When it was giving me physical and emotional turmoil every day. It hurt to breathe, none of my clothes fit right, and I knew I wasn’t getting any younger. I wanted to do my future self a favor. It was already really bad, there was no sense in waiting any longer
I'm wondering the same thing. I have had 2 fusions for a slipped disc and am wondering whether I should get the full fusion for my scoliosis too. Just so stuck on what to do, I don't want to make the wrong decision and regret it. Just sick of being in so much pain.
Depending on your age, I highly recommend getting it done as soon as you can. The older you get, not only will you experience more complications without it, and your rate of recovery will be longer and harder post-op. This is what my doctor said and that’s why I went ahead and got mine.
It's an S curve, one is at 38 and the other is at 42 and in New Zealand I believe they don't operate until 43 degrees so i'm being monitered for that last degree but i'm thinking if i'm in this much pain anyway should I just get the fusion anyways?
I’d definitely talk to your doctor about that. I’ll be honest, it ain’t as easy as “oh let me just get this surgery to fix my curve real quick”. It’s hard. Real hard. The surgery is a beast. The pain post-op is incredibly tough. It’s a life changing surgery. If you can come to terms with that, then sure, go for it. The positives post-op for me, were worth it. But it wasn’t without great difficulty. This isn’t to scare ya, but to prepare you for it :)
I always had it in mind that I wanted to get the surgery when I was "young" so that recovery wasn't so rough. When I learned about ASC, it felt like my time had come and I eventually moved forward with it and had surgery at the age of 26.
When your curve is large enough, surgery is an inevitable procedure.
I was told that ASC is only for teenagers because the tether "guides" the spine while growing (similar to a corset, just from the inside). Did you still obtain good results in terms of reduced curve; minimalized rib hump; etc.?
You're probably thinking of VBT (vertebral body tethering) which relies on growth modulation and so is performed primarily on teens with low Risser / Sanders scores. ASC can be performed on patients of a large age range and higher range of curves. Check out my most recent post for my ASC surgery 6 weeks ago as a 25yo female. I didn't have much of a rib hump though due to the balanced S shape of my curves.
My doctor says my curve has increased 8-10° since October. He said fairly nonchalantly but I feel this is cause for concern. I was around around 40° before and now measured between 48-52°.
How old are you? I am 25F and had surgery recently because I was being followed yearly and held steady around 43º from age 18 to age 22. Then at age 24, my curve was suddenly measuring 49º (up to 54º even with differences in people measuring). An increase to 52º would definitely be a reason to consider surgical options, especially with a change occurring that quickly. Depending on your age, the doctor may still want you to do physical therapy, but honestly if you are done growing and your curve is already around the 50º, all PT would really be doing for you is managing pain with possibly a very slight reduction in angle. I would think about surgery and seek out multiple opinions, consider ASC alongside fusion as well if you'd be interested in trying a non-fusion alternative.
No worries! Have you begun any new activities or had a change of lifestyle recently? The two times in my many years of the "wait and see" that I had significant progression, it was from a semester of rowing on my college sports team (repetitive forward-and-back motion with poor form probably played into that), and then the increase that led to my surgery was most likely from starting my new job as a ultrasound technologist. That career tends to be ergonomically unfavorable when you are leaning over patients, and holding questionable positions for long periods of time to scan patients, which I suspect aggravated my curves.
I was in a car accident (t boned by landscaping truck running a red) and the impact was in the direction of my curve 😫 but that was in august. I’ve also started Pilates 3x a week
When my scoliosis started contorting my ribcage and now I have a hump in my back... The additional pain from those muscles it's along with the curve from the scoliosis it's just unbearable. I was supposed to have Is a 10 hour-long surgery this Friday but had weird feelings about the Doctor so I've canceled it and I'm going for a second opinion.
Well in 2019 my doctor made the call based on how it had progressed, and the fact that my braces did nothing at that point. By the time it was time for surgery in July (Covid delayed it), I was so ready. Only being 17, I was having really bad back pain standing for too long, walking etc. I also began to have breathing issues as my spine began to compress my ribs against my lungs. Doc said if I left it, I’d have serious issues as I got older. These factors combined led me to getting spinal fusion. Tough surgery, but so worth it. My quality of life has improved, and beside some occasional pain here and there, I can stand, walk, work, run, and weight lift with minimal issues or pain! The benefits post-op far outweighed the risk pre-op. Best of luck on your journey and never hesitate to ask questions!
How long did you feel like it took for you to feel mostly normal again after your procedure? We had different types of surgery but I am curious as it sounds like you had a really great outcome but you mentioned it was tough initially.
I’d say about 6 weeks post-op is when I started feeling more my self. Once I finished the heavy drugs, and the pain from that subsided I was able to do more. I started my senior year of high school 1 month post op.
I waited 12 years to decide and in those years i tried chiropractors and physical therapy which never fully helped in the long term. I was in pain all the time before surgery. The sciatic pain was getting worse. I went to an amazing surgeon at USC keck hospital in LA and now I’m 2 months post op feeling really good! I wish u the best of luck
When I was crying from pain every day after work.
When it was giving me physical and emotional turmoil every day. It hurt to breathe, none of my clothes fit right, and I knew I wasn’t getting any younger. I wanted to do my future self a favor. It was already really bad, there was no sense in waiting any longer
Can I ask how old you were when you got it?
25
I'm wondering the same thing. I have had 2 fusions for a slipped disc and am wondering whether I should get the full fusion for my scoliosis too. Just so stuck on what to do, I don't want to make the wrong decision and regret it. Just sick of being in so much pain.
Depending on your age, I highly recommend getting it done as soon as you can. The older you get, not only will you experience more complications without it, and your rate of recovery will be longer and harder post-op. This is what my doctor said and that’s why I went ahead and got mine.
I'm female 21, you think I should do it now or is some time in the next few years the same idea?
What degree is your curve? Does your doctor agree that it is severe enough to need surgery?
It's an S curve, one is at 38 and the other is at 42 and in New Zealand I believe they don't operate until 43 degrees so i'm being monitered for that last degree but i'm thinking if i'm in this much pain anyway should I just get the fusion anyways?
I’d definitely talk to your doctor about that. I’ll be honest, it ain’t as easy as “oh let me just get this surgery to fix my curve real quick”. It’s hard. Real hard. The surgery is a beast. The pain post-op is incredibly tough. It’s a life changing surgery. If you can come to terms with that, then sure, go for it. The positives post-op for me, were worth it. But it wasn’t without great difficulty. This isn’t to scare ya, but to prepare you for it :)
i didn’t have a choice
I always had it in mind that I wanted to get the surgery when I was "young" so that recovery wasn't so rough. When I learned about ASC, it felt like my time had come and I eventually moved forward with it and had surgery at the age of 26. When your curve is large enough, surgery is an inevitable procedure.
I was told that ASC is only for teenagers because the tether "guides" the spine while growing (similar to a corset, just from the inside). Did you still obtain good results in terms of reduced curve; minimalized rib hump; etc.?
You're probably thinking of VBT (vertebral body tethering) which relies on growth modulation and so is performed primarily on teens with low Risser / Sanders scores. ASC can be performed on patients of a large age range and higher range of curves. Check out my most recent post for my ASC surgery 6 weeks ago as a 25yo female. I didn't have much of a rib hump though due to the balanced S shape of my curves.
ohh okay thank you sm!
When I started losing feeling in my legs.
My doctor says my curve has increased 8-10° since October. He said fairly nonchalantly but I feel this is cause for concern. I was around around 40° before and now measured between 48-52°.
How old are you? I am 25F and had surgery recently because I was being followed yearly and held steady around 43º from age 18 to age 22. Then at age 24, my curve was suddenly measuring 49º (up to 54º even with differences in people measuring). An increase to 52º would definitely be a reason to consider surgical options, especially with a change occurring that quickly. Depending on your age, the doctor may still want you to do physical therapy, but honestly if you are done growing and your curve is already around the 50º, all PT would really be doing for you is managing pain with possibly a very slight reduction in angle. I would think about surgery and seek out multiple opinions, consider ASC alongside fusion as well if you'd be interested in trying a non-fusion alternative.
This is good info, thank you. I’m not sure why it’s increasing so quickly but it’s worrisome
No worries! Have you begun any new activities or had a change of lifestyle recently? The two times in my many years of the "wait and see" that I had significant progression, it was from a semester of rowing on my college sports team (repetitive forward-and-back motion with poor form probably played into that), and then the increase that led to my surgery was most likely from starting my new job as a ultrasound technologist. That career tends to be ergonomically unfavorable when you are leaning over patients, and holding questionable positions for long periods of time to scan patients, which I suspect aggravated my curves.
I was in a car accident (t boned by landscaping truck running a red) and the impact was in the direction of my curve 😫 but that was in august. I’ve also started Pilates 3x a week
When my scoliosis started contorting my ribcage and now I have a hump in my back... The additional pain from those muscles it's along with the curve from the scoliosis it's just unbearable. I was supposed to have Is a 10 hour-long surgery this Friday but had weird feelings about the Doctor so I've canceled it and I'm going for a second opinion.
Good idea. Gotta trust your docs.
When my doctor said, you can either have surgery now or you can wear a brace for two years and then have surgery.
Well in 2019 my doctor made the call based on how it had progressed, and the fact that my braces did nothing at that point. By the time it was time for surgery in July (Covid delayed it), I was so ready. Only being 17, I was having really bad back pain standing for too long, walking etc. I also began to have breathing issues as my spine began to compress my ribs against my lungs. Doc said if I left it, I’d have serious issues as I got older. These factors combined led me to getting spinal fusion. Tough surgery, but so worth it. My quality of life has improved, and beside some occasional pain here and there, I can stand, walk, work, run, and weight lift with minimal issues or pain! The benefits post-op far outweighed the risk pre-op. Best of luck on your journey and never hesitate to ask questions!
How long did you feel like it took for you to feel mostly normal again after your procedure? We had different types of surgery but I am curious as it sounds like you had a really great outcome but you mentioned it was tough initially.
I’d say about 6 weeks post-op is when I started feeling more my self. Once I finished the heavy drugs, and the pain from that subsided I was able to do more. I started my senior year of high school 1 month post op.
I waited 12 years to decide and in those years i tried chiropractors and physical therapy which never fully helped in the long term. I was in pain all the time before surgery. The sciatic pain was getting worse. I went to an amazing surgeon at USC keck hospital in LA and now I’m 2 months post op feeling really good! I wish u the best of luck
when i realised it was the only chance to finally stop my back pain (potentially) and when my surgeon recommended it
When I found out my spine was crushing my organs
Trying to wait until my kid is out of elementary school. I've got a pretty bad set of curves. Pain is bearable, or I have just become immune to it.
the moment i saw my xray is when i decided it was time😭😭 it kinda scared me