RE: spine shortening surgery (vertebral osteotomy subtraction) - Kellie

[Guest guest]

Kellie -- I still had problems sitting at 5 months post-op -- and for a long

time afterwards, but am pretty good now -- unless it's a really hard chair or

leans back too much. Dee

To: tetheredspinalcord

From: redgecko97@...

Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2011 05:54:40 -0700

Subject: Re: spine shortening surgery (vertebral osteotomy subtraction)

Hi Chip,

I had surgery to detether March 30th. I still have problems sitting. It feels

like I'm sitting directly on my tail bone. I was told several years ago that I

had an elongated spine. This was well before I was diagnosed with a TSC. Did you

have this problem as well? Just wondering if this may be a solution in the

future.

Subject: Re: spine shortening surgery (vertebral osteotomy subtraction)

To: " tetheredspinalcord " <tetheredspinalcord >

Date: Wednesday, August 10, 2011, 1:08 PM

Sue,

I don't walk with a cane or crutches. On good days you can't tell that I had

the surgery at all.

I believe I am the patient he is talking about and that there might have been

some misunderstanding. For 20+ years I have had leg cramps that feel like

charlie horses (with no muscle contractions). I am having an increase in the

numbers of these, but am assuming it's med related. I'll have to contact him

again to clarify. I had a CT in June and there is no issues with the rods and

screws.

My cord will always be tethered. The surgery wasn't in the area where my cord

is tethered. I'm tethered at L3-4 and this surgery was from T10 to L2.

Like I said, I do still have issues, but I still think it was well worth the

pain and time to have had the surgery. I hope my misunderstanding with my

doctor hasn't discouraged you or anyone else. For me, this was still the right

thing to do.

I will send you those papers back channel.

Chip

________________________________

To: tetheredspinalcord

Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2011 12:20 PM

Subject: Re: spine shortening surgery (vertebral osteotomy subtraction)

Hi Chip, Thank you for replying so quickly. And yes I would like to read those

papers you have. Can you email the papers to me?

I'm not bed ridden yet put have more pain than before and can't sit as long or

walk (with crutches) as far as i used to. Also have bladder and bowel issues. I

use a motorized wheelchair for distance, like in a grocery store. Do you use

crutches or a cane at all?

Dr. Chi told me that my scoliosis and tethering is worse, more involved, than

the 3 tethered cord patients he has worked on (guess that includes you).

I'm glad to hear that it helped you. My concern is that the patient he operated

on 1 and half yrs. ago called him last month and is having symptoms again. But

Dr. Chi couldn't tell me if the cord was retethered as the patient hasn't had an

MRI yet.

Thanks again Chip. I look forward to reading those papers.

Sue

>

> Sue,

> I had this surgery done in June 2010. Â Dr. Chi did the surgery. Â Like you,

it was my last resort. Â Thus far, it has done wonders for me. Â

> Just before surgery, I was just about bed ridden and had to take a lot of pain

meds just to get through the day. Â I still have some issues, but I can get

through the day without too much difficulties. Â

> I was in the hospital for 8 days, and then in an inpatient rehab center for 8

days. Â I was told to expect about 3 weeks of rehab, but things when very well

for me.  Â

> I have several papers about this type of surgery if you would like them, just

let me know.

> Chip

>

>

> ________________________________

>

> To: tetheredspinalcord

> Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2011 10:20 AM

> Subject: spine shortening surgery (vertebral osteotomy subtraction)

>

>

> Â

> Hello all,

> It's been a long time since I posted here but have checked messages from time

to time.

> My last detethering surgery was 9 years ago, it was my third surgery since

1987. Last year I started having symptoms again and this spring I emailed Dr.

Proctor in Boston about them. He referred me to Dr. Chi in Boston. I saw

him Monday 8/8/11. I expected to hear about the traditional detethering surgery

and the possibility that it could not be done this time due to higher risk of

damaging nerves, my age (57) and diabetes. However, Dr. Chi told me about a new

surgery for tethered cord, spine shortening surgery.

> I have to have an MRI to make sure there is nothing else going on but it

sounds like this surgery is my only option, other than just not having surgery

at all and getting worse as time goes on.

> Has anyone had this surgery? or know someone who has had it? I searched for

info and found a few abstracts about it.

> Dr Chi has done this surgery on 3 people with tethered cord and has done this

surgery on dozens of patients for other problems.

> Any info would be greatly appreciated.

> Sue McWha

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for letting me know that. Sounds like I'm right on schedule then. :-)

 

I would not consider this for myself unless I was still having problems years

from now.

Subject: Re: spine shortening surgery (vertebral osteotomy subtraction)

To: " tetheredspinalcord " <tetheredspinalcord >

Date: Wednesday, August 10, 2011, 1:08 PM

 

Sue,

I don't walk with a cane or crutches.  On good days you can't tell that I had

the surgery at all.

I believe I am the patient he is talking about and that there might have been

some misunderstanding.  For 20+ years I have had leg cramps that feel like

charlie horses (with no muscle contractions).  I am having an increase in the

numbers of these, but am assuming it's med related.  I'll have to contact him

again to clarify.  I had a CT in June and there is no issues with the rods and

screws.

My cord will always be tethered.  The surgery wasn't in the area where my cord

is tethered.  I'm tethered at L3-4 and this surgery was from T10 to L2. 

Like I said, I do still have issues, but I still think it was well worth the

pain and time to have had the surgery.  I hope my misunderstanding with my

doctor hasn't discouraged you or anyone else.  For me, this was still the right

thing to do.

I will send you those papers back channel.

Chip

________________________________

To: tetheredspinalcord

Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2011 12:20 PM

Subject: Re: spine shortening surgery (vertebral osteotomy subtraction)

 

Hi Chip, Thank you for replying so quickly. And yes I would like to read those

papers you have. Can you email the papers to me?

I'm not bed ridden yet put have more pain than before and can't sit as long or

walk (with crutches) as far as i used to. Also have bladder and bowel issues. I

use a motorized wheelchair for distance, like in a grocery store. Do you use

crutches or a cane at all?

Dr. Chi told me that my scoliosis and tethering is worse, more involved, than

the 3 tethered cord patients he has worked on (guess that includes you).

I'm glad to hear that it helped you. My concern is that the patient he operated

on 1 and half yrs. ago called him last month and is having symptoms again. But

Dr. Chi couldn't tell me if the cord was retethered as the patient hasn't had an

MRI yet.

Thanks again Chip. I look forward to reading those papers.

Sue

>

> Sue,

> I had this surgery done in June 2010. Â Dr. Chi did the surgery. Â Like you,

it was my last resort. Â Thus far, it has done wonders for me. Â

> Just before surgery, I was just about bed ridden and had to take a lot of pain

meds just to get through the day. Â I still have some issues, but I can get

through the day without too much difficulties. Â

> I was in the hospital for 8 days, and then in an inpatient rehab center for 8

days. Â I was told to expect about 3 weeks of rehab, but things when very well

for me.  Â

> I have several papers about this type of surgery if you would like them, just

let me know.

> Chip

>

>

> ________________________________

>

> To: tetheredspinalcord

> Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2011 10:20 AM

> Subject: spine shortening surgery (vertebral osteotomy subtraction)

>

>

>  

> Hello all,

> It's been a long time since I posted here but have checked messages from time

to time.

> My last detethering surgery was 9 years ago, it was my third surgery since

1987. Last year I started having symptoms again and this spring I emailed Dr.

Proctor in Boston about them. He referred me to Dr. Chi in Boston. I saw

him Monday 8/8/11. I expected to hear about the traditional detethering surgery

and the possibility that it could not be done this time due to higher risk of

damaging nerves, my age (57) and diabetes. However, Dr. Chi told me about a new

surgery for tethered cord, spine shortening surgery.

> I have to have an MRI to make sure there is nothing else going on but it

sounds like this surgery is my only option, other than just not having surgery

at all and getting worse as time goes on.

> Has anyone had this surgery? or know someone who has had it? I searched for

info and found a few abstracts about it.

> Dr Chi has done this surgery on 3 people with tethered cord and has done this

surgery on dozens of patients for other problems.

> Any info would be greatly appreciated.

> Sue McWha

>

>

>

>

>