > >My husband and I were curious about something Dr. T had said at our >> first appointment. He said that he tries not to cast children before >> 18 months and won't bother casting unless the curve is very >> progressive or goes above 50 degrees unless there's significant >> rotation. He also indicated that's fairly standard practice in the >> field. Any truth to this? I had seen at least one other parent on >> here who's daughter was casted at 12 months with a less than 50 >> degree curve (but I don't know about the rotation). This has been >> bugging us a lot as we feel from Dr. Mehta's paper and other things >> we'd read that early casting is best. >> > > >> > >How old were your kids when they started being casted and what were >> their Cobb and RVAD if you have them? Were they very progressive >> curves? >> > > >> > >We're trying to figure out if we're being told the whole truth or >> just this one doc's opinion. He said Dr. was one of the >> casting gurus but when we showed Dr. T pages written by him in " The >> Growing Spine " (published in 2010) which states " ...nearly full >> correction starting at average age of 1.1 years and full correction >> rare in those started above the age of 18 months. " He said if you >> talked to him in person he wouldn't cast a child so young with such a >> small curve. >> > > >> > >Thanks! >> > >, mother of iel, 5 months, 29 degrees >> > > >> > >> > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 23, 2011 Report Share Posted September 23, 2011 Hello, my son has a 29 degree curve which was found at four months. He is five months now and going for his first cast placement on October 10. Just wanted to let you know my doctor suggested casting after MRI as negative withoutvme having to suggest it. Frances, mother of 5months > > Again, Im no doc, but casting under 1 yrs old is not unheard of. Its > essential to get the rvad. In some cases the rvad is higher than the cobb > and if so, then casting should begin w/ out delay. I understand > completely his/her reasoning in wanting to wait because of age. But, lets > get the rvad and go from there. > HRH > > > Hi All, > > My husband and I were curious about something Dr. T had said at our first > > appointment. He said that he tries not to cast children before 18 months > > and won't bother casting unless the curve is very progressive or goes > > above 50 degrees unless there's significant rotation. He also indicated > > that's fairly standard practice in the field. Any truth to this? I had > > seen at least one other parent on here who's daughter was casted at 12 > > months with a less than 50 degree curve (but I don't know about the > > rotation). This has been bugging us a lot as we feel from Dr. Mehta's > > paper and other things we'd read that early casting is best. > > > > How old were your kids when they started being casted and what were their > > Cobb and RVAD if you have them? Were they very progressive curves? > > > > We're trying to figure out if we're being told the whole truth or just > > this one doc's opinion. He said Dr. was one of the casting gurus > > but when we showed Dr. T pages written by him in " The Growing Spine " > > (published in 2010) which states " ...nearly full correction starting at > > average age of 1.1 years and full correction rare in those started above > > the age of 18 months. " He said if you talked to him in person he wouldn't > > cast a child so young with such a small curve. > > > > Thanks! > > , mother of iel, 5 months, 29 degrees > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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