Guest guest Posted March 1, 2008 Report Share Posted March 1, 2008 It may help to realize that the untreated curvature would probably have contributed to 'worn out' spine problems, too. Any thoughts on this from others? ************** Ideas to please picky eaters. Watch video on AOL Living. (http://living.aol.com/video/how-to-please-your-picky-eater/rachel-campos-duffy/\ 20 50827?NCID=aolcmp00300000002598) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 1, 2008 Report Share Posted March 1, 2008 I don't know for sure if the spine above and below the affected parts would have gotten worse along with the others or not, but I think so. Remember tonot twist or pivot your feet. Your unfused vertebrate will last longer. Lana beckybugkins <beckybugkins@...> wrote: I am having a terrible time accepting the fact that I have to have more surgery for this spinal stenoisis below the fusion and rods. Maybe I should not have had the Scoliosis Surgery in the first place. Why didn't this doctor tell me that spine below and above the rods would wear out? Would this have happened anyway? --------------------------------- Never miss a thing. Make your homepage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 I had to have my last disc fused. L5-S1. It wasn't a bad surgery. Except for me it was only one of three that I had to have done. So it was quite an ordeal, but even so, with 3 different insisions and 2 surgeries 5 days apart, it wasn't nearly as bad as the first one. So hang in there. I know I'm much better off than before the surgery. I also had that thought that I'm so sick of back surgery maybe I never should have done it in the first place, but there was a good reason why I did. I'm less than 4 weeks out of the 2nd of the 2 and I'm already walking down the street and all kinds of stuff. It goes fast. Re: Fusion Regrets I don't know for sure if the spine above and below the affected parts would have gotten worse along with the others or not, but I think so. Remember tonot twist or pivot your feet. Your unfused vertebrate will last longer. Lana beckybugkins <beckybugkins> wrote: I am having a terrible time accepting the fact that I have to have more surgery for this spinal stenoisis below the fusion and rods. Maybe I should not have had the Scoliosis Surgery in the first place. Why didn't this doctor tell me that spine below and above the rods would wear out? Would this have happened anyway? ------------ --------- --------- --- Never miss a thing. Make your homepage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 Why has no one mentioned decompensation? While the area above and below a fusion does take more stress, that's not the only reason for disc issues beyond the fusion, nor is it a guarantee of problems. Pam ±53° T curve - fused T4-L1 2/5/2008, corrected to ±20° Stryker XIA ... doing fantastic (walking a 5K on 3/9/2008!) Dr. Hanson, BCM - Houston, Texas > > I am having a terrible time accepting the fact that I have to have > more surgery for this spinal stenoisis below the fusion and rods. > Maybe I should not have had the Scoliosis Surgery in the first place. > Why didn't this doctor tell me that spine below and above the rods > would wear out? Would this have happened anyway? > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 I have S1 left (and my neck). I heard that one loses a lot of range of motion after the fusion of L5 and S1. Have you noticed any loss of range of motion? Lana Randie Meyer <taknitlite@...> wrote: I had to have my last disc fused. L5-S1. It wasn't a bad surgery. Except for me it was only one of three that I had to have done. So it was quite an ordeal, but even so, with 3 different insisions and 2 surgeries 5 days apart, it wasn't nearly as bad as the first one. So hang in there. I know I'm much better off than before the surgery. I also had that thought that I'm so sick of back surgery maybe I never should have done it in the first place, but there was a good reason why I did. I'm less than 4 weeks out of the 2nd of the 2 and I'm already walking down the street and all kinds of stuff. It goes fast. Re: Fusion Regrets I don't know for sure if the spine above and below the affected parts would have gotten worse along with the others or not, but I think so. Remember tonot twist or pivot your feet. Your unfused vertebrate will last longer. Lana beckybugkins <beckybugkins> wrote: I am having a terrible time accepting the fact that I have to have more surgery for this spinal stenoisis below the fusion and rods. Maybe I should not have had the Scoliosis Surgery in the first place. Why didn't this doctor tell me that spine below and above the rods would wear out? Would this have happened anyway? ------------ --------- --------- --- Never miss a thing. Make your homepage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 degeneration of spines above and below fusion due to compensatory overuse is a common problem... you probably missed it when your doc went over it as it is pretty much standard to go over those things... more than 1/3 (36% to be exact) of the post fusion patients undergo surgery due to degeneration of neighboring segments to fusion... that's only people who opt to have surgery within 10 years... to date, only the number of surgery were reported.... number of people who have pain but opt not to have surgery is much greater but numbers have not been documented... Once you have fusion of those degenerated levels, you have to worry about the levels above and below that and on and on.... that's why when considering fusion candidacy for low back pain (not scoliosis) age of the patient is one of the factors in determining whether they are good candidates...younger you are, more active years you'll have and higher chance of another surgery or 2 or 3... I've seen patients having had to have 4 surgeries and surgeon is pushing for another due to pain from all the scars that she developed from those surgeries... This is why choice of having surgery has to be weighed carefully with all the long term factors considered as there's no going back... On Fri, Feb 29, 2008 at 10:22 PM, beckybugkins <beckybugkins@...> wrote: > > > > > I am having a terrible time accepting the fact that I have to have > more surgery for this spinal stenoisis below the fusion and rods. > Maybe I should not have had the Scoliosis Surgery in the first place. > Why didn't this doctor tell me that spine below and above the rods > would wear out? Would this have happened anyway? > > -- An important scientific innovation rarely makes its way by gradually winning over and converting its opponents: it rarely happens that Saul becomes . What does happen is that its opponents gradually die out, and that the growing generation is familiarised with the ideas from the beginning. Max Planck (the founder of Quantum Physics) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 you mention in here not scoliosis. this would still occur from scoliosis fusion surgery correct? --- Sports DC <accdoc@...> wrote: > degeneration of spines above and below fusion due to > compensatory > overuse is a common problem... > you probably missed it when your doc went over it as > it is pretty much > standard to go over those things... > more than 1/3 (36% to be exact) of the post fusion > patients undergo > surgery due to degeneration of neighboring segments > to fusion... > that's only people who opt to have surgery within 10 > years... > to date, only the number of surgery were > reported.... > number of people who have pain but opt not to have > surgery is much > greater but numbers have not been documented... > Once you have fusion of those degenerated levels, > you have to worry > about the levels above and below that and on and > on.... > that's why when considering fusion candidacy for low > back pain (not > scoliosis) age of the patient is one of the factors > in determining > whether they are good candidates...younger you are, > more active years > you'll have and higher chance of another surgery or > 2 or 3... > I've seen patients having had to have 4 surgeries > and surgeon is > pushing for another due to pain from all the scars > that she developed > from those surgeries... > > This is why choice of having surgery has to be > weighed carefully with > all the long term factors considered as there's no > going back... > > On Fri, Feb 29, 2008 at 10:22 PM, beckybugkins > <beckybugkins@...> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > I am having a terrible time accepting the fact > that I have to have > > more surgery for this spinal stenoisis below the > fusion and rods. > > Maybe I should not have had the Scoliosis Surgery > in the first place. > > Why didn't this doctor tell me that spine below > and above the rods > > would wear out? Would this have happened anyway? > > > > > > > > -- > An important scientific innovation rarely makes its > way by gradually > winning over and converting its opponents: it rarely > happens that Saul > becomes . What does happen is that its opponents > gradually die > out, and that the growing generation is familiarised > with the ideas > from the beginning. > > Max Planck (the founder of Quantum Physics) > ________________________________________________________________________________\ ____ Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Search. http://tools.search./newsearch/category.php?category=shopping Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 I really haven't. It's only been 4 weeks so I'm not back to full throttle, but so far it seems the same. I was so limited anyway. And the surgery itself wasn't bad either. Not like the big one. And this one was a two-parter. And the nice thing is my hips are more in line. Re: Fusion Regrets I don't know for sure if the spine above and below the affected parts would have gotten worse along with the others or not, but I think so. Remember tonot twist or pivot your feet. Your unfused vertebrate will last longer. Lana beckybugkins <beckybugkins> wrote: I am having a terrible time accepting the fact that I have to have more surgery for this spinal stenoisis below the fusion and rods. Maybe I should not have had the Scoliosis Surgery in the first place. Why didn't this doctor tell me that spine below and above the rods would wear out? Would this have happened anyway? ------------ --------- --------- --- Never miss a thing. Make your homepage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 5, 2008 Report Share Posted March 5, 2008 First of all, any reputable scoliosis surgeon would not recommend surgery on someone who has a 25 degree curvature. I think that is the exception. My wonderful surgeon, who did my revision surgery, did recommend and use the Spinecore brace on my daughter; She went from a 13 degree thoracic/10 degree lumbar curve to a 23/10 degree curve in less than 3 months and with my history she had a high percentage rate of progressing. He put her in the brace which she wore for 2 years and he got her curve down to 10/0 degrees. She is now 17 and was just reevaluated. Nothing has changed and she doesn't have to go back for 5 years. Thank God. On the other point, I am fused from T1 to L4 and my neck bothers me also. There is no degeneration in the discs above the fusion. Instead I was told that since my muscles have been cut 3 times, they are weak and fatigue very easily. They are responsible for holding your head up all day and that is many times why we have the pain. It is not always degeneration. The more common degeneration is the discs below the fusion. Kathy **************It's Tax Time! Get tips, forms, and advice on AOL Money & Finance. (http://money.aol.com/tax?NCID=aolprf00030000000001) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 5, 2008 Report Share Posted March 5, 2008 of course...there's no differentiation on which level or how many levels were involved.. it's the same across the board... i try to give exception to scoliosis because scoliosis is a progressive condition and has different criteria for evaluating whether there's medical necessity...when severe curves can impinge on organ functions such as lungs and hearts, at certain point, there's no choice but to have surgery... Low back pain is a different matter...surgical cases have about the same success rate whehther you do surgery or other conservative methods according to AMA study...so why do surgery? In most cases, it's not warranted...about 90% of fusion due to low back pain are unnecessary procedures... Anyway, with scoliosis there's trend of more aggressive treament as more surgeons are recommending surgery earlier than necessary..i've seen patient who as recommended surgery at 25 degrees...I have no idea what logic this ortho was working with... And there's growing consensus that surgeons want to replace all nonsurgical procedure with vertebral stapling..they want to recommend this procedure at about 20 degrees with high likelihood of progression... There are effective treatments out there like Spinecor for example...patient groups from 20-45 degree curves had 96% success rate in preventing surgery according to july 2007 issue of journal of pediatric orthopedic.. You don't see surgeons talk about this therapy do you? lol...the journal editors have given opinion that there's enough evidence to warrant further study and development of this treatment and it's being largely ignored by the surgeons...they'd rather develope more surgical technique... Sometimes, patients have to take things in their own hands and evaluate and judge for themselves what's going to be good for them....medical field is largely ran based on $ signs... On Tue, Mar 4, 2008 at 2:47 PM, Gail Merri <p0etiss@...> wrote: > > > > > you mention in here not scoliosis. this would still > occur from scoliosis fusion surgery correct? > > > --- Sports DC <accdoc@...> wrote: > > > degeneration of spines above and below fusion due to > > compensatory > > overuse is a common problem... > > you probably missed it when your doc went over it as > > it is pretty much > > standard to go over those things... > > more than 1/3 (36% to be exact) of the post fusion > > patients undergo > > surgery due to degeneration of neighboring segments > > to fusion... > > that's only people who opt to have surgery within 10 > > years... > > to date, only the number of surgery were > > reported.... > > number of people who have pain but opt not to have > > surgery is much > > greater but numbers have not been documented... > > Once you have fusion of those degenerated levels, > > you have to worry > > about the levels above and below that and on and > > on.... > > that's why when considering fusion candidacy for low > > back pain (not > > scoliosis) age of the patient is one of the factors > > in determining > > whether they are good candidates...younger you are, > > more active years > > you'll have and higher chance of another surgery or > > 2 or 3... > > I've seen patients having had to have 4 surgeries > > and surgeon is > > pushing for another due to pain from all the scars > > that she developed > > from those surgeries... > > > > This is why choice of having surgery has to be > > weighed carefully with > > all the long term factors considered as there's no > > going back... > > > > On Fri, Feb 29, 2008 at 10:22 PM, beckybugkins > > <beckybugkins@...> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I am having a terrible time accepting the fact > > that I have to have > > > more surgery for this spinal stenoisis below the > > fusion and rods. > > > Maybe I should not have had the Scoliosis Surgery > > in the first place. > > > Why didn't this doctor tell me that spine below > > and above the rods > > > would wear out? Would this have happened anyway? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > An important scientific innovation rarely makes its > > way by gradually > > winning over and converting its opponents: it rarely > > happens that Saul > > becomes . What does happen is that its opponents > > gradually die > > out, and that the growing generation is familiarised > > with the ideas > > from the beginning. > > > > Max Planck (the founder of Quantum Physics) > > > > __________________________________________________________ > > Looking for last minute shopping deals? > Find them fast with Search. > http://tools.search./newsearch/category.php?category=shopping > > > > -- An important scientific innovation rarely makes its way by gradually winning over and converting its opponents: it rarely happens that Saul becomes . What does happen is that its opponents gradually die out, and that the growing generation is familiarised with the ideas from the beginning. Max Planck (the founder of Quantum Physics) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 5, 2008 Report Share Posted March 5, 2008 Hi Randie! Congrads on how well you are doing! You are the first person to give me a glimmer of hope that fusing T5-S1 might not be so horrible. Do you mind telling me what caused you to have the surgery, meaning exactly where your pain was and what you had done to help it, how long it had been going on, etc. I'm so sorry if you have already answered the same questions. I read a lot of email in the wee hours of the morning and don't remember what I read at times. I've also found that I've written a few answers that sounded pretty sane but that I didn't remember doing. My sister-in-law's elderly father fell recently and fractured his femur. I had communicated with her about it- twice!- but when my brother called to tell me about it, not realizing I had been emailing with his wife and had all the facts already, it felt like I had never heard it. When I found the earlier emails it all came back, but it's kind of frightful. I've put away the lap top when midnight gets here since then. But back to US..... I know exactly how you suffer with your neck. I had worked as a nurse in ICU and switched to a desk job for 6 months, trying to " save " my back. The neck pain was so sharp and so severe, I had to go back to ICU. I would try so hard to keep my head straight, holding charts up, or placing them on something high. It didn't work at all. I use my lap top lying down flat, but can still feel it in my neck occasionally, plus it causes burning under my shoulder blades. I haven't had anyone suggest neck surgery for me. I have had fusion in the T5-S1 level suggested. Were you on pain meds for any length of time prior to this last surgery? My doctor at the pain clinic doesn't think I would have enough pain relief with that surgery to do anything other than maybe decrease the dose of some of my meds. It is such an iffy issue. What allowed you to come to the decision and step over the line and have the surgery? Thanks for any answers you have, God Bless, Bea Randie Meyer <taknitlite@...> wrote: I really haven't. It's only been 4 weeks so I'm not back to full throttle, but so far it seems the same. I was so limited anyway. And the surgery itself wasn't bad either. Not like the big one. And this one was a two-parter. And the nice thing is my hips are more in line. Re: Fusion Regrets I don't know for sure if the spine above and below the affected parts would have gotten worse along with the others or not, but I think so. Remember tonot twist or pivot your feet. Your unfused vertebrate will last longer. Lana beckybugkins <beckybugkins> wrote: I am having a terrible time accepting the fact that I have to have more surgery for this spinal stenoisis below the fusion and rods. Maybe I should not have had the Scoliosis Surgery in the first place. Why didn't this doctor tell me that spine below and above the rods would wear out? Would this have happened anyway? ------------ --------- --------- --- Never miss a thing. Make your homepage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 5, 2008 Report Share Posted March 5, 2008 Spincor is a heavy duty multi-strap brace which is anchored to a corset like garment that sits on your pelvis. They measure and put the straps in such a place where it actually pulls the curve. It took all day for my daughter to be fitted for it. They actually do a digital image of her spine and use that for the exact fitting. But you do need someone who is a specialist with this. After being fitted with it they will re x-ray to see how much of a correction they can get and where it needs to be adjusted. The plus to this brace with teenagers is the fact that it is not as cumbersome as the other braces and can be hidden under clothes a lot easier. With this in mind, it's hoped that they will be more incline to wear it. The answer to your second question is - no bracing at this point with a 50 degree curve will not do anything. You must get to the curve before the bones have reached maturity and the curve needs to be less than 30 degrees. They use a riser score to determine bone development. They will use x-rays of the wrist and pelvis. Girls usually reach bone maturity 2 years after the start of menstruation. Boys are a little later. I hope this was helpful. **************It's Tax Time! Get tips, forms, and advice on AOL Money & Finance. (http://money.aol.com/tax?NCID=aolprf00030000000001) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 5, 2008 Report Share Posted March 5, 2008 Hi, Randie, one of the PT exercises I have to do is a pelvic tilt. Will I still be able to do that? Lj Randie Meyer <taknitlite@...> wrote: I really haven't. It's only been 4 weeks so I'm not back to full throttle, but so far it seems the same. I was so limited anyway. And the surgery itself wasn't bad either. Not like the big one. And this one was a two-parter. And the nice thing is my hips are more in line. Re: Fusion Regrets I don't know for sure if the spine above and below the affected parts would have gotten worse along with the others or not, but I think so. Remember tonot twist or pivot your feet. Your unfused vertebrate will last longer. Lana beckybugkins <beckybugkins> wrote: I am having a terrible time accepting the fact that I have to have more surgery for this spinal stenoisis below the fusion and rods. Maybe I should not have had the Scoliosis Surgery in the first place. Why didn't this doctor tell me that spine below and above the rods would wear out? Would this have happened anyway? ------------ --------- --------- --- Never miss a thing. Make your homepage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 5, 2008 Report Share Posted March 5, 2008 Also, spinal curves up to about 25 degrees are considered within the normal range by many scoli experts. lj Sports DC <accdoc@...> wrote: of course...there's no differentiation on which level or how many levels were involved.. it's the same across the board... i try to give exception to scoliosis because scoliosis is a progressive condition and has different criteria for evaluating whether there's medical necessity...when severe curves can impinge on organ functions such as lungs and hearts, at certain point, there's no choice but to have surgery... Low back pain is a different matter...surgical cases have about the same success rate whehther you do surgery or other conservative methods according to AMA study...so why do surgery? In most cases, it's not warranted...about 90% of fusion due to low back pain are unnecessary procedures... Anyway, with scoliosis there's trend of more aggressive treament as more surgeons are recommending surgery earlier than necessary..i've seen patient who as recommended surgery at 25 degrees...I have no idea what logic this ortho was working with... And there's growing consensus that surgeons want to replace all nonsurgical procedure with vertebral stapling..they want to recommend this procedure at about 20 degrees with high likelihood of progression... There are effective treatments out there like Spinecor for example...patient groups from 20-45 degree curves had 96% success rate in preventing surgery according to july 2007 issue of journal of pediatric orthopedic.. You don't see surgeons talk about this therapy do you? lol...the journal editors have given opinion that there's enough evidence to warrant further study and development of this treatment and it's being largely ignored by the surgeons...they'd rather develope more surgical technique... Sometimes, patients have to take things in their own hands and evaluate and judge for themselves what's going to be good for them....medical field is largely ran based on $ signs... On Tue, Mar 4, 2008 at 2:47 PM, Gail Merri <p0etiss@...> wrote: > > > > > you mention in here not scoliosis. this would still > occur from scoliosis fusion surgery correct? > > > --- Sports DC <accdoc@...> wrote: > > > degeneration of spines above and below fusion due to > > compensatory > > overuse is a common problem... > > you probably missed it when your doc went over it as > > it is pretty much > > standard to go over those things... > > more than 1/3 (36% to be exact) of the post fusion > > patients undergo > > surgery due to degeneration of neighboring segments > > to fusion... > > that's only people who opt to have surgery within 10 > > years... > > to date, only the number of surgery were > > reported.... > > number of people who have pain but opt not to have > > surgery is much > > greater but numbers have not been documented... > > Once you have fusion of those degenerated levels, > > you have to worry > > about the levels above and below that and on and > > on.... > > that's why when considering fusion candidacy for low > > back pain (not > > scoliosis) age of the patient is one of the factors > > in determining > > whether they are good candidates...younger you are, > > more active years > > you'll have and higher chance of another surgery or > > 2 or 3... > > I've seen patients having had to have 4 surgeries > > and surgeon is > > pushing for another due to pain from all the scars > > that she developed > > from those surgeries... > > > > This is why choice of having surgery has to be > > weighed carefully with > > all the long term factors considered as there's no > > going back... > > > > On Fri, Feb 29, 2008 at 10:22 PM, beckybugkins > > <beckybugkins@...> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I am having a terrible time accepting the fact > > that I have to have > > > more surgery for this spinal stenoisis below the > > fusion and rods. > > > Maybe I should not have had the Scoliosis Surgery > > in the first place. > > > Why didn't this doctor tell me that spine below > > and above the rods > > > would wear out? Would this have happened anyway? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > An important scientific innovation rarely makes its > > way by gradually > > winning over and converting its opponents: it rarely > > happens that Saul > > becomes . What does happen is that its opponents > > gradually die > > out, and that the growing generation is familiarised > > with the ideas > > from the beginning. > > > > Max Planck (the founder of Quantum Physics) > > > > __________________________________________________________ > > Looking for last minute shopping deals? > Find them fast with Search. > http://tools.search./newsearch/category.php?category=shopping > > > > -- An important scientific innovation rarely makes its way by gradually winning over and converting its opponents: it rarely happens that Saul becomes . What does happen is that its opponents gradually die out, and that the growing generation is familiarised with the ideas from the beginning. Max Planck (the founder of Quantum Physics) --------------------------------- Never miss a thing. Make your homepage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 5, 2008 Report Share Posted March 5, 2008 what is spinecor? Surgery is recommended for my 19 year old son with a 50 degree curve. --- Sports DC <accdoc@...> wrote: > of course...there's no differentiation on which > level or how many > levels were involved.. > it's the same across the board... > i try to give exception to scoliosis because > scoliosis is a > progressive condition and has different criteria for > evaluating > whether there's medical necessity...when severe > curves can impinge on > organ functions such as lungs and hearts, at certain > point, there's no > choice but to have surgery... > Low back pain is a different matter...surgical cases > have about the > same success rate whehther you do surgery or other > conservative > methods according to AMA study...so why do surgery? > In most cases, > it's not warranted...about 90% of fusion due to low > back pain are > unnecessary procedures... > > Anyway, with scoliosis there's trend of more > aggressive treament as > more surgeons are recommending surgery earlier than > necessary..i've > seen patient who as recommended surgery at 25 > degrees...I have no idea > what logic this ortho was working with... > > And there's growing consensus that surgeons want to > replace all > nonsurgical procedure with vertebral stapling..they > want to recommend > this procedure at about 20 degrees with high > likelihood of > progression... > There are effective treatments out there like > Spinecor for > example...patient groups from 20-45 degree curves > had 96% success rate > in preventing surgery according to july 2007 issue > of journal of > pediatric orthopedic.. > > You don't see surgeons talk about this therapy do > you? lol...the > journal editors have given opinion that there's > enough evidence to > warrant further study and development of this > treatment and it's being > largely ignored by the surgeons...they'd rather > develope more surgical > technique... > > Sometimes, patients have to take things in their own > hands and > evaluate and judge for themselves what's going to be > good for > them....medical field is largely ran based on $ > signs... > > > > On Tue, Mar 4, 2008 at 2:47 PM, Gail Merri > <p0etiss@...> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > you mention in here not scoliosis. this would > still > > occur from scoliosis fusion surgery correct? > > > > > > --- Sports DC <accdoc@...> wrote: > > > > > degeneration of spines above and below fusion > due to > > > compensatory > > > overuse is a common problem... > > > you probably missed it when your doc went over > it as > > > it is pretty much > > > standard to go over those things... > > > more than 1/3 (36% to be exact) of the post > fusion > > > patients undergo > > > surgery due to degeneration of neighboring > segments > > > to fusion... > > > that's only people who opt to have surgery > within 10 > > > years... > > > to date, only the number of surgery were > > > reported.... > > > number of people who have pain but opt not to > have > > > surgery is much > > > greater but numbers have not been documented... > > > Once you have fusion of those degenerated > levels, > > > you have to worry > > > about the levels above and below that and on and > > > on.... > > > that's why when considering fusion candidacy for > low > > > back pain (not > > > scoliosis) age of the patient is one of the > factors > > > in determining > > > whether they are good candidates...younger you > are, > > > more active years > > > you'll have and higher chance of another surgery > or > > > 2 or 3... > > > I've seen patients having had to have 4 > surgeries > > > and surgeon is > > > pushing for another due to pain from all the > scars > > > that she developed > > > from those surgeries... > > > > > > This is why choice of having surgery has to be > > > weighed carefully with > > > all the long term factors considered as there's > no > > > going back... > > > > > > On Fri, Feb 29, 2008 at 10:22 PM, beckybugkins > > > <beckybugkins@...> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I am having a terrible time accepting the fact > > > that I have to have > > > > more surgery for this spinal stenoisis below > the > > > fusion and rods. > > > > Maybe I should not have had the Scoliosis > Surgery > > > in the first place. > > > > Why didn't this doctor tell me that spine > below > > > and above the rods > > > > would wear out? Would this have happened > anyway? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > An important scientific innovation rarely makes > its > > > way by gradually > > > winning over and converting its opponents: it > rarely > > > happens that Saul > > > becomes . What does happen is that its > opponents > > > gradually die > > > out, and that the growing generation is > familiarised > > > with the ideas > > > from the beginning. > > > > > > Max Planck (the founder of Quantum Physics) > > > > > > > > __________________________________________________________ > > > > Looking for last minute shopping deals? > > Find them fast with Search. > > > http://tools.search./newsearch/category.php?category=shopping > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > An important scientific innovation rarely makes its > way by gradually > winning over and converting its opponents: it rarely > happens that Saul > becomes . What does happen is that its opponents > gradually die > out, and that the growing generation is familiarised > with the ideas > from the beginning. > > Max Planck (the founder of Quantum Physics) > === message truncated === ________________________________________________________________________________\ ____ Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Search. http://tools.search./newsearch/category.php?category=shopping Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 5, 2008 Report Share Posted March 5, 2008 I'm generalizing and you are giving specific case... there are anecdotal cases on all extremes and spectrums... That 25 degree remark was actually being conservative... the vertebral stapling procedure is something that came out of SRS meeting... A surgeon who attended SRS meeting gave a lecture at scoliosis association.. their goal is to identify scoliosis with high chance of progression at early stage (at or below 20 degrees) in order to do vertebral stapling.. The goal is to standardize this procedure for mild to moderate curves... What one did with a specific surgeon is just that..an anecdotal case.. Surgeons were against the early detection of scoliosis through school screening citing that it's waste of resources since there's no treatment outside of surgery is worth trying... That stance has changed since vertebral stapling came about... These are as reputable surgeons as they can get... I agree with you on a point that there are still many surgeons out there who truly look out for patient well being first...I'm not saying everyone out there's like that...but general trend (keyword being general) is that bottom line rules the game... If you doubt me on this... go to SRS.org and view the proceeding of that meeting..stream vids of entire meeting is available... On Wed, Mar 5, 2008 at 2:27 PM, <Khanley40@...> wrote: > > > > > First of all, any reputable scoliosis surgeon would not recommend surgery on > someone who has a 25 degree curvature. I think that is the exception. My > wonderful surgeon, who did my revision surgery, did recommend and use the > Spinecore brace on my daughter; She went from a 13 degree thoracic/10 degree > lumbar curve to a 23/10 degree curve in less than 3 months and with my > history > she had a high percentage rate of progressing. He put her in the brace which > she wore for 2 years and he got her curve down to 10/0 degrees. She is now > 17 and was just reevaluated. Nothing has changed and she doesn't have to go > back for 5 years. Thank God. > > On the other point, I am fused from T1 to L4 and my neck bothers me also. > There is no degeneration in the discs above the fusion. Instead I was told > that since my muscles have been cut 3 times, they are weak and fatigue very > easily. They are responsible for holding your head up all day and that is > many > times why we have the pain. It is not always degeneration. The more common > degeneration is the discs below the fusion. > > Kathy > > **************It's Tax Time! Get tips, forms, and advice on AOL Money & > Finance. (http://money.aol.com/tax?NCID=aolprf00030000000001) > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 5, 2008 Report Share Posted March 5, 2008 Your description of Spinecor is pretty accurate except for few points... The brace was designed for curvatures up to 50 degrees..but that is just arbiturary number... Most peopel wearing Spinecor are above 30 degrees and brace works well with severe curves just as it does with milder curves... 2007 study only shows study group of curves up to 45 degrees because SRS chose that as the criteria for future brace studies. Original studies included patients up to 50 degrees and success rate was 91% with them included... There are those who brace above 50 degrees and are successful although at that point, the procedure becomes elective or experimental since there aren't any study data for curve above 50...but 50 is not an absolute maximum... Having said that, I'd think it isn't for someone at 19 year old with 50 degrees.. #1, patient is probably Risser 5 with bones pretty much matured. Spinecor according to clinics that use it for adult usage state that they are able to cut 5-10 degrees even with those who are totally matured..someone with 50 degrees with risser 5 is going to be poor candidate...but doesn't mean there's no benefit to be had... One is probably working with very narrow margin of error and whehter 5-10 degree correction can be achieved is a big if...if curve can be cut down to 40 and stabilize there after 2 years...I'd think it's a good shot..just that there's no guarantee that that would happen...so it would be a gamble..in a best case scenario, I'd think it's worth a shot...in general sense, it's a long shot..everything has to work out favorably... BTW, contrary to popular belief, total bone maturity isn't really at Risser 5...complete ossification of the spine doesn't occur until chronological age of 25...one may show radiological sign of Risser 5 at age of 14-18...but at that point spine still hasn't ossified completely in other words... There are much variables to consider and it's not a cut and dry thing where one's disqualified because of certain number or not...The criteria would also change if patient's treatment goal changes... Ultimately, practitioners can only present options and give as accurate variables as possible and choise has to be patient's... I find a lot of scoliosis skeptics who do not want to do thing outside of study ranges...there are modifications of usage of devices or medications all the time in medical field...take aspirin for example...it was intended for one use and now it's used for heart disease...and very effective at it too... Many medical devices are designed to one thing and end up being used for many different applications clinically... Having also read texts and studies, I'm very inclined to recommend Schroth method if there's a practice accessible to one...Some of the cases I've seen are nothing short of miraculous... There are many methods nonsurgical out there that really works or have very good evidence...what makes them look bad are practitioners who are aggressively marketing using false hope for the patients misleading and guaranteeing outrageous outcome... If one has clear understanding and reasonable expectations, there are wide ranges of nonsurgical techniques that become available to many... I need to go home and get dinner...g'nite all.. On Wed, Mar 5, 2008 at 5:25 PM, <Khanley40@...> wrote: > > > > > Spincor is a heavy duty multi-strap brace which is anchored to a corset like > garment that sits on your pelvis. They measure and put the straps in such a > place where it actually pulls the curve. It took all day for my daughter to > be fitted for it. They actually do a digital image of her spine and use > that for the exact fitting. But you do need someone who is a specialist with > this. After being fitted with it they will re x-ray to see how much of a > correction they can get and where it needs to be adjusted. The plus to this > brace > with teenagers is the fact that it is not as cumbersome as the other braces > and can be hidden under clothes a lot easier. With this in mind, it's hoped > that they will be more incline to wear it. > > The answer to your second question is - no bracing at this point with a 50 > degree curve will not do anything. You must get to the curve before the > bones > have reached maturity and the curve needs to be less than 30 degrees. They > use a riser score to determine bone development. They will use x-rays of the > wrist and pelvis. Girls usually reach bone maturity 2 years after the start > of menstruation. Boys are a little later. > > I hope this was helpful. > > > > **************It's Tax Time! Get tips, forms, and advice on AOL Money & > Finance. (http://money.aol.com/tax?NCID=aolprf00030000000001) > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 6, 2008 Report Share Posted March 6, 2008 I don't think so. As I read you message I tried to tilt my pelvis and I don't think I can. Are you fused to L5? Because I don't think I could've done it before I had that last disc fused. You'd maybe have to do a revised version. Re: Fusion Regrets I don't know for sure if the spine above and below the affected parts would have gotten worse along with the others or not, but I think so. Remember tonot twist or pivot your feet. Your unfused vertebrate will last longer. Lana beckybugkins <beckybugkins> wrote: I am having a terrible time accepting the fact that I have to have more surgery for this spinal stenoisis below the fusion and rods. Maybe I should not have had the Scoliosis Surgery in the first place. Why didn't this doctor tell me that spine below and above the rods would wear out? Would this have happened anyway? ------------ --------- --------- --- Never miss a thing. Make your homepage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 6, 2008 Report Share Posted March 6, 2008 It's a long story but I'll try to keep it brief. My pain started in 1992 when I was still working at a desk job. I had to leave work Oct 1993 bc the pain had gotten so bad. It was like a huge muscle spasm on my left side and my ribs would hurt and also an area in my right lower back that felt like bone rubbing on bone. I spent many years trying alternative methods and some helped the pain sort of, none helped the curve tho many practioners promised me they'd be the ones to " cure " me. I spent a lot of money, but I don't regret it bc I'm glad I didn't have the surgery then. So many things have changed in recent years. Initially I was told so many horrible scenarios, and none of the ortho surgeons I saw wanted to touch me. I was over 35 and my curves were " only " 55t and 45l. I was told I shouldn't have any pain with curves that small. Ha! Finally I reached a point where I couldn't stand the pain anymore. I went on meds after 9 years of just putting up with it. I was getting worse. I did so many things I can't begin to list it all, but in the end I found a surgeon who wanted to just address the pain in my right lower back. He said I had a very damaged facet joint. So I did have bone rubbing on bone, even tho every dr I ever saw told me that was impossible. He fused L4-L5 and removed the facet joint. I went another year on morphine bc pain in my hips was awful. Then I found a place that talked about pain from weakened back muscle due to injury or surgery. I went there for PT on very high tech machines and within a month I was off the meds and very strong. But I continued to have the severe muscle spasms on convex side of both my curves. I knew it was only gonna get worse so the following year I decided, with my surgeon, to have my whole spine, T4-L4 done. Six gruelling weeks out of surgery I was off meds completely and I felt like a new person. I could sit. I could stand. The spasms were gone and my back looked amazing. My range of motion sucked but its the price I had to pay I figured. Then, 6 mth after surgery I took on buying a house in NM, selling my huge old house in WI and moving me and my elderly mother across the country. Then my back started to bother me some. Long story short, in Sept of 07 my rods broke and I found out I didn't fuse at L2-L4. So my Wi surgeon sent me to a surgeon in Phoenix, and he did the revision and also recommended the fusing of the last disc. I can tell already that I'm better. I'm more or less straight again, sitting is better, etc. In a way I wish I had a more aggressive surgeon from the beginning and had the whole thing done right from the get go instead of having to go back 3 times, but oh well. I just hope this is the last one. If you do decide to have the surgery, I can give you lots of advice, as I'm sure other people on this site can as well. There are many things I wish I'd known before hand. LOL. -Randie Re: Fusion Regrets I don't know for sure if the spine above and below the affected parts would have gotten worse along with the others or not, but I think so. Remember tonot twist or pivot your feet. Your unfused vertebrate will last longer. Lana beckybugkins <beckybugkins> wrote: I am having a terrible time accepting the fact that I have to have more surgery for this spinal stenoisis below the fusion and rods. Maybe I should not have had the Scoliosis Surgery in the first place. Why didn't this doctor tell me that spine below and above the rods would wear out? Would this have happened anyway? ------------ --------- --------- --- Never miss a thing. Make your homepage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 6, 2008 Report Share Posted March 6, 2008 Sorry, sportsdc, but once again you are addled (it sounds much more nice than " wrong " on your facts (this time in regard to VBS - vertebral stapling). We all know you're anti-surgery, and I'm the one you screamed at " just go have some more surgery since you like it so much!! " . BTW, I needed it, so I did. Fusion and instrumentation (with a Stryker XIA titanium pedicle screws and set plugs/6mm Vitallium rod system). Let me tell you how it went: Not at all the gloom and doom YOU assured. I had my fusion 2/5/08 and am kicking a** in recovery. Started walking a mile and a half at 2 weeks post-op, and I'm actually doing a 5K this Sunday (at 33 days post-op). At 39, and in great physical shape, I have healed faster that most adolescents. Attitude is also 99% of recovery speed. My ±53° thoracic curve was sensibly corrected to 20°, and should correct a bit more as the compensatories relax. Now on to your " facts " about stapling and Spinecor: VBS has their " ideal candidate " criteria nailed down, unlike Spinecor. They also have a far better documented success rate than Spinecor. Between the failures and the people who ditch the contraption due to complexity, there is NO way 96% is valid for Spinecor. Are you aware that VBS has => an 80% success rate since inception? Recent numbers have greatly increased since they have better data upon which to rely as predictors for success in candidates. Of the =< 20% not necessarily considered VBS " successes " (bear in mind, this is *since inception* when candidate criteria was wider), this does NOT mean those kids went on to have fusion. I know of ONE who went onto fusion, and that was a possibility going in. " Not a success " also includes cases of 5-10° progression after stapling; a hell of a lot better overall than progression during or after bracing (of ANY type). It could simply mean (for example) someone who was stapled at 28° is now 36° Feel free to twist off in usual fashion because VBS is surgery - albeit one with a LOW chance of MINOR complications. Every single kid I know (and I know between 15-20) who have been stapled have decreasing curves at every ortho checkup (compared to about a 50% failure rate on the Spinecor patients who DO go on to need fusion). Regards, Pam > Sports DC <accdoc@...> wrote: .... > And there's growing consensus that surgeons want to replace all > nonsurgical procedure with vertebral stapling..they want to > recommend this procedure at about 20 degrees with high likelihood of > progression... > There are effective treatments out there like Spinecor for > example...patient groups from 20-45 degree curves had 96% success > rate in preventing surgery according to july 2007 issue of journal > of pediatric orthopedic.. > > You don't see surgeons talk about this therapy do you? lol...the > journal editors have given opinion that there's enough evidence to > warrant further study and development of this treatment and it's > being largely ignored by the surgeons...they'd rather develope more > surgical technique... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 6, 2008 Report Share Posted March 6, 2008 Can you post evidence of this " growing consensus? " > > And there's growing consensus that surgeons want to replace all > nonsurgical procedure with vertebral stapling..they want to recommend > this procedure at about 20 degrees with high likelihood of > progression... > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 6, 2008 Report Share Posted March 6, 2008 I'm not sure why you have such a problem with vertebral stapling. Yes, it's a surgery that serves the same purpose as bracing. I think most of us would say that if two treatments have equal success rates, the lesser invasive one would be the wiser choice. But, there are kids who just won't wear a brace for many years. I suspect that you're posting here because you sell the Spinecor brace. The Spinecor is a good brace for a certain population, but there is absolutely no evidence of it's efficacy when prescribed and fitted by anyone other than the inventors. As someone who is concerned about the misuse of healthcare in the U.S., I would rather see a child who has a significant chance of progression, have a small, one-time surgery that has a known success rate, and a relatively small price tag, than have that kid go through several rounds of expensive braces with an unknown success rate. -- > > > > > > > > > > First of all, any reputable scoliosis surgeon would not recommend surgery on > > someone who has a 25 degree curvature. I think that is the exception. My > > wonderful surgeon, who did my revision surgery, did recommend and use the > > Spinecore brace on my daughter; She went from a 13 degree thoracic/10 degree > > lumbar curve to a 23/10 degree curve in less than 3 months and with my > > history > > she had a high percentage rate of progressing. He put her in the brace which > > she wore for 2 years and he got her curve down to 10/0 degrees. She is now > > 17 and was just reevaluated. Nothing has changed and she doesn't have to go > > back for 5 years. Thank God. > > > > On the other point, I am fused from T1 to L4 and my neck bothers me also. > > There is no degeneration in the discs above the fusion. Instead I was told > > that since my muscles have been cut 3 times, they are weak and fatigue very > > easily. They are responsible for holding your head up all day and that is > > many > > times why we have the pain. It is not always degeneration. The more common > > degeneration is the discs below the fusion. > > > > Kathy > > > > **************It's Tax Time! Get tips, forms, and advice on AOL Money & > > Finance. (http://money.aol.com/tax?NCID=aolprf00030000000001) > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 6, 2008 Report Share Posted March 6, 2008 Yes, fused T2 to L5. I can do pelvic tilts. I was afraid of the S1 for fear I wouldn't be able to do that. It relieves a lot of pain. Lj Randie Meyer <taknitlite@...> wrote: I don't think so. As I read you message I tried to tilt my pelvis and I don't think I can. Are you fused to L5? Because I don't think I could've done it before I had that last disc fused. You'd maybe have to do a revised version. Re: Fusion Regrets I don't know for sure if the spine above and below the affected parts would have gotten worse along with the others or not, but I think so. Remember tonot twist or pivot your feet. Your unfused vertebrate will last longer. Lana beckybugkins <beckybugkins> wrote: I am having a terrible time accepting the fact that I have to have more surgery for this spinal stenoisis below the fusion and rods. Maybe I should not have had the Scoliosis Surgery in the first place. Why didn't this doctor tell me that spine below and above the rods would wear out? Would this have happened anyway? ------------ --------- --------- --- Never miss a thing. Make your homepage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 7, 2008 Report Share Posted March 7, 2008 Randie: again, I have a similarity with you as I had a 55+ thoracic curve and a 40 lumbar and chose to only have the lumbar done in Sept. After a year on pain meds. I hope that the thoracic doesn't get any worse, when I last saw the surgeon she measured that curve at 62 but it seems that measurements are sorta subjective. I do have some discomfort about L1 or T12; right where it really goes into the thoracic curve and the rotation starts. But like you, I'm glad I waited until recently to have my surgery, since the tech just gets better. Debbie, again Randie Meyer <taknitlite@...> wrote: It's a long story but I'll try to keep it brief. My pain started in 1992 when I was still working at a desk job. I had to leave work Oct 1993 bc the pain had gotten so bad. It was like a huge muscle spasm on my left side and my ribs would hurt and also an area in my right lower back that felt like bone rubbing on bone. I spent many years trying alternative methods and some helped the pain sort of, none helped the curve tho many practioners promised me they'd be the ones to " cure " me. I spent a lot of money, but I don't regret it bc I'm glad I didn't have the surgery then. So many things have changed in recent years. Initially I was told so many horrible scenarios, and none of the ortho surgeons I saw wanted to touch me. I was over 35 and my curves were " only " 55t and 45l. I was told I shouldn't have any pain with curves that small. Ha! Finally I reached a point where I couldn't stand the pain anymore. I went on meds after 9 years of just putting up with it. I was getting worse. I did so many things I can't begin to list it all, but in the end I found a surgeon who wanted to just address the pain in my right lower back. He said I had a very damaged facet joint. So I did have bone rubbing on bone, even tho every dr I ever saw told me that was impossible. He fused L4-L5 and removed the facet joint. I went another year on morphine bc pain in my hips was awful. Then I found a place that talked about pain from weakened back muscle due to injury or surgery. I went there for PT on very high tech machines and within a month I was off the meds and very strong. But I continued to have the severe muscle spasms on convex side of both my curves. I knew it was only gonna get worse so the following year I decided, with my surgeon, to have my whole spine, T4-L4 done. Six gruelling weeks out of surgery I was off meds completely and I felt like a new person. I could sit. I could stand. The spasms were gone and my back looked amazing. My range of motion sucked but its the price I had to pay I figured. Then, 6 mth after surgery I took on buying a house in NM, selling my huge old house in WI and moving me and my elderly mother across the country. Then my back started to bother me some. Long story short, in Sept of 07 my rods broke and I found out I didn't fuse at L2-L4. So my Wi surgeon sent me to a surgeon in Phoenix, and he did the revision and also recommended the fusing of the last disc. I can tell already that I'm better. I'm more or less straight again, sitting is better, etc. In a way I wish I had a more aggressive surgeon from the beginning and had the whole thing done right from the get go instead of having to go back 3 times, but oh well. I just hope this is the last one. If you do decide to have the surgery, I can give you lots of advice, as I'm sure other people on this site can as well. There are many things I wish I'd known before hand. LOL. -Randie Re: Fusion Regrets I don't know for sure if the spine above and below the affected parts would have gotten worse along with the others or not, but I think so. Remember tonot twist or pivot your feet. Your unfused vertebrate will last longer. Lana beckybugkins <beckybugkins> wrote: I am having a terrible time accepting the fact that I have to have more surgery for this spinal stenoisis below the fusion and rods. Maybe I should not have had the Scoliosis Surgery in the first place. Why didn't this doctor tell me that spine below and above the rods would wear out? Would this have happened anyway? ------------ --------- --------- --- Never miss a thing. Make your homepage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 7, 2008 Report Share Posted March 7, 2008 Don't forget that the measurements of curves will be greater in the afternoon than in the morning. lj debbie brickley <debbiebrickley@...> wrote: Randie: again, I have a similarity with you as I had a 55+ thoracic curve and a 40 lumbar and chose to only have the lumbar done in Sept. After a year on pain meds. I hope that the thoracic doesn't get any worse, when I last saw the surgeon she measured that curve at 62 but it seems that measurements are sorta subjective. I do have some discomfort about L1 or T12; right where it really goes into the thoracic curve and the rotation starts. But like you, I'm glad I waited until recently to have my surgery, since the tech just gets better. Debbie, again Randie Meyer <taknitlite@...> wrote: It's a long story but I'll try to keep it brief. My pain started in 1992 when I was still working at a desk job. I had to leave work Oct 1993 bc the pain had gotten so bad. It was like a huge muscle spasm on my left side and my ribs would hurt and also an area in my right lower back that felt like bone rubbing on bone. I spent many years trying alternative methods and some helped the pain sort of, none helped the curve tho many practioners promised me they'd be the ones to " cure " me. I spent a lot of money, but I don't regret it bc I'm glad I didn't have the surgery then. So many things have changed in recent years. Initially I was told so many horrible scenarios, and none of the ortho surgeons I saw wanted to touch me. I was over 35 and my curves were " only " 55t and 45l. I was told I shouldn't have any pain with curves that small. Ha! Finally I reached a point where I couldn't stand the pain anymore. I went on meds after 9 years of just putting up with it. I was getting worse. I did so many things I can't begin to list it all, but in the end I found a surgeon who wanted to just address the pain in my right lower back. He said I had a very damaged facet joint. So I did have bone rubbing on bone, even tho every dr I ever saw told me that was impossible. He fused L4-L5 and removed the facet joint. I went another year on morphine bc pain in my hips was awful. Then I found a place that talked about pain from weakened back muscle due to injury or surgery. I went there for PT on very high tech machines and within a month I was off the meds and very strong. But I continued to have the severe muscle spasms on convex side of both my curves. I knew it was only gonna get worse so the following year I decided, with my surgeon, to have my whole spine, T4-L4 done. Six gruelling weeks out of surgery I was off meds completely and I felt like a new person. I could sit. I could stand. The spasms were gone and my back looked amazing. My range of motion sucked but its the price I had to pay I figured. Then, 6 mth after surgery I took on buying a house in NM, selling my huge old house in WI and moving me and my elderly mother across the country. Then my back started to bother me some. Long story short, in Sept of 07 my rods broke and I found out I didn't fuse at L2-L4. So my Wi surgeon sent me to a surgeon in Phoenix, and he did the revision and also recommended the fusing of the last disc. I can tell already that I'm better. I'm more or less straight again, sitting is better, etc. In a way I wish I had a more aggressive surgeon from the beginning and had the whole thing done right from the get go instead of having to go back 3 times, but oh well. I just hope this is the last one. If you do decide to have the surgery, I can give you lots of advice, as I'm sure other people on this site can as well. There are many things I wish I'd known before hand. LOL. -Randie Re: Fusion Regrets I don't know for sure if the spine above and below the affected parts would have gotten worse along with the others or not, but I think so. Remember tonot twist or pivot your feet. Your unfused vertebrate will last longer. Lana beckybugkins <beckybugkins> wrote: I am having a terrible time accepting the fact that I have to have more surgery for this spinal stenoisis below the fusion and rods. Maybe I should not have had the Scoliosis Surgery in the first place. Why didn't this doctor tell me that spine below and above the rods would wear out? Would this have happened anyway? ------------ --------- --------- --- Never miss a thing. Make your homepage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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