Scoliosis surgery...questions about it...?

Ok, I am 17 years old and I was diagnosed w/ scoliosis at 13, they realized that my back was getting worse and told me I had to wear a brace, but that brace was very, very uncomfortable, there was almost no way I could have worn that brace 22/24 hours a day, and I was really into sports so I wasnt going to wear the brace and not play sports!! So really, I never wore the brace at all. Unfortunately at the time, I got pregnant at 15 and had my son at 16. Now at 17 almost 18, I think my back is worse than ever, i really am scared to find out that I may have to have surgery. What limitations go with having surgery and what are its pros and cons....anyone w/ scoliosis experience??

Hmmmm...

I'm sure that the lists below aren't complete, but I'll give it my best shot. I'll edit the reply if I remember something later.

First, a little background. Each vertebra is assigned a name. The cervical spine has C1-C7, the thoracic spine has T1-T12, and the lumbar spine has L1-L5. The sacrum has S1-S5 but it is normal for these to be already fused.

Limitations - This answer will change depending on how many and which vertebrae are fused. For example, with the fusion in the middle of your spine (in the thoracic area), you probably won't notice it too much. I've found that fusion of L4-S1, on the other hand, makes it really hard to bend backward. In any case, you may or may not be able to bend the way you're used to. You'll notice your lack of bending when you try to get in and out of a car.

You also won't be allowed to sky dive, ski, ride horses, and lift over 40 lbs. Some scoliosis specialists change this list slightly, but you get the idea.

Pros

o Pain is less, if not gone altogether.
o Body looks better.
o May (or may not) gain some height when curve is straightened.
o Quality of life is much better.
o Can get on with life instead of always thinking about your back.
o Can run, jump rope, carry your child on your shoulders, etc.
o You aren't tired from the effort it takes just to do minimal things.

Cons

o Lack of flexibility. This may not be noticable, though.
o Discs may (or may not) degenerate above and below the fusion.
o Shouldn't be a problem with todays instrumentation, but people with Harrington rods will most likely develop "flatback". This happens occasionally to patients with Luque rods if the rods aren't put in correctly. (Harrington rods aren't used in the US anymore.)
o Some limitations on what you can do after you're through recovering. You probably won't do some of these anyway.
o The older you are, in general, the longer it takes to recover. At age 18, you should recover quickly.

It still takes two months to be doing basic things. You'll be cleared to do more things at six months. At one year, you'll be able to do about anything you could do before the surgery. Take it easy. This is major surgery. It takes a while for the spine to fuse.

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Let me talk about the hospital stay.
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You'll have meds to help with the pain. You'll start out with stronger meds and then wean yourself from them over time. So, yes, it does hurt, but you shouldn't be left hurting.

The size of your scar depends on how many vertebrae need fusing and the technique used to do the fusion. A four-level fusion will have a smaller scar than a 12-level fusion. Some surgeries (probably not yours) need both anterior and posterior (A/P, or front and back). Lastly, some people may be candidates for "minimally invasive" techniques. So, this is a hard question to answer without knowing more about your situation.

Your hospital stay will probably be between four and seven days. Teens typically heal quicker than adults and so their hospital stay is less.

As for what they do, each case is different. Here's one possible scenerio. Its incomplete as I'm describing things pretty quickly. The amount of time spent doing things will probably differ. Maybe even the order that things are done will differ. But it will give you kind of an idea of what happens. Just take it with a grain of salt.

You'll arrive at the hospital early to check in. You'll change into your gown and get an IV hooked up. You will talk to your nurse(s) and perhaps a couple of other staff members. You'll then get put to sleep (injected through the IV that you had put in earlier). The operation then happens. You'll wake up, probably in the ICU, but possibly in your hospital room. Probably on the first or second day after surgery, you'll be shown how to sit and then stand. You'll be able to take walks up and down the hallway but you'll tire quickly. Your IV will be removed in a couple of days as will the catheter you've had in you since the surgery. You'll be allowed to go home once your stomach starts rumbling, you're eating, and going to the bathroom. When you are in the hospital, your scar will be checked by a doctor each day.

Please email me if you have questions.

Scott