Kyphosis Surgery - Spinal Cord Disorders Message Board

sexiloser · 10-24-2003, 11:41 AM

Hello, I am a 17 year old girl and I have had kyphosis since my early adolescent years. I think it is hereditary since my father has the same exact condition, but I'm not sure. I had X-rays done at Children's Hospital when I was about 12, and I believe the doctor said the curvature was at 70 degrees, but I'm not exactly sure.

I was in a car accident this summer, and had to go to physical therapy because of it. My physical therapist said that my kyphosis was very serious and may have been aggravated by the car accident. He said I should see a orthopaedic surgeon very soon and get the surgery for it, or else I could be crippled in 20-30 years. This scared me very much, so I started researching the surgery. I found that it involves bone grafts taken from my ribs, and the placing of metal rods in my back to straighten it out.

I would like to know if anyone out there has had this surgery, and if it is worth doing. I am very confused as to what to do. It seems very risky, but I don't want to regret not doing it twenty years down the road.

Advice, please?

bounce · 10-24-2003, 03:53 PM

hi sexiloser,

i have had kyphosis due to car accidnet and had surgrey and dont regret it
do a search for user names bounce, shiz, shizzy and oliver and you will get heaps of info
anyprobs or questions let me know and ill try and help
takecare bounce

------------------
mva 22.11.99
compression fracture of T8 nearly all ribs on left side broken 1 healed with 1cm overlap and several transverse process broken
refered for surgrey feb 2000
march 2000 after having ct scan discovered i was prgnant NOT PLANNED
decemeber 2000 had beautiful baby boy who is my motivation
feb 2002 had surgrey a long gap form accident to op as i also breest fed my wee boy
feb 5th 2002 had my back op
posterior osteotomy and release,subsequent anterior trans thorasic approach with corpectomy of T8 and reconstruction using mesh cage with rib bone graft and a third stage of posterior correction of the deformity using pedicle screw instrumention and further bone grafting.
own bone used rib 7 on left side so have big gap
march 17 2003 got all clear from surgeon i have fused
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july 2003 ercp to remove gallstone from bile duct
august 2003 gallbladder removed

sheryltex · 10-26-2003, 01:57 PM

I am new to the board, but I have had 6 spine fusions; the last one was due to when they took out a thoracic rod (in my 5th spine surgery) even though it looked totally fused and fine, my spine fractured immediately after surgery at the L3 level; hence I developed a very serious kyphosis--I was hunched over like a little ole lady and if you do not have surgery that is ultimately what will happen to you too. Surgery is definitely the best thing in the world you can have done. Make sure your surgeon is a very good one and has performed kyphosis surgery many times; you have a right to ask him how many of these he has done. Having an experienced surgeon means a world of difference. Also you can have cadaver bone used rather than your own bone which cuts down on so much pain (at the donor site); I had this done and it worked perfectly!!! I am now standing straight as an arrow and woudl go through it all over again---it is so good that you are at a young age...the longer you put this off the harder it is for them to corect the kyphosis. Go for it Girl!!! God Bless you and I will pray that all comes out well for you. I have to have a cervical fusion (not related to the other things--I had a real bad fall last June; and had a very bad disc problem); so I'm kinda scared, but leave it all up to the good Lord to watch over me. He has never failed me and I just keep the faith and positive attitude... that is really important ---have a positive attitude!
Warm regards,
sheryl in San Antonio

MoonlightFlame · 02-05-2004, 09:18 PM

Hi, sexiloser.

I have had Kyphosis surgery. It is nothing I will ever regret.
Check out this webpage, it has a lot of info, even a story about the surgery.
I don't know where your from, but I had an EXCELLENT doctor at Stanford University Medical Center, Lucille Packard Childrens Hospital. The doctor I had there had been doing this type of surgery for over 26 years. He is really great and knows his stuff. If your anywhere near I would really encourage you to check into seeing him.
The webpage address is: [URL=http://www.********.com/kyphosis]Kyphosis[/URL]

-Aislinn