C56 ACDF this afternoon in 38 yo gentleman

Surgical time: 1h 6 min.
Complications: none.
Dr. Lloyd Hey
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery
http://www.heyclinic.com

First successful fax from our special quality control information system here at Hey Clinic!!

At Hey Clinic, we are quite passionate about quality improvement, learning and innovation.
We are actually building our own informaion system to ensure best possible care, and to also allow us to measure, improve and study outcomes.
Everyone at Hey Clinic contributes to our new processes and systems.

Today, Jimmy, our full-time software developer, successfully sent our first fax of our new clinic note module which Shelbi successfully received at the front desk! 

Thanks Jimmy and the whole team for your help improving our systems of care.

Dr. Lloyd Hey.
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery

Degenerative spondylosis and stenosis after failed laminectomy and flat back syndrome fixed ths afternoon.

Severe back and leg pain w trouble walking.
Surgery: L2-iliac wing instrumentation and fusion w L2-5 laminectomy.
Surgical time 2 h 20 min.
EBL: 600.
Complications: none.

Dr. Lloyd Hey
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery.
http://www.heyclinic.com

Severe cervical myelopathy and stenosis fixed today w C45, C56 ACDF w plate

Preop severe neurologic loss w clumsiness weakness, pain and trouble walking.
Surgical time: 1 hour 40 min.
EBL: 100 cc.
Complications: none.
Planned one night stay in hospital.

Dr. Lloyd Hey
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery.
http://www.heyclinic.com

19 yo woman w 48 deg kyphoscoliosis fixed this morning

T3-L3 instrumentation and fusion w osteotomy and new simultaneous rod technique.
EBL: 600 cc
Cell Saver:  250 cc
Surgical time: 3 hour 48 min.
Correction: excellent. Over 90 per cent.

Dr. Lloyd Hey
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery.
http://www.heyclinic.com

22 yo woman w painful 36 degree R thoracic idiopathic scoliosis fixed today

T5-L1 instrumentation and fusion
Surgery time: 2 hour 45 min.
EBL: 250 cc.
Blood transfused: none.
Correction: excellent.

Dr. Lloyd Hey.
http://www.heyclinic.com

Life is Precious.

Taking my dog for a walk this evening and saw these beautiful trees lit up w bright setting sun while birds are inging under a bright carolinas blue sky.

Life is precious and beautiful!
Lloyd Hey

Fixing adjacent level failure today, years after successful L45 decompression and fusion

Guest developed severe back and leg pain and trouble walking.

L2-Iliac wing instrimentation and fusion, L2-5 laminectomy
Surgical time: 2.5 hour.
EBL: 600 cc.
Cell saver : 200.
Blood transfused:  none

Dr. Lloyd Hey
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery
http://www.heyclinic.com

45 yo woman w severe L arm pain w C56 disc heniation fixed today w C56 ACDF

Did L12 extension decompression and fusion this morning for gentleman who had L2-S1 decompression and fusion 7-8 yrs ago and developed adjacent level failure.
This afternoon we helped this young lady w cervical disc herniation.

Good day.


Dr. Lloyd A. Hey
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery
http://www.heyclinic.com

Serving in the Army after revision kyphosis surgery 4 years ago

This past week I was surprised with a quick “family reunion” at Hey Clinic, when Zach, with his new bride and his mom and dad and sister dropped by to see me and our Hey Clinic staff.
Around 4 years ago, I did revision kyphosis surgery on Zach when he was a teenager, after he had front and back (anterior / posterior) kyphosis surgery done elsewhere.  His surgery involved complex multilevel osteotomies and instrumentation.  He subsequently did great, and wished to pursue his dream of being in the Army and serving our country even overseas.
I wrote a bunch of letters for Zach to help him get in, and even talked to one of the top physicians in the US Army a couple years ago at length, while I was waiting in an airport --- but the top doctor was not very optimistic that he would be able to serve after having spinal surgery of any kind, much less such complex multilevel surgery.
Zach was disappointed but didn’t give up.

This past week he came in with his full Army gear on, after being trained in demolition for several months.
He’ll be going overseas to help protect our soldiers from explosive devices.

Dreams do come true.
What a joyful reunion it was to see you and your family, Zach, including your new bride!
God bless you as you go and serve our country.
We are all proud of you.

Dr. Lloyd Hey
http://www.heyclinic.com
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery

Friday's Clinic - Lots of smiles!

I got a chance to see a bunch of my postop guests back for follow-up on Friday, ranging from age 10, to 24, up through folks in their 70’s.
Here’s a small collage of some team photos we took together on Friday.

Dr. Lloyd Hey
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery
http://www.heyclinic.com

Meghan from Indiana comes back for postop visit after her adolescent kyphosis surgery

I had a delightful visit with Meghan and her dad from Indiana recently.
Meghan is just 6 weeks postop from her kyphosis surgery and doing great.
Her surgery story can be found on earlier blogs.
She is getting back into her regular exercise routine, and will be playing basketball competitively this summer and fall, and will likely be a top women’s recruit for colleges in a couple years!

You look great Meghan!
Have a great summer.

Dr. Lloyd Hey
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery
http://www.heyclinic.com

Saturday urgent surgery: 37 yo w bilateral L5S1 disc herniations.

Preop severe R leg pain. Couldn't walk this am.
2 huge free fragment disc herniations removed.
Should do very well.

Dr. Lloyd Hey
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery
http://www.heyclinic.com

Word for the day: "Beautiful"

This morning on rounds our 27 yo scoliosis surgery guest who had surgery Monday was walking out of rest room on her own. Her hair was a bit messy, but she told me she was thrilled, because her posture is now "beautiful".  She is going home today, and actually get her hair and total body washed up in the shower.

I just finished doing correrctive scoliosis surgery on a 19 yo college student who had a 53 degree painful thoracolumbar scoliosis. In preop, I asked her how straight she wanted to be. She answered " as straight and tall as possible!".

I used the new double rod correction technique that I have been perfecting this year, along w 3 osteotomies.

Result: "Beautiful!!"
Surgical time: 3 h 20 min.
EBL: 1000 cc.
Blood transfused: none
A great morning.
Life is good.

Dr. Lloyd Hey.
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery
http://www.heyclinic.com

Adjacent level failure w thoracic kyphosis, spondylolisthesis years after kyphoscoliosis surgery

Got an excellent correction.
A good day.

Dr. Lloyd Hey
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery
http://www.heyclinic.com

Picture of us hard at work straighteningup big kyphosis this afternoon!!!

9 segment revision kyphoscoliosis surgery this morning, and 14 segment revision exrension instrumentation and fusion this afternoon with thoracic osteotomy. (23 segments for the day, 0840-1740, w a nice lunch w summer interns, and 3 clinic patients in between!).  Both surgeries obtained  excellent corrections w surgical times in the 2.5-3.75 hour range.

Dr. Lloyd Hey
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery.

Http//www.heyclinic.com.

Dr. Hey w our visiting students

Lindsay is in a doctorate of physical therapy program and Lexis is a pre-med from Florida State.
Both very smart.

Dr. Lloyd Hey
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery

70 yo woman from New Hampshire with T12 and L1 fracture at top of old scoliosis fusion fixed this morning.

Pt had huge coughing episode 3 onths after her scoliosis surgery and fractured T12 and L1 w osteoporosis in her spine. She then had severe progressive pain.

Surgery:T11-Iliac wing revision extension instumentation and fusion w L1 laminectomy, Bone Morphogenic Protein, (BMP).
Surgical time: 2 hour 20 minutes
EBL (blood loss): 850 cc
Cell saver returned: 350 cc
Blood transfused: none.
Complications: none.

2 student visitors, both quite smart!

Excellent room aura.
Music: classic rock, Eagles

Dr. Lloyd Hey
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery
http:/www.heyclinic.com

Fwd: Photo from Hey Clinic with the St. Germain family before Zach goes off to Iraq

meredith,

can you get this photo to Zach and his dad Mike?

the email below bounced back.

Thx,

Dr. Hey

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Dr. Lloyd Hey" <drhey@mac.com>

Date: May 12, 2009 1:32:06 PM EDT

To: ZACHARY ST GERMAIN <MIKEST@NC.RR.COM>

Subject: Photo from Hey Clinic with the St. Germain family before Zach goes off to Iraq

Mike,

As promised, here is photo of you and Zach and whole family today.

What a blessing to see him straight and tall and strong, and willing to serve.

Will be praying for Zachary as he goes to serve our country.

Take care,

Dr. Hey

P1010428

 

--------

Lloyd A. Hey, MD MS

Spine Surgeon

Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery

Raleigh, NC  USA

http://www.heyclinic.com

Member, Scoliosis Research Society (SRS)  http://www.srs.org

This morning's scoliosis surgery in 27 yo woman

Documented curve progression to 56 degrees, right thoracic,with back pain.
Procedure: T5-L1 instrumentation and fusion w pedicle screws and rods. 2 thoracic Smith-Peterson osteotomies.
Surgical time: 2 hour 51 min.
Estimated Blood loss (EBL): 600 cc
Cell Saver reinfused: 120 cc
Complications: none.
Room aura: excellent.
Team: nurse Kelly, circulating, nurse charley and scrub sheila scrubbed w PA Brittany, along w excellent crna's and anesthesia.
Curve correction: excellent -- over 80 per cent correction. (see photo)

A good Monday morning!

Dr. Lloyd Hey
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery
http://www.heyclinic.com

Scoliometer scoliosis check!

Dr. Lloyd Hey

Durham Bulls Wooley Bull Colors Spine at the Hey Clinic Big Dig!!

Kids Health Quest. 2009

Great turnout here with lots of families coming by the BIG DIG and constructing the whole spine!!
Dr. Lloyd Hey

Marbles Kids Health Quest: Hey Clinic Big Dig!!!

Shelbi, Mer and I are here at Marbles in Raleigh for a special kids Health Quest. A 5 yo boy came up and dug through the balls and put together the whole color-coded spine.
Her mom then told me that she has scoliosis and her dad has a severe case of scoliosis.
Her boy has a chance of getting scoliosis too, and should be screened year by pediatrician starting around age 8. The scoliometer is a helpful tool to do scoliosis screening.

We'll be here all day at Marbles!

Dr. Lloyd Hey
Hey Clinic for Scliosis and Spine Surgery
http://www.heyclinic.com

Today's urgent surgery. Severe progressive cervical myelopathy w cervical disc herniation

Woman was perfectly normal 3 wks ago walking 3 miles per day and using both arms and hands without difficulty.
Three wks ago she slept on a pillow much thicker than usual, and then developed progressive neck and arm pain, then numbness, then clumsiness in both arms and legs. The clumsiness was so bad she could not sign her name or open her own buttons. Her walking became so bad that she came to my clinic yesterday in wheelchair only able to take a few clumsy steps w assistance.
MRI cervical spine done urgently yesterday showed large disc herniation crushing spinal cord at C56, w a "flash lesion" in the spinal cord t that level, which suggests spinal cord bruising or injury.

I just finished fixing this surgically w C56 anterior cervical discectomy and fusion w plate ( ACDF).
Surgical time: 1 hour 30 min.
Complications: none.
Spinal cord monitoring showed improvement after removal of the spinal cord compression.
Hopefully by tomorrow she will start to rergain some of her arm and leg function, but it may take her several months to fully recover from this severe myelopathy (spinal cord malfunction, often due to compression).

Dr . Lloyd Hey
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery
http://www.heyclinic.com

Jenny's first full day in Hey Clinic surgery

Today was a really BIG day!  Jenny, our new wonderful physician assistant spent her first very full day in surgery.
We did 2 big spine surgeries, and she was a huge help.
Congratulations, Jenny, and best wishes to your whole family. We're glad you are on our team.

Dr. Lloyd Hey
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery
http://www.heyclinic.com

Congenital scoliosis and pseudarthrosis and kyphosis above old fusion fixed today in 37 yo woman.

She did quite well.
T10-iliac wing revision extension instrumentation and fusion w bmp, L1 laminectomy where she developed junctional kyphosis. 
EBL 2200 cc
Blood transfused: 1 unit.
Surgical time: 5 hour 50 min.
Good correction.

Dr. Lloyd Hey
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery.
http://www.heyclinic.com

Today's surgery.

Previous L45 dec fusion and instrumentation yrs ago now w degen scoliosis and adjacent level "failure " w stenosis and degenerative collapse.

Surgical time: 2 hour 55 min.
L1-iliac wing instrumentation and fusion. L1-5 laminectomy removal old hardware.
EBL:  600 cc.
Blood given: none.

Dr. Lloyd Hey
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery.
http://www.heyclinic.com

63 yo w severe lumbar scoliosis and stenosis fixed this morning

Preop status: severe back and leg pain w trouble walking. Lumbar curve: 49.3 degrees.
Surgery: T11-Iliac wing instrumentation and fusion w L1-5 laminectomies, L3 osteotomy.
Number segments fused: 9.
Number laminectomies: 5. 
Surgical Time: 3h 02 minutes
EBL: 600 cc
Cell saver returned: 115 cc
Blood transfused: none
Complications: none.
Correction: excellent.
Room aura: excellent.
Team: Nurse Kelly, Sandra, Dan (motorcycle dan), and Brit. David on evoked potentials. Heather CRNA. Dr. Crow, anesthesia.

A good morning.

Dr. Lloyd Hey
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery.
http://www.heyclinic.com

Grateful mom of daughter with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) we fixed surgically sends note to Hey Clinic. FW: Thank you

------ Forwarded Message
From:   Val
Date: Sat, 2 May 2009 09:37:23 -0400
To: Lloyd Hey <>
Subject: Thank you

Dr. Hey,
        I wanted to thank you so much for all you've done for me and my
family. We're so greatful for you and your practice. I honestly don't
know what we would have done without you. I'm very sad that I won't
need to be coming back to your clinic anymore, but you can bet your
bottom dollar that I'll be back to visit! Thanks also for sending me
that picture! We all look so good!!

        Please give my best to everyone (especially Brittany!)

                Sincerely,
                 Val


------ End of Forwarded Message

3 month postop visit for 61 yo woman who had severe kyphoscoliosis, now looking and feeling great.

Saw Carolyn back for follow-up today, who looks like a different person!
She is quite active, and loves her new posture, and she has occasional small amount of back pain, but is quite manageable without narcotics.

Take care Carolyn and have a great summer!
Just don’t overdo it with the bending as we discussed until your fusion is healed a little bit more.

Dr. Lloyd Hey
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery
http://www.heyclinic.com

17 yo who had kyphosis corrected a couple days ago is now standing up beautifully straight and heading home

Awesome posture from front, back and side view.
Quite a bit taller.
Mom’s happy.
She’s very happy.
Dad’s happy.
Everyone’s heading home.

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

Touched by a thank you note from this 12 yo girl who had scoliosis surgery 3 months ago.

McKenzie,
Thanks for sharing your heart with me in this note of thanks.
It really means a lot.
You really blessed and encouraged me, along with our whole staff.
Take care!
Dr. Hey

12 yo girl playing golf during first 3 months after scoliosis surgery, hitting the ball better than preop. She and her mom tell their story

I saw this young lady and her mom back for follow-up at Hey Clinic this afternoon, looking great, and sharing how she has been back playing golf even during the first few weeks postoperatively.
She lives on a golf course, and says that her swing is better and stronger now, which she attributes to her straighter spine.

This past weekend I was actually talking to a dad from Florida, who as a teenage daughter who also is an excellent golfer, but also has a scoliosis with a big curve.
He was very concerned when he was told that she would not be able to play golf for a prolonged period if she had surgery, and should therefore put off surgery until end of high school.
I got him in touch with Alex, who is also from Florida, who was given similar advice years ago, and eventually came up to Hey Clinic and got his scoliosis fixed, and quickly got back to golf.  His story is told in a couple of Hey Clinic blog entries from last year, which can be found under "Alex Golf"

Now today, our young lady came in and wanted to tell her story, which she and her mom shared in this brief video.
I have had adolescent as well as adult golfer scoliosis surgery guests who have told me that they can hit the ball much better after surgery — most say it is due to better alignment, longer trunk/torso, and others say it is because of decreased pain, and others see a more metaphysical synergy between the titanium in the spine harmonizing with the titanium in the golf club!


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

Member, Scoliosis Research Society (SRS)  http://www.srs.org

MCEWEN, GeorGe. Fw: Call Log. Dr. Hey. Fall against table postop.

Got a call just now form pt and his son.
He is postop from recent ldf and fell last night and hit his wound on end table. It is slightly swollen and slightlyred but no drainage.
Assessment: contusion. Unlikely disrupted hrdware which was his concern.
Plan:
Reassurance
Ice
Call if drainage
Call mon and come to see us if incr pain and swell.

Dr. Hey------------------
Date: 5/1/2009 7:03a
Duration: 2:03

9107340223