Re: Kids who were fixed with Mehta casting

[Guest guest]

No, that means you had an improvement! He went from 64 to 55 out of cast. In

cast will look better than out of cast because once gravity pulls on the spine

it is going to spring back some...that's why they want them out of cast at least

12 hours before recasting. You are moving in the right direction .

Noelle (12-2-01)

Ian (8-15-04)

Re: Kids who were " fixed " with Mehta casting

Kind of.

I'm trying to figure out how to classify Jack's results. He was 64°

when we went in, they got him down to 38° in the operating room, then

at his follow-up he was back up to 55°.

So, would that mean he deteriorated in the cast? So, in Cole's case,

the number they achieved in the OR stayed the same the whole time?

Was it stable from the moment of correction up until his follow-up and

re-casting?

Thanks!

Sandi

[Guest guest]

I posted to you before I read this, but I am confused as to why they think the

cast is not holding when you got 9 degrees of improvement. Did they do an in

cast x-ray and it showed it got worse in cast?

Noelle (12-2-01)

Ian (8-15-04)

Re: Kids who were " fixed " with Mehta casting

Aaaaaah - I totally follow you there.

I was confused because our doctor said that the cast wasn't holding

and we needed to switch as soon as possible - BUT - Jack still lost 9

degree points in the cast up until his follow-up in the cast. So, I

was optimistic that we WERE still seeing progress.

They had told us that it was best to just have the cast taken off

right before they applied a new one, but then said it was up to us if

we wanted to do it right away on Monday or wait until Tuesday when

he's re-casted. I guess we won't know his out of cast numbers if we

wait, though.

Food for thought.

Thanks for elaborating!

Sandi

[Guest guest]

Sandi,

I'm sorry, I guess I'm having a hard time figuring out exactly what you are

asking and the numbers. You can't compare IN cast numbers to OUT of cast

numbers. The real numbers that really count is the out of cast number Cole

always had his cast taken off the night before the new cast was applied.

So basically if Cole started out at 48 degrees (out of cast), and then IN his

first cast he was 28 degrees, and then 12 hours after that cast was taken off

his OUT of cast cobb was 30 degrees. So ultimately, the true improvement was 18

degrees for the cobb angle. You should compare out of cast numbers to out of

cast numbers and in cast numbers to in cast numbers. And if you want to get

really technical, in cast numbers do not mean that much. Am I helping or making

things more confusing? Let me know if I was able to clear things up. I know how

important it is as a mother or parent to understand your child's treatment

progress .

" *\\o/* San *\\o/* " wrote:

Kind of.

I'm trying to figure out how to classify Jack's results. He was 64�

when we went in, they got him down to 38� in the operating room, then

at his follow-up he was back up to 55�.

So, would that mean he deteriorated in the cast? So, in Cole's case,

the number they achieved in the OR stayed the same the whole time?

Was it stable from the moment of correction up until his follow-up and

re-casting?

Thanks!

Sandi

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[Guest guest]

Aaaaaah - I totally follow you there.

I was confused because our doctor said that the cast wasn't holding

and we needed to switch as soon as possible - BUT - Jack still lost 9

degree points in the cast up until his follow-up in the cast. So, I

was optimistic that we WERE still seeing progress.

They had told us that it was best to just have the cast taken off

right before they applied a new one, but then said it was up to us if

we wanted to do it right away on Monday or wait until Tuesday when

he's re-casted. I guess we won't know his out of cast numbers if we

wait, though.

Food for thought.

Thanks for elaborating!

Sandi

[Guest guest]

I replied to this earlier, but now it is not showing up in my sent

box. Hopefully you won't get this twice.

Anyway, you are heading in the right direction! You got 9 degrees of

improvement. In cast measurements always look better out of cast

because once they come out, gravity pulls on the spine which is also

why they like them to be out of cast for 12 hours prior to recasting.

I would consider 9 degrees good improvement .

>

> Kind of.

>

> I'm trying to figure out how to classify Jack's results. He was 64°

> when we went in, they got him down to 38° in the operating room, then

> at his follow-up he was back up to 55°.

>

> So, would that mean he deteriorated in the cast? So, in Cole's case,

> the number they achieved in the OR stayed the same the whole time?

> Was it stable from the moment of correction up until his follow-up

and

> re-casting?

> Thanks!

> Sandi

>

[Guest guest]

See - good information to have!

I think Dr. Sturm is still sort of learning this process as well.

I'll make sure we get him taken out of it the day before, then!

Thanks!!

> No, that means you had an improvement! He went from 64 to 55 out of cast. In

> cast will look better than out of cast because once gravity pulls on the

> spine it is going to spring back some...that's why they want them out of

> cast at least 12 hours before recasting. You are moving in the right

> direction .

>

[Guest guest]

Yeah - they did an x-ray at 7 weeks from the date of casting. The day

they applied the cast he got down to 38° - then, still in the came

cast 7 weeks later, he is back up to 55°.

>

> I posted to you before I read this, but I am confused as to why they think

> the cast is not holding when you got 9 degrees of improvement. Did they do

> an in cast x-ray and it showed it got worse in cast?

>

[Guest guest]

Sandi - I would encourage you to get Jack's cast off on monday to

allow his skin to breath before tuesday. It has been up until

recently did we do this. 24 hours isn't go make Jack's curve worse.

You'll be able to bathe him nicely. If there is any bruising from

the cast, that would usually heal over night. Plus the hugs out of

cast are priceless!

Aekta

>

> Aaaaaah - I totally follow you there.

>

> I was confused because our doctor said that the cast wasn't holding

> and we needed to switch as soon as possible - BUT - Jack still

lost 9

> degree points in the cast up until his follow-up in the cast. So,

I

> was optimistic that we WERE still seeing progress.

>

> They had told us that it was best to just have the cast taken off

> right before they applied a new one, but then said it was up to us

if

> we wanted to do it right away on Monday or wait until Tuesday when

> he's re-casted. I guess we won't know his out of cast numbers if

we

> wait, though.

>

> Food for thought.

>

> Thanks for elaborating!

>

> Sandi

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Tina,

I'd like to stress 's point of doctors being properly trained.

We've had Dr. Sander's in Erie, Miss Mehta, and obviously Dr. Sturm

cast Max. We've had the most in cast correction with Dr. Sturm. And

none of the casts held this correction in cast past 5 weeks (maybe

sooner).

Every child is so different in how they will respond to casting-Max

hasn't been so fortunate. My thought...if Miss Mehta's cast didn't

hold Max for 6 weeks, I find it hard to believe any cast will.

I haven't been as appreciative of Dr. Sturm's talent until Tuesday

when Max was casted for the 8th time and the in-cast correction was

impressive.

I know you are concerned about radiation, but I know Dr.Sturm hasn't

done out-of-cast x-rays with Max to my knowledge (except with Miss

Mehta). If you are truly concerned on exactly how much correction

Sophia is getting with each cast, request an out-of-cast x-ray

either monday later in the day or prior to her being casted on

tuesday.

Good Luck,

Aekta

> Hello!

> I have a couple of questions for parents of the children that have

been

> able to get full (or close to it) correction with Mehta style

casting

> (without surgery) and have transitioned to a brace or beyond to

life

> without cast/brace:

> 1) Did you see correction with every cast change (either in COBB

or

> RVAD)? Or did you have times when it got worse or stayed the same,

then

> others where it improved?

> 2) How old was your child when you started casting & how many

casts did

> they end up doing?

> 3) What hospital/doc oversaw the casting?

> Thanks!

> Tina (Mom to Sophia going into her 3rd cast)

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> ---------------------------------

> Moody friends. Drama queens. Your life? Nope! - their life, your

story.

> Play Sims Stories at Yahoo! Games.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks to everyone for your replies!

I absolutely agree that each child's case is unique and I was in no way trying

to determine care for Sophia based on what happened with other kids. We have

been getting discrepancies with the numbers (x-ray notes show one set of numbers

but medical record text shows another set of numbers even thought they both were

of the same x-ray done on the same day?). I am not comparing out of cast to in

cast but more casting to casting to determine if we are seeing improvement. I

have out of cast & in cast measurements for her first two casts and will get the

third set on Monday & Tuesday. I have requested a 1:1 consult with Dr. Strum

(without a crying baby in the room or his large entourage) to look at all three

sets of films together, discuss how he is measuring them (some at T10, some at

T11- but are those figures comparable since not measured from the same apex?).

One set of figures shows no improvement from 1st casting to second casting,

second set of figures (same x-rays films just measured by someone differently)

show her RVAD getting worse, and the third set of figures shows the COBB staying

the same but an improvement with RVAD. I just want to know what is the correct

set of numbers and how should I be interpreting them in terms of her treatment

plan and potential outcome. I hope that Dr. Strum is able to answer those

questions next week. I am relieved to hear that a child can still get correction

overall with early treatment casting even if they have one or two castings that

do not get an improvement.

Thanks again for all you information and support!

Tina (Mom to Sophia)

Re: Kids who were " fixed " with Mehta casting

Hi Tina,

I'd like to stress 's point of doctors being properly trained.

We've had Dr. Sander's in Erie, Miss Mehta, and obviously Dr. Sturm

cast Max. We've had the most in cast correction with Dr. Sturm. And

none of the casts held this correction in cast past 5 weeks (maybe

sooner).

Every child is so different in how they will respond to casting-Max

hasn't been so fortunate. My thought...if Miss Mehta's cast didn't

hold Max for 6 weeks, I find it hard to believe any cast will.

I haven't been as appreciative of Dr. Sturm's talent until Tuesday

when Max was casted for the 8th time and the in-cast correction was

impressive.

I know you are concerned about radiation, but I know Dr.Sturm hasn't

done out-of-cast x-rays with Max to my knowledge (except with Miss

Mehta). If you are truly concerned on exactly how much correction

Sophia is getting with each cast, request an out-of-cast x-ray

either monday later in the day or prior to her being casted on

tuesday.

Good Luck,

Aekta

> Hello!

> I have a couple of questions for parents of the children that have

been

> able to get full (or close to it) correction with Mehta style

casting

> (without surgery) and have transitioned to a brace or beyond to

life

> without cast/brace:

> 1) Did you see correction with every cast change (either in COBB

or

> RVAD)? Or did you have times when it got worse or stayed the same,

then

> others where it improved?

> 2) How old was your child when you started casting & how many

casts did

> they end up doing?

> 3) What hospital/doc oversaw the casting?

> Thanks!

> Tina (Mom to Sophia going into her 3rd cast)

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> ---------------------------------

> Moody friends. Drama queens. Your life? Nope! - their life, your

story.

> Play Sims Stories at Yahoo! Games.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Tina,

Best wishes to Sophia Mon & Tues.

From our experiences, we have seen a total of 6 orthopedic surgeons

(including Dr. , Dr. Sturm, and Miss Mehta) in almost 2

years. All 6 were measuring Max's curve from a different vertebrae.

A few were reading the same x-ray and were still giving us

different measurements. When I questioned this in Madison &

Milwaukee we were told to always allow for +/- 3 degrees margin of

error based on measurement technique. Therefore, there technically

could be upto a 6 degree difference. For us after 8 casts in the

past 17 months, I've lost focus on getting exact numbers, to me it's

most important to know if the cast is improving/holding the curve.

Unfortunately, interpreting radiographs are not black and white

(although they appear to be).

I hope Dr. Sturm is able to answer your questions to your

satisfaction.

Please keep us posted on how things go.

Aekta

> > Hello!

> > I have a couple of questions for parents of the children that

have

> been

> > able to get full (or close to it) correction with Mehta style

> casting

> > (without surgery) and have transitioned to a brace or beyond

to

> life

> > without cast/brace:

> > 1) Did you see correction with every cast change (either in

COBB

> or

> > RVAD)? Or did you have times when it got worse or stayed the

same,

> then

> > others where it improved?

> > 2) How old was your child when you started casting & how many

> casts did

> > they end up doing?

> > 3) What hospital/doc oversaw the casting?

> > Thanks!

> > Tina (Mom to Sophia going into her 3rd cast)

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > ---------------------------------

> > Moody friends. Drama queens. Your life? Nope! - their life,

your

> story.

> > Play Sims Stories at Yahoo! Games.

> >

> >