12 yo girl with severe 68 degree complex thoracic double curve scoliosis (AIS) fixed this morning

Surgical time: 3 hours 10 minutes

EBL: 1100 cc

Complications: none.

Correction: excellent!

Great morning.

Dr. Lloyd Hey

Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery

Last minute Christmas shopping w/ Abby, my scoliosis friend at Jared's Jewelry Store!

Today's pre-Christmas event log!

0500  Got up early this morning, COFFEE, exercise, and drove to work while listening to Christmas story Luke 1+2 on iPhone.  I learn something encouraging every time I listen to portions of scripture, and the drive into work is a good time to do it, getting my heart and mind ready to serve.

0730 We had our last Hey Clinic Team Learning Meeting, including reviewing preparations of our upcoming surgery guests for next 2 weeks with our team mates from Duke Raleigh Hospital next door.  Lots of encouraging stories were shared from recent guests!

0930 Hospital rounds - saw all six of my inpatient guests over at the hospital, who are all making good progress.  Our 35 yo guest with spondylolisthesis and stenosis that we fixed yesterday with single level instrumentation and fusion with TLIF is doing great, and going home today.  She told me this surgery was "Best Christmas Present ever!"

1045 Back to Hey Clinic, and saw one new guest with Brittany, and finished up some phone calls, emails and paperwork.

1130 Good Bye Christmas hugs for all Hey Clinic staff who headed out the door!

1145 Charlene, a scoliosis guest from Florida who came up for a consult a month or so called me on my mobile phone, since the office had just called.  She made up her mind after giving it a lot of thought, and wanted to go ahead and book her scoliosis surgery for early 2010.  Charlene shared how many of her friends have been encouraging her to move forward with surgery, especially as her pain worsens.  She also shared how this Blog continues to be a help to her and her family.  Amazing.  Even though the office was closed, I was able to put her surgery on the calendar for the date she desired, and Tracy will handle this on Monday to get it all set up.

1230 Costco for last minute items including new tires for my son's car!

1345 Jared's Jewelry Store at Southpoint in Durham -- got a chance to see Abby, one of my scoliosis surgery guests.  I had called Abby ahead of time telling her i wanted to have her help me pick out gift for my wife.  Abby had anterior/posterior scoliosis extension instrumentation and fusion with me about 18 months ago. She told me today that she is still doing great, working long hours in high heels all day long, and doing lots of different sporting activities without any pain!  Her standing posture is excellent!  We are pictured here together in her store, with small gifts wrapped and ready to go!  It was cool seeing where she worked, and she took great care of me.  I even got a chance to see what a diamond looks like under the microscope, and learned a little about clarity, and cut, etc.  Looking through the microscope reminded me a little bit about work, doing surgery, since I do all surgery under binocular magnification (either Loupes or microscope).  Even after doing more than 6,000 surgeries, I actually still have a sense of wonder about the beauty of the inner workings of our body that I get to see up close and personal in surgery each day.  It is truly miraculous how the nerves, bones, joints, muscles all fit so perfectly together to form a very functional human body!  As I drove home, I reflected a bit how each person I get to meet and help is extremely precious --- more precious than any diamond of any size, clarity, or cut.  Life and relationships are extremely precious, and should be treasured and cared for with great care.

1500 Wrapped Gifts, and put a couple of my son's new tires beside the Christmas Tree, although he may not consider it a real present!

1600 Do this Blog!

1730 Christmas Eve Service, Blacknall Presbyterian Church, Durham NC!  http://www.blacknall.org

I will be rounding on our guests still recovering in hospital on Christmas and through the weekend while my 2 wonderful PA's get some well earned rest and time with family.

Next week I'll be doing a bunch of scoliosis surgery mostly on some younger guests with adolescent scoliosis, who are off from school.

I wanted to wish all of our Hey Clinic guests and friends a very blessed Christmas, and a wonderful new year!

Special Merry Christmas to my Mom and Dad up in Pennsylvania , as well to Mom and Dad "B" -- All 4 of which read this Blog regularly, and our many brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews.

Dr. Lloyd Hey

http://www.heyclinic.com

Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery

Abby w/ Dr. Hey @ Jared's.

 

Pauline from West Virginia makes it home safely after surgery last week through the big snow! FW: God Blesses us all!

------ Forwarded Message
From: PAULINE
Date: Sun, 20 Dec 2009 22:31:35 -0500
To: Lloyd Hey
Subject: God Blesses us all!

Dear Dr. Hey,
 
Hope you have had a chance to get some rest...we could see you were very tired after the scoli correction on Thursday.  I almost asked you to wait until next day to do my surgery.
I told my hubby that your leg must really be feeling the stress of Thursday morning with my surgery still to go.  I am so grateful to you and always will be thankful for all that you have done for me.  Words are inadequate to express my gratitude.
 
We made it home, finally, yesterday (Saturday) in late afternoon.  This was the longest drive we have ever had from NC to WV...from  10:30 a.m. on Friday (12/18) to Saturday (12/19) afternoon about 5:00 p.m.  The interstates were clogged with semi's and stranded cars, tunnels were closed, the berms and medians were full of stranded vehicles.  We moved a distance of approximately 5 miles in 6 hours in an area just north of Wyethville, VA.  We finally could see lights (other than those of other vehicles just ahead and) to our left.  Following our noses for guidance, we found an all night Kangaroo (gasoline) station with a small convenience store open 24 hours.  There we got something to eat that was not very healthy but hot and tasted really good and was told by the employee that all hotels in the area for 20-mile radius or more was full and also the East River Tunnel that comes over into WV was closed as well.  We were stuck!  No place to rest after already being in the car for 12 hours!  The employee of the Kangaroo station told us we could spend the night on their lot, use their restrooms and stay as long as we needed.  And, we were only two people to whom she extended this welcome.  All of us were very grateful.  We filled the tank and our tummies and returned to our own personal "Hilton" better known as the Sebring with snow tracker tires (Michelin tires are the very best!) to retire for the night.  An hour or so later we needed something to help us relax so we could sleep, so I got a mocha w/o coffee or chocolate and Keith got coffee.  He said something hot would help and the coffee was hot..  Still no sleep.  After hours of this, we finally got a short nap and upon awakening found it was daylight!!!! of the next day - Saturday (12/19).  We went inside the convenience store to hear some new travelers tell of the East River Tunnel finally being open and with this bit of information, we determined that if the tunnel was open, then I-77 should be open, also.  So, we got something hot for breakfast, went to the restroom and freshened up as much as possible, and hit the road abourt 9 a.m.We left Bland, VA and headed north toward home with prayers in our pocket and expressing our thanks for a night like we had never, ever spent before in our entire lives.  We made the remainder of our journey home in eight hours which is longer than it takes for us to travel from our home in Wayne, WV to Raleigh, NC.  When folks along the way asked us about road conditions and offered their help because I was walking with great caution on slick sidewalks, wet floors, etc and I would say "no but thank you for offering." Then, of course, they would ask if I have a knee or hip problem and I told them I had just had back surgery on Thursday,
12/17, the look of disbelief on their faces was astounding.  They were so impressed.  I told them I travel many miles to see the very best doctor for my back and to have treatment in the very best hospital.  Anywhere!  I tolerated this entire experience really quite well, much better than I would have before having surgery on Thursday.  Before surgery, riding 15-20 minutes was about the limit before stopping for me to walk.  And, walking increased my pain. So, I was stuck between being uncomfortable to miserable...mostly miserable. Thank you, again, for extending yourself to give me relief.
 
I know this was a long note for you to take time to read, but this is how I feel about the hospital, you - my doctor, and God ... to whom I give all the credit.
 
I hope you take time off for real-time, much needed rest and some great family time.  Give my thanks to your family for sharing time with one of your most grateful patients.  MERRY CHRISTMAS to all the Hey family and the Hey Clinic and their families.
 
Many blessings,
 
Pauline
Wayne, WV
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



------ End of Forwarded Message

Casey's Very High Thoracic Idiopathic Scoliosis Really made her shoulders uneven. Fixed today in time for Christmas!

Casey is a lovely young lady with a very unusual adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), who had her primary curve at very top of her thoracic spine.
This was painful, and caused major rib hump and shoulder obliquity problems.
I did a correction of this complex kyphoscoliosis using new double rod technique, multiple osteotomies, and gentle correction.
The end result was excellent.
She had minimal blood loss.
Mom and Dad were blown away by how great her shoulders and spine look now!
A great morning.
I love my job!

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

34 yo man with 60 degree painful scoliosis fixed today. Cool Greek Tattoos. Love God. Love Each Other!

> Several weeks ago, I was doing research on the web to help our
> church to develop our own mission statement.
> I ran across a short simple mission statement for Summit Church
> which rang true: Love God, Love Each Other, Love the World."
> The very next day, I met David, a 34 yo gentleman with severe
> scoliosis at Hey Clinic.
> I noticed that he had Greek letters tattooed on inside portion of
> both forearms, that looked pretty cool.
> I asked them what they said, and he told me that he went to Summit
> Church, and the tattoo on one side says "Love God" and on the other
> says "Love each Other."
> Wow. Inspiring "coincidence". Now THAT'S an inspiring Mission
> Statement!
> I guess it is also good example of wearing your "Heart on Your Sleeve"
> David has a very strong faith and spends the summer inspiring kids
> at a Baptist camp down at the coast.
>
> David's scoliosis has continued to progress during adulthood and has
> become quite painful and dis-forming.
> We fixed it today with special new double rod technique and got
> excellent relief.
> You can see the 12 cork-screw like devices I use to very gently
> derotate and straighten the spine safely.
> We got an awesome correction and his rib hump was largely gone by
> end of surgery.
> Heather, a local physical therapist from Avante Physical Therapy
> here in Raleigh was observing us today.
> She asked good questions, and enjoyed watching the disappearing rib
> hump!
>
> Surgical time: 3 hours 10 minutes.
> EBL: 1000 cc
> Blood transfused: none.
> Complications: none.
> Correction: excellent.

Three Friends who helped each other find help, who then encouraged me!

> On Friday afternoon, I was "whoop tired" after a very long week and
> several late nights doing spinal reconstructive surgery.
> As I went back to my desk, I found this framed picture sitting on my
> chair, which really brightened my whole week.
> I did major scoliosis surgery on Steve, on the far right, who did
> great.
> Steve got his pediatrician friend Charles to finally get his
> spondylolisthesis and spinal stenosis fixed.
> Charles then got his surgeon friend Terry to get his complex
> scoliosis fixed.
>
> The three of them then encouraged me by sending me this photo and
> encouraging note.
>
> Also, from this weekend I saw "Julie and Julia" about blogging and
> cooking. Great movie. Inspired me to pursue blog and writing more
> -- it can be a real encouragement to many.
>
> Now I am about to start scoliosis surgery on a teenager -- one of
> many we will be helping over next 3 weeks around vacation time!!
>
> Have a great day.
>
> Dr. Lloyd Hey
> Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery
> http://www.heyclinic.com
>

A Very Merry Hey Clinic Holiday

Every year the Hey Clinic family gets together for a holiday event. This year we decided to go see A Christmas Carol in downtown Raleigh. To our delight one of our friends and Hey Clinic guests, “Mr. T”, was one of the performers in the play! The performance was one of the best we have seen and all of us had a fantastic time together. To make things even better, “Mr. T” had a visit scheduled in our office the next morning and all of us got to thank him for his outstanding performance. What a joy it was for us to see one of our guests bringing smiles to so many faces, including all of us at the Hey Clinic. “Mr. T”, thanks again for such a wonderful experience, you truly helped us all have some more holiday spirit!

X-rays from Our Morning Surgery

These are photos of the x-rays taken after the anterior posterior reconstruction performed this morning! What a fabulous correction!
Dr. Larry in Alaska, your mom did great!

Audrey and Ryan fly home to Maine today w Audrey enjoying new shape.

Audrey first learned about Hey Clinic through this blog a few months
ago and contacted me through our website and sent me her xrays. After
doing phone consultation, we reserved a clinic visit and surgical date
for December.

She flew in this Monday to RDU, and met me in office that day with her
awesome supportive boyfriend Ryan The next morning, I fixed her
scoliosis at Duke Raleigh Hospital, next door to Hey Clinic. Ryan then
stayed w Audrey in the private room w his own pullout bed. She got to
have a shower yesterday to get cleaned up a bit before travelling home.

This morning i took Ryan and Audrey back to RDU airport, with Audrey
walking well on her own. On way to airport, she share how her rib
cage now feels symmetric for first time! We went over follow-up plans
including arrangements to get xrays done locally and mailed to us.
Other follow-up will be done via email or phone.

Get well soon, Audrey! You look great!