On Monday this week, I finally got to meet Connie and her husband Ed, who are from a Los Angeles California suburb.
Connie and I have been in phone and email contact over past few months regarding her scoliosis.
She was initially picked up with scoliosis about 10 years ago, and initially had little pain. At that point her double curve was roughly 50 degrees for upper and lower.
Over past 10 years, her pain and deformity has gotten progressively worse to the point where her quality of life is greatly affected.
A surgeon out in California removed some of her lower ribs when they were hitting her pelvis and causing pain — which didn’t help very long.
Earlier this week at Hey Clinic her curves are 56 upper and 76 lower with severe collapse and height loss.
She did a lot of research, and sent me some X-Rays and clinical photos a few months ago, and then we talked on phone.
We talked again on the phone on Friday before she flew out Saturday to RDU (Raleigh Durham Airport) which is about 15-20 minutes from Hey Clinic.
Monday, between surgeries I got to meet her and her husband Ed, who is a phenomenal cartoonist for Dreamworks, after working for Disney for many years.
Connie was definitely psyched up for getting her scoliosis fixed, but was understandably nervous in the week leading up to the surgery and travel.
Her surgery was Tuesday morning, and went great.
Surgical time was around 6 hours.
She got a couple units of blood plus cell saver.
I placed a TLIF at L5S1, and instrumented her spine from T3 down to the Ilium, with multiple thoracolumbar osteotomies to help with her correction of the severe deformity.
She got an excellent correction despite the curves being fairly stiff. The osteotomies definitely helped.
She spent the first 2 nights in ICU, but did very well and has gotten up to walk, standing up very straight.
Her large “hump” she had on the lower left is gone, and her ribs are now a couple inches or more above the pelvis (the ones that are left!)
This evening I saw both of them up in her big private orthopaedic room with 2 beds.
She really looks great, and both her and Ed are quite thankful for the care they have received.
It was a special, joyful and peaceful time with this special couple.
Ed took a few minutes to show me some of his amazing artwork for his next film he is working on, which is the sequel to “Kung Fu Panda.”
He was working on it in Connie’s room, using the free high speed wireless Internet to stay in touch with work, and family and friends back in California and around the country.
My daughter is very artistic, but my art is limited I think to “titanium sculpture.” 🙂
Connie will be discharged from the hospital probably by Saturday morning, and stay here in Raleigh through the weekend.
She’ll come in to see me in clinic Monday, where we will get some new X-Rays, and answer any questions they have, and get a team photo.
Then Tuesday she flies 2,420 miles back to Los Angeles looking a lot straighter, and very relieved to have this 10 year concern behind her.
Get well soon, Connie!
Lloyd A. Hey, MD MS
http://www.heyclinic.com
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery
Raleigh, NC USA