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Has any one developed further flatback as a result of the surgery. If

it happens is it

usually 2 to 3 years post surgery?

" Flatback occurs most often today in fusion extensions from the

thoracic spine through the lumbar region to the sacrum, in which a

surgeon reduces the patient's lordosis (back waist curve) too much

with no " free " or unfused disks left to compensate for the change.

In older scoliosis fusions, Flatback Syndrome can gradually occur

from other fusion-related causes such as failing instrumentation,

pseudoarthrosis (inability of the spine to solidly fuse at various

locations), or collapse of the anterior portion of the disks in a

posterior-only fusion. "

Has anyone fund this statement to be fused. The more of the lumbar

and sacrum is fused the more

pain you are in?

" In addition, older patients having correction for Flatback Syndrome

often must have their fusions extended further into the lumbar

vertebrae or even to the sacrum at the same time (see x-ray below).

The reason this is often necessary is because the weight of the fused

spine with bone graft and hardware over 20 or 30 years puts an

out-of-proportion-sized pressure on the free (nonfused) lumbar and

cervical vertebrae both above and below the fusion. Over time, this

causes degeneration, collapse, herniation, and instability of the

free disks decades earlier than that which occurs within the general

population, with consequent sciatia and other painful nerve-related

disorders. Symptoms are similar to those of older Adults with

Degenerative Scoliosis. Unfortunately, research has consistently

shown that for each lumbar vertebra that is fused, the scoliosis

patient should expect 20% more chronic pain for the rest of his/her

life. If all lumbar vertebrae are fused to the sacrum, the patient

has a fairly predictable chance of developing unresolvable chronic

back or hip pain. So the fusion extension to the sacrum should not be

decided upon lightly. "

Has anyone had anterior surgery involving the lungs with a chest

tube? If so,have you lost lung capacity?

" If anterior surgery involving the lungs with a chest tube was also

done, patients must have pulmonary therapy to regain the 30 to 40%

loss in lung capacity that usually occurs right after surgery so that

it does not become permanent. "

The doctor requested, I give 2 units of my own blood. (doesn't sound

nearly enough). Anyway, I did

this through Red Cross. I found out through HMO Blue Cross that they

will not cover the blood donation

because if I needed blood during surgery it just would have come out

of the hospital blood bank. If you give your

own blood, through Red Cross or the hospital then it needs to be

tracked specifically for you so therefore you

are charged for it. Has anyone heard of such a thing?

Thanks,