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Baby
Member
01-08-2006
| Wednesday, May 03, 2006 - 8:45 pm
Awwwwww Herckle! I told you I knew you were a special one! Thank you so much! I will email you my address sometime soon. I have a couple of busy days coming up and I still need to go through more of these articles to see which ones I might benefit from. I will let you know. Thank you! You are a neato kind of lady, Herckle!!!
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Thursday, May 04, 2006 - 10:17 am
No trouble whatsoever, but you are more than welcome, Baby. I'll be checking my email.
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Thursday, May 04, 2006 - 10:39 am
Source: Ivanhoe.com Reported November 11, 2005 The Sting of Back Pain: Ten Questions You Need to Ask Before Surgery ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- Whether you're sitting, standing, walking or jogging, your spine is constantly supporting your weight. With all that wear and tear, it seems only natural that most of us will develop back pain at some point in our lives. When the pain doesn't go away, many people turn to surgery. And as experts reveal, there are the 10 important questions you need to ask your back surgeon before you take the plunge. When it comes to back pain, everybody has a story. Noah Hano says, "I was picking up a box and something popped, didn't feel right. I fell to the ground." Jay Perera: "We got up to leave, and I got on the sidewalk, and I couldn't walk." "Every once in a while, it would spasm, and I would just literally fall on the floor," Michael Dobry says. Back surgery is sometimes where those stories end. "I wanted the pain to go away and I was, had come to the point where I was willing to try surgery," Perera says. Dobry? "I was very against surgery." And Hano: "I was desperate, and I would have done virtually anything that anybody told me if they thought that I was going to be able to relieve the pain." With 48 joints in the spine, relieving back pain isn't always easy to do. Doctors agree on two things; conservative treatments should be tried first and back surgery is rarely necessary. But if you've tried everything and surgery is what's left, here are 10 questions you need to ask. 1. First, William Taylor, M.D., a neurosurgeon at University of California, San Diego, says to ask: Of the surgeries your doctor performs, how many are spine-related? "You want someone who concentrates on the spine; not someone who's doing, you know, a little of this and a little of that," he says. But University of Vermont spine surgeon Robert Monsey, M.D., warns not to dwell on how many surgeries your doctor does. "If you have a surgeon who does 100 of these surgeries, but he doesn't do them well, it doesn't help you that he does 100 or 200 of these surgeries a year." Dr. Monsey says 2. a more critical question is if they have fellowship training in spine surgery. That indicates a high level of technical expertise. Next question: 3. Is there an exact diagnosis? If not, surgery is far less likely to work. Next to ask: 4. What will happen if I don't have surgery? "That changes the way you might look at that procedure and determine whether or not it's worthwhile going through," Dr. Monsey tells Ivanhoe. Question five is twofold: 5. What are the chances this surgery will help me, and could I be worse? Dr. Monsey says if they say the chance of getting back to work and relieving your pain enough so that you can work again is only 50 percent, you may say it's not worth it. The remaining five questions you need to ask are: 6. What's the complication rate? 7. How long will it take to recover? 8. What's the exact operation I'll be having? 9. What happens if it doesn't work, and finally ask yourself, 10. do I trust my doctor? Dr. Taylor says, "I think people have a tendency not to trust their instincts, too. If you don't like the person, or you, you know, don't enter into a therapeutic relationship with them." He says your chances for making a good decision are much better if you study the answers to all of these questions before you make the leap. And doctors say four out of five times, back pain gets better within six months whether you do anything for it or not. If you would like more information, please contact: Jennifer Nachbur University Communications University of Vermont College of Medicine 86th S. William Street Burlington, VT 05401 (802) 656-7875 jennifer.nachbur@uvm.edu
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Thursday, May 04, 2006 - 10:59 am
Source: Ivanhoe.com Reported November 7, 2005 The Sting of Back Pain: Three Promising Treatments ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- Back injuries cost Americans more than $80 billion a year. They're the second-most-common reason people visit a doctor. But there are new ways to take the sting out of back pain.
For 25 years, life has been a real pain in the back for Bonnie Lupo. "You learn to live with it," she says. "I mean, I'm not going to be a couch potato. I'm not going to give up doing the things that I enjoy. I just enjoy doing them a lot less." Lupo rode her horses through the pain, but last January, that stopped when she injured her back again. She couldn't move, but soon found neurologist Marco Pappagallo, M.D. Dr. Pappagallo, of Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, offered Lupo 1. an infusion of the drug pamidronate -- a new option for back pain. "This drug maybe has the potential of modifying the underlying mechanism of pain," he tells Ivanhoe. Pamidronate is normally used to stop bone breakdown in cancer patients. Dr. Pappagallo is testing the drug on back pain. His first study showed 91 percent of patients on the drug had a 41-percent reduction in pain. No one has confirmed Lupo received the drug, but she believes she did. Her pain is gone. She says: "I just feel exhilarated when I'm riding now. I mean I'm just, I'm riding, and I'm like I can't believe this."
Last year, another new option for back pain hit the scene when the 2. FDA approved the first artificial disc. The movable plastic center aligns the spine and retains its ability to move. Not everyone's a candidate though. It only helps people with bad discs in a specific area of the lower back. Neither pamidronate nor the artificial disc were appropriate for Michael Dobry. Severe arthritis had stopped him in his tracks. He says: "All of a sudden, I was crippled. I literally just couldn't make it out of bed. If it had been 2,000 years ago, and somebody was holding up snakes and wiggling them around and said this is going to cure you, I'd have tried it." Spine surgeon Neel Anand, M.D., of Cedars-Sinai Institute for Spinal Disorders in Los Angeles, offered Dobry 3. a spine-stabilizing device called the Dynesys Spinal System. It's a promising alternative to spine-fusing surgery. "If we can get away preserving the disc and provide stability and most importantly make the patient's pain better; I think that's something novel," Dr. Anand tells Ivanhoe. In a fusion, rods hold screws together to immobilize the painful segment of the spine. This new device uses flexible cables, not rods, which keep the entire spine mobile and intact.
Dr. Anand says he's had patients whose pain is gone in two to three days. Dobry felt relief just as soon. "A week after surgery, I felt like my life had been handed back to me on a magic platter, actually. I was walking on the beach within a week," he says. According to Dr. Anand, these three new treatments can relieve the pain, but he warns they're not a cure. For Lupo and Dobry, they're close enough. Beth Israel Medical Center is the only center studying pamidronate. The Dynesys system is under study at about 20 different centers. If you would like more information, please contact: Cynthia Harding Media Relations Cedars-Sinai Medical Center 8700 Beverly Blvd., Room 2430 Los Angeles, CA 90048 - 1865 (310) 423-4768 http://www.cedars-sinai.edu http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/gui/show/NCT00101790 http://www.charitedisc.com http://www.spine-health.com/research/trials/dynesys/dynesys01.html
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Ginger1218
Member
08-31-2001
| Thursday, May 04, 2006 - 12:58 pm
Wendo, who did your surgery? An orthopedic Surgeon or a Neurosurgeon?
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Wendo
Member
08-07-2000
| Thursday, May 04, 2006 - 4:10 pm
Ginger, both. A neurosurgeon handled the first part of the surgery, going in and removing the damaged disc. An orthopedic surgeon handled the second part, removing bone from my hip and the fusion. (I do have a supportive titanium plate and two screws too.) I would always have both if possible.
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Emmy
Member
05-05-2004
| Thursday, May 04, 2006 - 4:33 pm
Wendo, that is exactly the procedure that was explained to us just yesterday. Hip bone, plate and screws included. My husband is terrified of it. I liked the Dr. He reminded my husband he oughta be nice to me if he wants me to take care of him. That would be a treat. Lost my humor on this post - sorry.
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Thursday, May 04, 2006 - 4:50 pm
Source: Ivanhoe.com Reported December 15, 2005 Old Test Diagnoses Back Problem (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A test that's been around for 60 years is getting rave reviews in a new study aimed at correctly diagnosing the back problem known as spinal stenosis. The condition occurs when the spaces in the spine narrow, putting pressure on the spinal cord and nerves and causing back pain and, in some severe cases, even paralysis. Doctors generally use MRIs and a physical exam to diagnose the condition, but coming up with an accurate diagnosis is tricky because back pain can be caused by multiple problems. Investigators from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor decided to see whether the electromyogram, or EMG, test could help pinpoint the disorder. The test measures actual nerve function and the extent of nerve damage but has never been evaluated as a diagnostic tool for spinal stenosis. The study involved three different types of doctors, all of whom were asked to review cases of back pain and come up with a diagnosis based on physical findings and an MRI. All the patients also underwent EMGs. Researchers then compared patients with a unanimous diagnosis of spinal stenosis among the doctors to the results of the EMG tests. They found EMG accurately identified nerve or muscle disease in all five cases agreed upon by the doctors for spinal stenosis. The authors believe these findings are important because spinal stenosis is often misdiagnosed, leading to unnecessary or inappropriate treatment or even surgery. They comment, "This first stringent proof of the utility of electrodiagnostic testing will open the door to more appropriate use of electrodiagnostic consultation for spinal disorders." SOURCE: Spine, published online Dec. 14, 2005
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Thursday, May 04, 2006 - 5:34 pm
For landi--finally!! Source: Ivanhoe.com Reported October 27, 2000 Scoliosis Surgery Dr.'s Q&A In this Dr.'s Q&A session, Alexis Shelokov, M.D., explains how a new procedure helps people with advancing scoliosis straighten up and move without pain. Ivanhoe Broadcast News Interview Transcript with Alexis Shelokov, M.D., Orthopedic Spine Surgeon Consulting Orthopedists, Plano, Texas What is scoliosis? Dr. Shelokov: Scoliosis, or spinal deformity, is an abnormal curvature of the spine that affects about 3 per 1,000 people in the United States population. This includes both children and adults. What causes scoliosis? Dr. Shelokov: Scoliosis is a multi-factorial and multi-genetic disease in origin. Most scoliosis, however, is classified as being idiopathic, meaning we can't tell you exactly what the mechanism is. There are a number of technical scientific observations, but in the year 2000 we cannot show you the gene that causes it. We hope in the next 15 to 20 years, there will be a unified concept of how scoliosis is caused, which will allow us to treat the patients in more effective ways. How does it affect the body? Dr. Shelokov: In early stages, spinal deformity causes a curve in the back and a change in the rib cage. In its intermediate or later stages a real cosmetic abnormality can be seen in a child's or adult's back where there's a major curve and malformation of the chest wall. However, as people age, scoliosis can cause mechanical back pain, leg pain, hip pain and general debility. What options do we have for people diagnosed with scoliosis? Dr. Shelokov: The most important thing is the information their physicians can provide. As a pediatric and adult spinal surgeon, I was taught years ago that we could treat children and adolescents effectively, but adults could not be treated. The good news is over the last 10 to 15 years, new techniques have evolved to effectively treat adults who were untreated when they were young. How has technology changed to better treat adults? Dr. Shelokov: Instruments that correct the spine have gotten better and have incorporated space-age technology such as space-age metals and alternate materials. The techniques of minimally-invasive surgery have been applied to adult spinal surgery. Anesthesia and pain management techniques have also evolved. These are all ways to treat adults more effectively -- to get rid of their curves and have them achieve better standing, posture and balance. One of the things we find as we talk to these patients is not only does their back look a little different, but as a day goes on, they experience progressive pain. They have difficulty standing and carrying on their daily activities. The goals of surgery are to straighten the curve, but more importantly put the patient in a painless and stable postural position where they can go on and carry out the things they want to do in life. Who makes a good candidate for this new surgery? Dr. Shelokov: The ideal candidate is a healthy, 40-year-old woman with no other medical problems. I say woman simply because women have scoliosis with the same frequency as men; however, women have progressive scoliosis seven times more commonly. In my practice, about 95 percent of the patients I operate on happen to be women. This is because of their tendency to progress more than men. The ideal patient is one who is in good physical condition, has no other significant illnesses, has a curve that can be corrected, and one in which we can identify the source of the pain. Our job is not to make them straight, and it's not just a cosmetic operation. However, it's to identify where the pain is coming from. What is the process once you are a candidate for surgery? Dr. Shelokov: We discuss with them what happens in surgery and how we do the surgery. Then they make a decision with our guidance and counsel about whether surgery is appropriate for them. If they decide it's something they want to do, then the preoperative evaluation is carried out medically. As with any major surgery, there are a number of risks. Before we perform surgery, we spend a lot of time preparing patients for the operative experience. One of the things we do is discuss with them the risks and the benefits so they can make an informed decision. What are some of the risks? Dr. Shelokov: We're concerned about postoperative blood clots in the legs, nerve injury, and obviously infection. When a patient needs surgery, we spend a significant period of time discussing the operative experience with them and their family. Patients need to be informed of what the risks and benefits of any surgery are. There's always the potential for nerve injury and the potential for other postoperative complications. The good news is that healthy adults do very well, and they have a low complication rate with this kind of surgery. What are the emotional aspects? Dr. Shelokov: The emotional interaction is probably the most important and the most interesting part of my practice. Patients come first with the expectation that there's nothing that can be done for them. So they're terribly frustrated. They're often depressed, angry and have seen multiple physicians who have told them there's nothing that can be done. When you first tell them, show them some X-rays, and give them names of other patients to talk to, they are amazed by the idea of there being a treatment option for them. Then there's a period of elation and a period of appropriate anxiety, concern and fear before anybody has an operation. After the surgery, people don't recognize their bodies at first. They are amazed when they look in a full-length mirror. Women are excited to go out and buy a new wardrobe and not have to wear two shoulder pads on one side, have their hem cut in an irregular fashion, or have pant legs that are several inches different in length. However, they do have some of the limitations they had before. Is this considered a permanent solution? Dr. Shelokov: Scoliosis surgery is intended to do several things. It's intended to put the head over the pelvis and to straighten curves in both planes. It requires that you make the spine flexible so you can move it in space, and then you instrument it with rods and fuse it in a stable position. The spine has to be made flexible, and that's either done through a combination of procedures from the front of the spine or the side and the back. After it's flexible, it's placed in the corrected position and fused with rods that hold it in place like an internal cast. We use bone from the patient's hip to fuse the vertebra together. What is the recovery time after this kind of surgery? Dr. Shelokov: The good news is with the modern instrumentation and very strong spinal implants most patients get out of bed for the first time to sit in a chair either at the end of the first or second day. Usually they leave the hospital by the fourth or fifth day and wear a light plastic brace. Patients often find they can return to work at four to six weeks. Many are driving in a month, and they're certainly independent and able to care for themselves. How long do they wear the brace? Dr. Shelokov: The light plastic brace is worn from two to three months, postoperatively, depending on the particular procedure that's performed. What are the costs involved? Dr. Shelokov: Insurance usually covers these procedures because they're not cosmetic procedures. Insurance companies recognize them as appropriate medical needs and cover the costs of surgery. What is the most rewarding part? Dr. Shelokov: In the early years, I was focused on the technical proficiency of obtaining a good correction. Now the mechanics of what I do are rewarding. As I get older and take care of patients who I operated on as children, and see they are sending me baby announcements or wedding announcements, that's a reward in itself. I get to know the families and have personal relationships and feel real pleasure knowing I contributed to their lives. END OF INTERVIEW
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Thursday, May 04, 2006 - 5:44 pm
Another for landi! Source: Ivanhoe.com Reported April 11, 2003 Help for Scoliosis NEW YORK (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- Scoliosis is a condition that can leave the spine severely twisted, causing pain and in some cases difficulty breathing. For cases that require major spinal surgery, there's now a new less-invasive option. Since she was a small child, Miliana Arana has dreamt of being a dancer. But last year -- at age 14 -- her mother noticed something that nearly shattered those dreams. "I noticed her from the back, which is an angle we don't often see, and I noticed that she was leaning to one side," Evelyn Arana, Miliana's mother, tells Ivanhoe. Miliana says, "She kept asking me why was I leaning to one side, and I told her I wasn't doing it on purpose." X-rays of Miliana's spine showed a curve of more than 45 degrees. She had scoliosis and needed surgery. Instead of standard spinal fusion -- which requires a long incision down the back -- Baron Lonner, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, opted for a new, less-invasive technique. By going in from the side, it disrupts less muscle and leaves only these small scars. "We go between the ribs and we remove the discs," says Dr. Lonner. Using thoracoscopic surgery, discs between the vertebrae are replaced with bone from Miliana's ribs. A titanium rod and screws are then used to squeeze the vertebrae together, straightening the spine. Dr. Lonner says, "We fuse fewer levels of the spine, so that, long term, they have better flexibility and less risk of the lower discs of the spine wearing down, and their recovery is much quicker." Six months later, Miliana's been given the okay to start dancing again. Each year, more than 100,000 children in the United States are diagnosed with scoliosis. Of every 1,000 children, three to five of them will develop spinal curves large enough to need treatment. If you would like more information, please contact: Baron Lonner, M.D. Scoliosis Associates 212 East 69th Street New York, NY 10021 (212) 737-5540 http://www.scoliosisassociates.com
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Thursday, May 04, 2006 - 6:11 pm
Source: Ivanhoe.com Reported February 5, 2003 Few Problems for Late-Onset, Untreated Scoliosis Patients IOWA CITY, Iowa (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- New research shows adolescents with late-onset scoliosis who did not have surgical treatment can go on to productive and active adult lives. They also appear to experience little physical impairment other than back pain and cosmetic concerns, researchers report. Late-onset scoliosis is a curvature of the spine diagnosed after age 10. Late-onset idiopathic scoliosis affects 60,000 adolescents in the United States. The 50-year study involved 444 patients diagnosed with scoliosis between 1932 and 1948. The follow-up was started in 1992 and compared 117 of those patients who were not treated for their condition to people without scoliosis who were similar in age and gender. Researchers from the University of Iowa found 22 scoliosis patients out of 98 complained of shortness of breath during everyday activities compared to eight participants out of 53 in the control group. About 66 scoliosis patients out of 109 reported chronic back pain compared to 22 out of 62 control participants. Among patients with pain, 48 out of 71 scoliosis patients and 12 out of 17 control participants reported only little or moderate back pain. Researchers also found an increased risk of shortness of breath associated with a Cobb angle greater than 80 degrees. Cobb angles, or spinal angles, greater than 40 degrees to 50 degrees indicate a need to correct the curvature with braces or surgery to prevent deformity, pain and disability. Authors of the study write, "We did not find evidence to link untreated LIS (late-onset idiopathic scoliosis) with increased rates of mortality in general or from cardiac or pulmonary conditions potentially related to the curvature. In LIS, only patients with thoracic apices and curves of more than 100 degrees are at increased risk of death." SOURCE: Journal of the American Medical Association, 2003;289:559-567
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Thursday, May 04, 2006 - 6:25 pm
Source: Ivanhoe.com Reported August 8, 2003 Straighten up Scoliosis PHILADELPHIA (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- Scoliosis, or a curvature of the spine, usually develops in children around age 9. Moderate and severe cases often require a brace. If the problem continues, spinal fusion is often called for. The surgery limits movement and leaves a long scar. Now, doctors at the Shriners Hospital for Children in Philadelphia are using staples to put off fusion.
One look around and it’s clear, an active child lives here. “I like to play softball, Tae Kwon Do, and horseback riding,” says Brittani Moore. But as much as she loved the wild activities, her back didn’t. “I like to go really fast," Brittani says, "And it just starts to hurt.” Brittani was following in her mother’s footsteps -- both have scoliosis. Doctors first said, like her mother Pamela, Brittani would need fusion. Pamela says, “I was devastated. It’s emotionally very difficult for a young girl to have a scar that pretty much covers the length of her spine.” Then, doctors at Shriners Hospital for Children mentioned an experimental procedure -- spinal stapling.
“By putting a staple over on this side, you can temporarily arrest the growth of the spine on that side, allowing this side to continue to grow,” says Pediatric Spinal Surgeon Randal Betz, M.D. He says, so far, it’s been very successful. “I have two children that I’m following that have gone from 20 degrees now to straight.” In just a few months, Linda D’Andrea, M.D., also a pediatric spinal surgeon at Shriners Hospital for Children, has seen drastic improvements in Brittani too. Dr. D'Andrea says, “Her 20 degree thoracic curve has now decreased to 11 degrees, and her 25 degree lumbar curve is now 15 degrees.” So, what does that mean? “If she came in with 11 and 15 degrees, I probably wouldn’t even brace her,” Dr. D'Andrea says.
Brittani’s mom nearly cried at the results. As for Brittani, she says, “I’m happy.” Happy about the procedure and being back to full activity, with no restrictions. During the procedure, the lungs have to be deflated. For Brittani, this was the most difficult part of the whole surgery. Doctors in Philadelphia are doing the procedure and a few in Chicago and St. Louis have started as well. If you would like more information, please contact: Terry Diamond Shriners Hospital for Children 3551 North Broad Street Philadelphia, PA 19140 (800) 281-4050 ext. 4055
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Wendo
Member
08-07-2000
| Thursday, May 04, 2006 - 6:29 pm
Emmy, tell your husband to try and not be scared; the procedure is quite routine. If anything, he'll feel more pain in his hip than in his neck; though the Aspen collar is rather uncomfortable. It really wasn't that bad, imo. Of course, everyone is different.
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Landi
Member
07-29-2002
| Thursday, May 04, 2006 - 6:41 pm
thank you so much herkie!!
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Thursday, May 04, 2006 - 6:42 pm
Source: Ivanhoe.com Reported August 11, 1999 Standing Tall With Scoliosis Television News Service/Medical Breakthroughs ©Ivanhoe Broadcast News, Inc. 1997 For 95% of the population, standing straight is no problem. For those who have scoliosis -- or curvature of the spine -- standing tall could mean a painful surgery to straighten the bones of the spine. Researchers have discovered ways that might make surgical correction obsolete. Uncorrected scoliosis can curve the spine so much that the ribs will press on the lungs or heart causing back pain, arthritis, even death. These facts are well known to the Anderson family. Both Katie and Nicki Anderson were diagnosed at a young age and required to wear back braces. Nicki Anderson, Scoliosis Patient: "I was kind of embarrassed, because I didn't know what people would think about it." No child wants to wear a brace any longer than necessary. Today doctors determine the length of time a brace should be worn, by studying the results of past scoliosis patients. Avinash Patwardhan, M.D., Prof. Orthopedic Surgury, Loyola University, Chicago, IL: "The current estimates are not particularly reliable because they are based on self-reporting by the patients and you can never be really sure whether the patient accurately keeps track of how long they wear the brace." In order to collect more precise data, scientists at Hines VA Hospital have outfitted experimental braces with computer chips that monitor how long the brace is worn. Tom Gavin, Certified Orthotist, Hines VA Hospital, Hines, Illinois: "We may be able to have patients successfully wear a brace less and have the same outcome as if they were wearing it 23 hours." The information from the monitors will also be used to create a mathematical model to predict which curves will progress and which will not. Kevin Meade, Ph.D., Biomechanical Engineer, Hines VA Hospital, Hines, Illinois: "So that we don't wind up bracing individuals that don't need it." Unneccessary surgeries will also be avoided. Kevin Meade, Ph.D.: "The future for the scoliosis patient is very bright." Researchers also expect to see a better outcome from bracing which is good news for the scoliosis patient and the family's pocketbook. Spinal fusion surgery costs about $70,000. A brace can be as little at $1,500 dollars. If you would like more information, please contact: Tom Gavin 100 Tower Drive, Suite 101 Bur Ridge, IL 60521 (708) 986-0007
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Thursday, May 04, 2006 - 6:46 pm

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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Thursday, May 04, 2006 - 7:08 pm
Source: Ivanhoe.com Reported November 4, 1997 BAND-AID Back Surgery RICHMOND, Va. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- In the past few years, endoscopic surgery has revolutionized operations of the knee, wrist, shoulder and other joints. Now, a fiber optic system may help relieve a common back problem. Ten months ago, Wayde Glover ruptured a disc in his spinal column. He was in so much pain even working at his computer became an excruciating task. Wayde Glover, Patient: "The pain was intense and ran up and down my leg."
The spinal disc can be likened to an Oreo cookie, it's the soft white filling that cushions the bony vertebrae. If the bones are squeezed too hard, the spinal disc material is squeezed out and pushes against the nerves arising from the spinal cord. Treatment options include: physical therapy, modification of activity, time or surgery. Wayde Glover: "I was really trying to avoid surgery. I was afraid of it. Afraid of some of the nightmares that you've kind of heard about." Wayde heard about a new, less-invasive back surgery being performed by Dr. Hallett Mathews. Dr. Mathews uses an endoscope to get into the spinal canal and dissect the ruptured portion of the disc away from the nerve. Hallett Mathews, M.D., Spinal Surgeon, Medical College of Virginia: "The technology has allowed us to get instruments that are very small and very good and very accurate. We can get into small places with these small instruments."
Wayde was out of surgery in an hour. The procedure is done on an out-patient basis with local anesthesia. He was back to work the following week. Wayde Glover: "I immediately felt instant relief in terms of the sciatica, the pulsing up and down the leg and that hasn't recurred since." The ideal candidate for the endoscopic procedure is an active person without arthritis, between the ages of 20 and 50. Open surgery generally requires an overnight stay in the hospital and 3 to 6 weeks of recovery therapy which nearly doubles the cost of the procedure. If you would like more information, please send SASE to: Brenda Long MidAtlantic Spine Specialists, P.C. 7650 Parham, Suite 200 Richmond, VA 23294
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Landi
Member
07-29-2002
| Thursday, May 04, 2006 - 7:12 pm
holly gets extreme hip pain due to the curve. holly's case is also extreme as it started with a sports injury. there is no scoliosis on either sides of the family.
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Thursday, May 04, 2006 - 7:31 pm
Source: Ivanhoe.com Reported June 2, 2003 Spinal Correction BALTIMORE (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- Spondyloptosis is a severe spine deformity that often causes significant back and leg pain. It has been difficult to treat with surgery, and patients are often left with only a partial correction. Now there is a detailed surgery demanding a lot of patience from surgeons that eliminates the pain.
Darlene Holloway had a tougher time in high school than many of her peers, but it wasn’t because of her grades. “It was just extremely painful to walk,” she tells Ivanhoe. Holloway had a spinal condition called spondyloptosis. She says, “The only way I could describe it was that my rib cage was sitting on top of my pelvis.” Spondyloptosis is a severe deformity that this father-son team of surgeons our of Baltimore says is difficult to correct with standard surgeries.
Baltimore's Mercy Medical Center Spinal Surgeon Charles Edwards II, M.D., says, “Those leave the patient with a residual deformity, which may result in not only a limited cosmetic result, but also a higher risk that they’re going to have continued problems with their back.” His father, Charles Edwards, M.D., who is also a spinal surgeon at Mercy Medical Center, pioneered a detailed surgery to fix the deformity. “It takes a great deal of patience to do this procedure,” says Dr. Charles Edwards. In a surgery that takes about 10 hours, Dr. Edwards uses these tools to stretch the ligaments and pull the spine upright. He also stretches the nerves. “I found that to a remarkable extent, they can accommodate several inches of lengthening,” he tells Ivanhoe.
Dr. Edwards compares the surgery to the Eastern philosophy of gardening. “I see the same ropes and stakes pushing trees to create the shapes the gardener wants,” he says.
 On the left (above) is Holloway's spine before surgery. On the right is what it looks like today. “It added some inches, of course, to me and it also relieved the pain,” she says. And at 29, this college student says she doesn’t even notice the hardware in her back. Dr. Edwards says the technique can be applied in spinal deformities like scoliosis as well and is less time-consuming for those conditions. He has operated on about 80 patients with spondyloptosis. He says he only knows of four or five spinal surgeons using this exact technique to correct the deformity. If you would like more information, please contact: Charles Edwards, II, M.D. The Maryland Spine Center Mercy Medical Center 301 St. Paul Place, Box 225 Baltimore, MD 21202 (410) 539-3434
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Thursday, May 04, 2006 - 7:33 pm
By how many degrees is her spine is curved, do you know? And has she been treated previously for this?
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Landi
Member
07-29-2002
| Thursday, May 04, 2006 - 7:53 pm
it just started being noticed last spring. and then her doc started monitoring it every 3 months. this is her first set of x-rays and measurements. it's just starting to bother her enough that they are concerned.
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Ginger1218
Member
08-31-2001
| Friday, May 05, 2006 - 4:46 am
I was told I have to see a Neurosurgeon, I guess I will know more then. I have an appointment for May 15th at NYU, which I think is the best Hospital in NY for this kind of thing. YUCK, I hate this
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Friday, May 05, 2006 - 7:26 am
Good luck to both of you (and Holly)! Keep us in the loop here, would you?
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Wendo
Member
08-07-2000
| Friday, May 05, 2006 - 6:41 pm
I know it sucks Ginger. If you have any questions etc. please feel free to email me anytime! Email is in my profile. 
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Biloxibelle
Member
12-21-2001
| Saturday, May 06, 2006 - 5:15 pm
Wow Herck, you have been busy. What a treasure trove of information you have posted. Kyphoplasty, yes that was what they told me. It is going to be a while before we get to the radiologist. When we do I'll keep you posted on what he says. Landi, I will keep Holly in my prayers. Stephanie had the surgery done about 5 years ago due to scoliosis. Stephanie's was so bad her back was humping up. It started to involve her bowels also. Of course she had the scoliosis for years before anyone do anything about about it. The doctor that did hers did a top notch job. He was a lot more extensive then he planned to be. She gained 3 inches in her height. Bowel problems cleared up and her mood improved drastically.
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