Vera has had 3 children, with progressive back pain and noticable “shift” in her posture to the side over past 10 years.
She had 43 degree mostly lumbar curve.
Today, she had her curve corrected nearly 100% with a T11-L5 instrumentation and fusion with L45 TLIF.
Her surgery took approximately 3 hours.
Her estimated blood loss was 1000 cc, with most of this blood returned to her with cell saver.
She is doing well this afternoon, very pleased with the photo of her new posture!
Vera wanted this fixed now when she was younger, not only to get relief, but to prevent the curve from getting larger in future, when it would also be stiffer, and harder to fix, with a higher complication rate, and harder postoperative recovery.
Her wonderful curve correction shows how some 20-30 and even some people in their early 40’s can get phenomenal curve corrections if the curve is relatively flexible.
I have even seen some 50 and 60 yo patients with flexible curves, but most older patients have much stiffer curves.
Osteotomies can also help get better correction in the younger and older groups
Lloyd A. Hey, MD MS
http://www.HeyClinic.com
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery
Raleigh, NC USA