Venice canal

Venice!

Beautiful morning here.
dr. Lloyd Hey

Taking a break in Padova

We finished off a very busy week at Hey Clinic on Friday, and now I am off to Italy w family for a little vacation to recharge the batteries.

This is the view this morning from our room in Padova, Italy, which is outside Venice. This is a college town, where Galileo taught. We are here w friends, some of whom grew up here, and gave us great walking tour last night, w a wonderful dinner near center of town. Saw a wonderful Cathedral from St Anthony last night where they were holding Mass -- church nearly full.

Clinic on Friday was great. Saw John Paul back for follow-up -- the 11 yo from Phillipines we fixed earlier that week with the severe chest hypokyphosis. His X-Rays in our clinic showed that is scoliosis was completely corrected, and that we were successful pulling his chest wall out from being sunken in (lordosis) to proper kyphosis. This will give his heart and lungs enough room.   Both John Paul and his dad were quite happy with his new posture, and to be going home. Take care, John Paul!

I also saw a couple of my athletic teenage scoliosis patients back doing great playing softball and doing flips water skiing and snow skiing and trampolenes!!

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

Kaity gets to travel and dance after scoliosis surgery

I saw Kaity and her parents back a few months after her adolescent scoliosis surgery. She looks great and told me about her Costa Rica trip she was able to go on a few weeks after surgery, and her dance competition, which went well.
She gave me this beauiful book mark from Costa Rica w a nce hand-written note on back saying:
" Dr. Hey,
Thank you so much for fixing my back!
I healed fast, and was able to go to Costa Rica! - Kaity "

Thanks Kaity for this wonderful gift.
I will use it often and think of you!
Dr. Hey
http://www.heyclinic.com
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery

18 yo lady w right adolescent idiopathic scoliosis fixed this morning

T5-T12 instrumentation and fusion
Surgical time 2 h 20 min
EBL: 450
Complications: none.
Correction: excellent
Blood transfused: none.

The lower curve, which was fairlly large preop corrected and derotated very well on bending films, allowing me to do shorter fusion.

Morning rounds this morning:
I asked young lady who had her surgery yesterday how bad her postop pain was compared to what she expected?  Her anwer: "Much less than expected. It feels like a muscle pull".
Our 11 yo scoli from Momday is doing great. He was playing his Game Boy resting comfortably on morning after his surgery. Today he was telling me what he plans to do when he grows up: "Help all the poor people in the world ant not be selfish". wow. And he means it.

Yesterday had intresting talk w one of my recent scoliosis surgery patients who is in her 20's and was braced for many years while she was growing. Her mom actually tried to put wedges and pads under her clothes to help make the scoliosis less noticable, but this attention. Ma have actually made the patient more self aware of her deformity. She's just so glad now to have her posture back to normal after surgery, especially after just recently getting married! 

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

No more pinchy for the scoli and spondy and severe stenosis: this afternoon's surgery.

Notice the lateral and anterolisthesis at L34 and L45 respectively, along w degenerative scoliosis. Very tight stenosis L34 and L45.
This 75 yo could barely walk w severe bilat progressive leg pain and spinal claudication.
Intraop, found spine to be very unstable at L34 and L45 w severe stenosis which I relieved.
Proc: L3-S1-Iliac instrumentation and fusion w L3-5 laminectomy.
Surgical time: 1 hour 58 minutes.
EBL: 350 cc
Cell saver: 120 cc
Complications: none.

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

"How straight do you want to be?"

In preop this morning, our 17 yo young lady w adolescent idiopathic scoliosis' answer: "As straight as possible!!"

Mission accomplished this morning.
T5-L3 instrumentation and fusion.
Surgical time: 2 hour 32 min.
EBL: 350 cc
Cell saver returned: 120 cc.
Blood transfused: none.
Complications: none.
Correction: excellent.

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

L45 spondylolisthesis w lumbar stenosis sp previous laminectomy fixed this afternoon

65 yo woman w excruciating L leg pain preop.
Procedure: L45 revision decompression laminectomy w instrumentation and fusion.
Surgical time:  1 hour 50 min.
EBL: 150 cc.
Complications: none.

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

15 yo young lady straightened up today w 43 degree thoracolumbar idiopathic adolescent scoliosis.

T5-L2 instrumentation and fusion.
Surgical time: 3 hrs 19 min.
EBL: 600 cc.
Cell saver: 245 cc.
Correction: excellent, over 90 per cent.
Complications: none.

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

17 yo young lady w severe double curve adolescent idiopathic scoliosis fixed this afternoon

T5-L3 instrum and fusion
EBL: 400 cc
Surgical time: 3 h 25 min
Correction: excellent
Complications: none.

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

11 yo boy w scoliosis and severe thoracic hypokyphosis from Philippines fixed today.

This boy's thoracic spine actually was sinking in (20 deg lordosis), w progressive scoliosis as well. He has arthrogryposis. His subsequent chest volume for heart and lungs was getting much smaller, since distance between thoracic spine and anterior chest wall was shrinking.

We fixed it today using a special surgical technique to slowly "draw" the thoracic spine back using pedicle screws, simultaneous rods and special insertion instruments.

We obtained an excellent correction, and his chest wall now comes "out" as opposed to "in".

Surgical time: 3 hrs 3 min.
EBL 800
Blood transfused: none.
Complications: none.

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

13 yo w adolescent idiopathic scoliosis fixed this morning

T6-L1 instrumentation and fusion.
Surgical time: 2 h 25 min.
EBL: 500 cc.
Blood transfused: none
Correction: excellent. Rib hump gone.
Special Techniques:  new thoracic pedicle guidance system.
Complications: none.
Infection precautions: max including laminar flow room and moon suits.

Dr. Lloyd Hey
Now on Twitter!
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery (also on Twitter!)
http://www.heyclinic.com

C45 ACDF for 51 yo gentleman sp recent transient quadriplegia after minor fall off ladder fixed today.

Did well during surgery.
Removed pressure from spinal cord from herniated disc and stabilized this level with bone graft and plate.

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

Re: thanks!. Abby's mom follow-up question regarding postop pain management. Illinois Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis. Her Blog Link.

Amy,
Good to hear from you.
She should probably be able to taper off narcotic within 2-3 wks.  You can just do a “ramp” with maybe 4 pills max per day now, going down to one pill a day in 2-3 wks then stop.
Naproxen should be taken twice a day as well as Tylenol.
Take care,
Dr. Hey


On 6/16/09 10:41 AM, "Amy

Dr. Hey,
 
We are home and glad to be here!  Abby is doing well--she had a group of friends over yesterday and that put a sparkle back in her eye.  We are working hard to keep the medication figured out, but she is up and moving and we see improvement every day.
 
How long do most patients need the Lorecet?  It is the thing that helps her the most, I just hate to see her taking narcotics for a long period of time...
 
Thank you again for all that you did for us.  Thanks is such a small thing to offer, but it comes from our hearts.
 
Here is the link to a blog I started about our story.  Feel free to share if you think it will help another family...
http://scolistory.blogspot.com/

Blessings!
Amy

3 hours later: the hump is gone!! Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis correction before-after. New pedicle guide technique.

Age: 14
Preop scoliosis: 59 degree right thoracic.
T5-L1 instrumentation and fusion using new thoracic pedicle guide technique which is really working out well.  Also 3 posterior osteotomies. 


Estimated Blood Loss:  600 cc
Cell Saver: 220.
Complicaations: none.
Correction: excellent
Dr. Lloyd Hey
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery
http://www.heyclinic.com

Preeop X_Ray 14 yo scoliosis surgery today

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

Large right rib hump to be fixed this am on 14 yo girl with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS)

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

Abby flies home to Illinois w her mom after scoliosis surgery Thursday

I dropped off Abby and her mom Amy at RDU Southwest terminal just now after rounding this Sunday.
Abby is now an inch taller than her mom, and beautifully straight.
We hope to see Abby and her family next summer, tying it in w visit to beautiful NC coast.
Get well soon Abby! 
You look great!

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

15 yo girl w adolescent idiopathic scoliosis fixed this am.

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

This morning's surgery: spondlylolisthesis w severe stenosis, lumbar

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

Afternoon surgery: removing the "pebble in my shoe":

L5S1 disc herniation w severe L leg sciatica.
Surgical time: less than 1 hour.
Findings: large L L5S1 free frament disc, removed in one piece --- the pebble in shoe phenomenon. It sure feels good to get that "pebble" out and off the nerve root!

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

X-Rays before and after from this morning's kyphosis surgery

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

"AFTER" kyphosis correction this morning in 46 yo from South Carolina

This is her ner posture after surgical correction w head under drapes to left of picture.
Compare to photo taken in preop earlier this am.
Dramatically improved.
T3-L3 instrumentation and fusion.
4 posterior osteotomies.
Surgical time: 3 hour 12 min.
Correction: excellent.
Est Blood Loss: 650 cc
Blood transfused: none 

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

"BEFORE": Preop kyphosis in 46 yo woman w severe pain and deformity fixed this morning

78 degree preop kyphosis.
This is her sitting posture in preop w camera rotated w head to left.

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

This morning's surgery: 12 yo w large thoracolumbar curve

Surgical time: 2 hour 25 min
Complications: none.
EBL: 500 cc.
Blood transfused: none.

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

64 y woman sp laminectomy elsewhere w 70 degree scoliosis fixed today

T5-Iliac wing instrumentation and fusion w lumbar revision laminectomies and osteotomies.
Surgical time:  4 hour 24 min.
Complic: none.
This guest was sent to us by Duke Cardiologist Dr. Blazing who wanted her surgery done quickly and effectively with lower blood loss to decrease her risk since she had significant comorbidities.

She sailed through surgery very well and should feel much better now. She was in agony preop.

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