I have scoliosis. What are the effects of getting surgery?!
Question: I am 14 and i won't be getting surgery for many years. But i still want to know the effects of getting rods placed in your back because of severe scoliosis. Please answer if you have gotten the surgery. Did you go through lots of physical therapy? was it difficult to function as a normal person? ect. thanks!
Answers: I am 14 and i won't be getting surgery for many years. But i still want to know the effects of getting rods placed in your back because of severe scoliosis. Please answer if you have gotten the surgery. Did you go through lots of physical therapy? was it difficult to function as a normal person? ect. thanks!
Hmmmm, let me think.
I didn't have any PT after my first fusion. I had PT after my second. It is not difficult at all (for me, anyway) to function as a normal person.
o The most obvious affects are that because your spine is fused, you'll lose your flexability in that area. (Your head won't fit into your car as easily as it used to.)
o Discs above and below the fusion may degenerate because they're doing the job of the ones that were removed during the fusion.
o There is a chance of paralysis but it isn't large. I'd guess that most people that are having their spines fused believe that the benefits outweigh the risks.
o There is a chance that one or more of your levels won't fuse. This may or may not be painful.
o You may develop an infection around the rods or in the incision. (I didn't but I know others that have.)
o You'll probably end up taller because your spine will be partially straightened.
o Your pain will most likely be greatly reduced if not eliminated (after you've recovered from the surgery, of course).
o There may be some temporary depression. Additionally you will be frustrated because you'll feel well enough to do some basic things when in fact you're not healed enough.
I created a list of pros vs cons for an earlier question which asked about limitations after surgery. I'd like to repeat my answer. There may be some overlap with the items above. Sorry.
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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 14, 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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i have scoliosis to and wanted sugery but my doctors told me not to and just try a brace
but you can die or become paralyzed thats what they told me
I'm 36. I had the surgery 23 years ago. There are risks with every surgery, even minor procedures (I'm a OR nurse too). You and your folks will have to make an informed decision about surgery. If your curve is severe and you are not corrected it can affect your ability to breath or have children.
Someone with more recent experience might be better to ask about the PT. But when I did it, there was minimal PT. Basically just making sure you were able to walk steady...but this was also when they used to keep you on bed rest for a week and then put you in a body cast...we don't do these any more.
I'm as normally functioning as anyone...are any of us really normal? I never got off schedule with school. Graduated nursing school at 20 and have been an OR nurse for 16 years. Have had 2 children without difficulty. I love to hike, yoga (though the fusion prevents some positions), and SCUBA dive.
Are you being treated at a Shriner's Hospital? Absolutely the best place for scoliosis patients under 21! But the Shrine docs and nurses can arrange for you to visit the hospital pre-op, talk with anyone involved in your care and even to talk with other patients there. Other places may do this too, but I think Shriner's goes above and beyond for their kids.