What will recovery be like after my son or daughter's adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) Surgery?

Our teenagers usually do quite well after scoliosis surgery, waking up for about an hour and a half in the PACU, or recovery room, then going up to a large private room with a pullout bed for mom or dad.  The adolescents don't usually need to go to ICU, or intensive care unit, unless they have other health issues like seizures, preop respiratory difficulties or severe developmental problems.  I do surgery on the smaller children (under 80lbs) and children and teens with other medical issues at WakeMed Children's Hospital, Raleigh, but to the very large majority of our adolescent and adult spinal deformity surgeries at Duke Raleigh Hospital.

Yesterday we shared about Cam, a 17 yo with  thoracic scoliosis with large obvious deformity quite apparent when viewing her back.  She had surgery yesterday morning, which took a little over 3 hours, and then went to PACU where her mom and dad, sister and Grandma got to see her.  Her pain was very well controlled, but she did complain of an itchy nose.  She went up to the orthopedic floor on a Dilaudid PCA along with some other muscle relaxants and anti-nausea meds.  She did have some nausea last night that was not well controlled with the Zofran, so I added some additional anti-nausea medication called Phenargan, and also put her on some Toradol - a non-narcotic anti-inflammatory medication given IV, which decreases need for narcotic.

This morning Cam was doing very well, and after having a little bit of anxiety about getting up, successfully got up with physical therapy 20 hours after surgery and walked all the way up and down the hallway -- with a very nice new posture!

Here is text from Cam's mom this am: 

Hi Dr Hey! It's Gina. Cam flew up and down hallway twice. Nurses at nursing station all came to desk and  were saying you are amazing Cam! Went up 4 stairs alone and down. Took socks off and put them back on alone. In recliner.:-) the tears ahead of time were out of fear, but she pushed through and rocked it.


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

"I've Got Your Back:" Cameron's Tweeted Adolescent Idiopathic Surgery Today. Live Surgery Video/Photo

We tried something new at Hey Clinic and Duke Raleigh Hospital today -- communicating with family during surgery via Tweets!!  Cameron's mom is a nurse working the operating room for many years, and her dad also has many year's experience working in hospitals and operating rooms as an orthopedic implant representative.

Cameron's surgery went super today, and my instrument rep, Dave, helped keep the family up to date throughout the surgery with my Tweets.  Nurse Kelly also gave our usual every 90 minute family update.  You can check out the progress we went through from 7 am until 12 pm today on my tweets at @drlloydhey on Twitter.

Here are some of the pictures we shared via Twitter.
Get well soon Cameron, and many thanks for our scoliosis surgery team who came in on Saturday to make this happen, including Nurse Kelly Hohman, Nurse Fran Nelson, and Scrub Tech Sandra Empke!!

Dr. Lloyd Hey -- Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spinal Surgery, http://www.heyclinic.com

Appreciate my regular scoliosis surgery team 4 days a week at Duke Raleigh Hospital volunteer to come in this Saturday morning for Cameron and her family.  Thanks Team!  

You guys really have "my back" as well as our patient's and family's back!!

Preop photo showing her large right thoracic hump and shoulder obliquity.

This hump was gone by end of surgery today late morning.

 Preop and Intra-Op X-Rays showing good correction of her spinal deformity.

 I'm scrubbing up for surgery

Humps are gone.  Shoulders are leveled.!

Scar will look really good with our plastic surgery subcuticular careful technique.

No sutures or staples to be removed.

 Only 600 cc estimated blood loss (EBL), 350cc given back as cell saver, and no blood transfusions.

 Entire operating room psyched by the correction we were able to get.  Mom, dad, grandma, sister and others are also psyched when they see this film after surgery!!

 Cameron wakes up well, moving both lower extremities right away

Dr. Hey goes over X-Rays with family in conference room after 3 hr 10 min surgery

Cameron's complaint 15 minutes after waking up from scoliosis surgery in PACU at Duke Raleigh Hospital, Raleigh, NC

"My nose itches!"

Mom and dad show her X-rays with her new posture

Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Surgery this Saturday morning. Join us on Twitter

We are here on Saturday morning to get Cameron straightened up before Christmas!

Many thanks for my regular scoliosis team who came in to make this happen:

You guys are rock stars.

Dr. Lloyd Hey

Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery

http://www.heyclinic.com

Outcomes after Scoliosis Surgery. Experience and the "Proof is in the Pudding".... What do patients and families say after having adolescent or adult scoliosis, kyphosis or revision spinal surgery?

It's been a good week and a good clinic today, and here are a bunch of patients we saw today, including a bunch of folks I didn't photograph including some adolescents that we are treating in scoliosis braces or observing.  Distance furthest traveled to see us in clinic today was Kellie and her mom from West Hartford, CT who just flew in for her her 6 week postop -- which was really optional for them -- we could have done that "visit" with local xray and talk on the phone.  But she really wanted to come on down to Raleigh, NC to see us -- which is just awesome.  We also saw Hannah back from Canton, NC which is about a 4 hour drive from western North Carolina, west of Charlotte, NC.

If you could have been a "fly on the wall", these are some of the folks you would have seen and heard from... each with their own story and often a word of thankfulness for Duke Raleigh Hospital, WakeMed Children's Hospital, and the Hey Clinic staff.

I've included some short video clips we shot today as well.

Enjoy a virtual clinic day with us today!!
Dr. Lloyd Hey - Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery.  http://www.heyclinic.com

How badly will I suffer if I consider having scoliosis surgery as an adult? Will I regret the decision, or will it help improve quality of life?

Whew, it has been super-busy around Hey Clinic the past several weeks, and I regret not having time to sit down to do some writing and sharing with all of you!  Thanksgiving was busy but wonderful, seeing some family, but also rounding each day at the hospital.  I received an email this evening from Lynwood, a 42 you gentleman with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and L5S1 anterolisthesis who developed progressive debilitating back and leg pain, and a horrible quality of life.  He is now about 3 weeks postop and shares his thoughts below.  Dr. Lloyd Hey - Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery.  http://www.heyclinic.com

Lynwood R <>	4:17 PM (3 hours ago)
to hey

Dr. Hey –

On November 11, 2013 you performed what I can only describe as a life changing surgery on my spine. My issues include scoliosis, spondylolisthesis, spinal stenosis and a pars fracture at L5-S1. During the pre-surgery consultation you described all the possible side effects of the surgery and shared that for the immediate 2 weeks following the surgery I would, in your words, “Hate you for 2 weeks.” Now that I am just past 3 weeks post-surgery I want to share that I have truly been amazed by your work and my recovery and have not once had feelings of hate for you. Quite the opposite, I have done nothing but sing your praises for the work you performed on my back.

I am grateful to say that gone is the pain and discomfort from my issues pre-surgery and, miraculously, I have not really experienced anything I would even qualify as pain following the surgery. I am able to move very well with the assistance of a walker and truthfully have had only what I would qualify as discomfort on occasion. My incision is healing beautifully. I feel my strength coming back each day. I continue to follow the orders of no bending, lifting or twisting.

All of the above can be attributed to your skill and talent as a surgeon and the healing power of God. You were so wonderful in offering prayer with my wife and I prior to  my surgery and I can honestly tell you that your prayer for his healing has continued each day during my recovery.  Thank you for truly giving me an improved quality of life. I look forward to once again being able to be an active dad with my 9 and 4 year old sons. You have given me that gift this Christmas Season and I will forever be grateful.

Sincerely,

Lynwood R