Last week was a busy scoli week. Today's 80 degree double curve in 17 yo young lady

Last week, we helped a 14 yo girl with Marfan’s Syndrome and severe scoliosis.  She was in the hospital 2 nights, and is doing well now at home.
We also operated on a 17 yo young man who had a huge thoracolumbar curve, with very large trunk shift.  We were able to get his center of gravity back in line.
On Thursday we also fixed a 22 yo woman with R thoracic scoliosis, and severe hypokyphosis --- nearly thoracic lordosis, which caused her chest cavity to be very narrow from front to back.
I also performed a kyphosis surgery on a teenager, as well as an older woman who had kyphosis above a previous fusion.  Both are standing up straight now.
I got a chance to see quite a few postop follow-ups in clinic this week as well.
I had an interesting talk with a woman from Canada who has severe scoliosis with a Harrington rod, discussing the Canadian healthcare system for scoliosis, which seems a bit different than the States.
Also had some interesting interactions with a family from Tennessee who have an adolescent with a very severe Scheuermann’s kyphosis, with one particular vertebra which is a 30 degree wedge, with overall kyphosis measuring almost 90 degrees.  More on this later.

Today we had to help a very nice 17 yo young lady who had a very severe 80 degree double curve scoliosis.
I was able to spare her bottom 2 discs, and got an excellent correction, using multiple osteotomies, and some instrumentation tricks to help get things “straightened out”, and balanced.
Mom and Dad and Sister were very excited to see her new straightened spine on X-Ray when I came out to talk to them right after surgery.
She is doing well in the hospital on the orthopaedic unit, with her mom sleeping in bed next to her with a large room
When I came in to check on her this evening, she had about a dozen people in her room, including lots of friends and relatives.
Everyone was glad that the surgery was over, and that she is doing so well.

Late this afternoon, I helped a gentleman with severe back and radiating leg pain with a L45 spondylolisthesis and stenosis.  Surgical time was 2 hours.  Estimated blood loss 250 cc.
He did well, and will likely be in hospital 2 nights.



Lloyd A. Hey, MD MS
http://www.heyclinic.com
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery
Raleigh, NC  USA