Re: surgery is approaching

[Guest guest]

Jeanie,

Here's my experience, and then maybe you'll see how I went with this.

My flatback oddessy , at least the surgery part, took three surgeries. My first was a decompression/lami, in hopes of buying me time till I would have the full blown revision, thougth maybe I'd get a few years, and have time with the L4-L5 open and being able to bend. I got a year till pain forced the revision.

My Ist revision, was L3 to the sacrum, anterior/posterior, cages, bolts, and pedicle screws. Now here is where we have something in common. I too had a great deal of Kyphosis above my Harrington Rod fusion mass( T5 to L3), and was given the option during my revision to go further up and take care of the Kyphosis, I declined. Here was my thought process then. What drove me to surgery was pain, and I had been sooooo gimpy looking for so long, I didn't care too much about my upper spine, just really want my head centered over my pelvis and to be brought upright, the upper stuff, I didn't really care. Dr. O'Brien who helped on my case really pushed the going all the way up, well, he was right and I was wrong.

After revision #1, I did well for about four months, and getting up from kneeling on the ground while still in my brace I heard a large pop. Didn't think much of it, except I had pain when getting up from a seated postition, and rolling over in bed. In June I went in to see Kumar for my six month check, and to get a referal to a new doc in California since we were moving, he hung my x-rays and started measuring and I knew something was wrong. I was falling to the right to where my hip was abutting my hip, something I hadn't noticed, since I had an uneven shoulder anyway. They found through x-rays with someone pulling my shoulders, and my hips, that I had cracked my Harrington Rod fusion mass above L3, not touched during my revision. So revision 2 was on, the move was off, since I wanted to stay with my doc's, so 11 months after the first revision I had my second.

The second, they removed all my hardware, did it posteriorly, fixed the crack above L3, and reworked my spine above T5 and fused all the way up to T1. I now have Stainless steel hardware since it has more tensil strength than titanium, I'm fused T1 to the sacrum, have 27 screws, three rods, a few connectors, illiac crest bolts. I have more hardware than the Home Depot!

So here's why I think having the work done above my Harrington Rod mass was important. The spine needs to be looked at in all planes, if one plain is off, there will be stresses occur. Also if you are going to go through revision anyway, why not get the whole sheebang done, and not have to go back later, maybe. I think having Kyphosis present, and only my opinion, would put stress on your neck, and maybe lead no only to moving the fusion upward in your thorasic, but maybe into your neck, down the road

[Guest guest]

--

Thanks so much for sharing your amazing ordeal. I'm hoping we can

get it right the 1st time but you never know, right? You have been

through some stuff and have a great positive attitude- I guess I'll

talk it over with Boachie but will have a more open mind about it

now. Thanks-Jeanie

-- In , " Kirkaldie "

<.Kirkaldie@...> wrote:

>

> Jeanie,

>

> Here's my experience, and then maybe you'll see how I went with

this.

>

> My flatback oddessy , at least the surgery part, took three

surgeries. My first was a decompression/lami, in hopes of buying me

time till I would have the full blown revision, thougth maybe I'd get

a few years, and have time with the L4-L5 open and being able to

bend. I got a year till pain forced the revision.

>

> My Ist revision, was L3 to the sacrum, anterior/posterior, cages,

bolts, and pedicle screws. Now here is where we have something in

common. I too had a great deal of Kyphosis above my Harrington Rod

fusion mass( T5 to L3), and was given the option during my revision

to go further up and take care of the Kyphosis, I declined. Here was

my thought process then. What drove me to surgery was pain, and I had

been sooooo gimpy looking for so long, I didn't care too much about

my upper spine, just really want my head centered over my pelvis and

to be brought upright, the upper stuff, I didn't really care. Dr.

O'Brien who helped on my case really pushed the going all the way up,

well, he was right and I was wrong.

>

> After revision #1, I did well for about four months, and getting up

from kneeling on the ground while still in my brace I heard a large

pop. Didn't think much of it, except I had pain when getting up from

a seated postition, and rolling over in bed. In June I went in to see

Kumar for my six month check, and to get a referal to a new doc in

California since we were moving, he hung my x-rays and started

measuring and I knew something was wrong. I was falling to the right

to where my hip was abutting my hip, something I hadn't noticed,

since I had an uneven shoulder anyway. They found through x-rays with

someone pulling my shoulders, and my hips, that I had cracked my

Harrington Rod fusion mass above L3, not touched during my revision.

So revision 2 was on, the move was off, since I wanted to stay with

my doc's, so 11 months after the first revision I had my second.

>

> The second, they removed all my hardware, did it posteriorly, fixed

the crack above L3, and reworked my spine above T5 and fused all the

way up to T1. I now have Stainless steel hardware since it has more

tensil strength than titanium, I'm fused T1 to the sacrum, have 27

screws, three rods, a few connectors, illiac crest bolts. I have more

hardware than the Home Depot!

>

> So here's why I think having the work done above my Harrington Rod

mass was important. The spine needs to be looked at in all planes, if

one plain is off, there will be stresses occur. Also if you are going

to go through revision anyway, why not get the whole sheebang done,

and not have to go back later, maybe. I think having Kyphosis

present, and only my opinion, would put stress on your neck, and

maybe lead no only to moving the fusion upward in your thorasic, but

maybe into your neck, down the road.

>

> What do I feel in benefits and drawbacks from being fused so high

and so low. Fixing my upper thorasic has made me look better. My

shoulders are pretty danged even, just a hint of droop in my right

shoulder, only a trained eye would see. Before surgery, I had to pull

that shoulder up as it drooped significantly, and now it's fixed I

get no upper spine tiredness, a big relief. Didn't realize it till it

was fixed, I lived that way sooooooo long.

> Drawbacks, yeah there are a few, but in the scheme of things, I'd

rather look better, and feel better. One drawback is the board

strapped to your back feeling, it's always there, and is a bit

annoying. From the Thorasic surgery I have a great deal of profound

numbness, has easied with time( I'm six years out), but a great deal

of my back is numb, and I have hyper sensitive nerves there, and if

people touch my back, it's like fingernails on a chalkboard. I also

have what I call muscle awareness, I feel my back all the time, it's

not painful, I just know it there, I feel the muscles. I've gotten

used to it, and that only goes away when I lay down on my back, I

guess the pressure makes it go away. Kumar says my nerves are over

reactive due to having so many surgeries, nerves and muscles being

cut on so many times. I also notice a difference from being fused to

T5 before and now T1. The biggest is the ability to tip my head, I

miss having that little bit of thorasic open, as if I'm not careful I

bang my head getting into cars, especially small ones. Also the board

strapped to your back feeling, affects your reach, my torso moves as

one piece, so if a car door is opened too wide, it a struggle to get

it. You adapt, nothing about all of this is perfect, we didn't come

into it that way, and it should be no surprise that when you fuse a

spine that much there will have to be compromises. I see the glass is

being way more than half full, I'm tremendously better, and grateful

everyday to my doc who got me here, and my own gumption in sticking

it out.

>

> Hope that helps, still the decision is yours, hope my experience

helps.

>

>

> Colorado Springs

>

> [ ] surgery is approaching

>

>

> Hi- I've been off for a while, sitting at the computer has become

> painful. My revision surgery with DR. Boachie is scheduled for

the

> 21st of Jan. and I'm getting nervous. I KNOW its the right thing

to

> do-and I know I have to stay positive. I have some questions and

if

> anyone can help....

> I was fused T-4 to the sacrum in 2000 for scolyosis which

resulted in

> my flatback situation. The drs. are now telling me that my

kyphosis (

> upper back curve like a dowager hump) has worsened because I am

> forced to lean forward. It has been suggested to me that I have

that

> area of my back straightened and fused also to help me stand even

> straighter. I really don't want any more fusion. I think I can be

> okay as long as they can restore the lower imbalance with my

pelvis.

> I don't really mind the hump and was planning to try to exercise

and

> practice better posture once the flatback is " fixed " as I am

thinking

> it will be easier to stand straighter. Am I making any sense?

> I saw on Dr. Boachie's surgery plan that he plans arthrodesis

(which

> I looked up and is spinal fusion) on 4 additional levels. On our

> initial consultation, I don't remember talking about this. I'v

heard

> others talk about being fused " all the way " as feeling like you

are

> in a vice. Can anyone offer any advice or experience in this. I

go

> for my pre-ops on Jan. 15th and will discuss it with him then.

> Incidently-I looked at the pix from your get together in May and

you

> all look great. I am not sure who is who and your medical

> histories. Did any/all of you have the subtractive osteotomy to

> correct your flatback? I am really impressed !

> Happy New Year and hope you can help.

> God bless-Jeanie

>