Yesterday, Monday November 3rd we helped a 59 yo woman, who works as a nurse manager for a hospital a few hours away who has a several hear history of severe progressive back pain. She was only recently diagnosed with a severe scoliosis. She likely had a smaller idiopathic scoliosis, but in her past 10 years or so, severe degenerative changes began to set in, causing disc and facet joint breakdown, and subsequent curve collapse with pain. This is a good example of degenerative scoliosis on top of idiopathic scoliosis, becoming symptomatic later in life.
Her surgery went very well today.
Fusion levels: T3-S1-Iliac Wing, with L5S1 L TLIF spacer w/ PEEK, and 2 lumbar osteotomies.
Surgical Time: 5 hrs 30 minutes.
Extubated in operating room, without difficulty.
Surgical correction: Excellent. Approximately 80%. Well balanced. Excellent lumbar lordosis. Humps gone.
Estimated Blood Loss: 1500 cc
Cell Saver Returned to Patient: 650 cc
Blood Transfused: None. Postop Hemoglobin 11.3
Evoked Sensory and Motor Function: Normal.
Postop Check: In good shape. Family Very Thankful. Local referring orthopaedic surgeon called me after surgery to get an update, and was also thankful.
Last week we “straightened up” a medical assistant for a surgery clinic who had a nearly 90 degree kyphosis. The week before that we did a large scoliosis in a nurse from local hospital. Tomorrow afternoon I am doing a thoracolumbar fusion on a retired nurse. Lots of healthcare providers in need of straightening!
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Lloyd A. Hey, MD MS
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery
Raleigh NC USA
http://www.heyclinic.com
Member, Scoliosis Research Society, SRS
http://www.srs.org
On Thursday I had the privilege of shadowing Dr. Hey’s surgery on a 40 year old kyphosis patient. As a pre-med student at NC State I was shocked to receive such an opportunity. My dream is to become a surgeon, and it is not often that a physician is patient enough to take an undergraduate student under their wing. During the procedure I observed, Dr. Hey fused the abnormally curved area of the patient’s spine using titanium rods and screws. I was amazed by the procedure, and being able to experience such an incredible thing first-hand has really changed my perceptions about my future.
Going into the surgery I had all but ruled out orthopedics as a career choice. I was also beginning to question whether my lifelong dreams of going into the medical field were worth the cost of pursuing them. However, when I stepped into the operating room I realized two things that settled any and all doubts that I had about my career. First, I began to comprehend how vastly this operation would improve the patient’s life. I also recognized to a new degree how fascinatingly intricate the human body is. Orthopedic medicine has a much greater impact on a patient than I had imagined, and the improvements that can be made in the quality of life have led me to consider this field much more intently.
I would like to sincerely thank the patient and her family for allowing me to observe this surgery, because I ultimately could not have had this experience to learn and grow without their help. It was an honor to be able to witness this procedure, and I hope that the improvement in the patient’s life is as great as the difference this experience has made in mine.
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LLOYD A HEY, MD MS
HEY CLINIC FOR SCOLIOSIS AND SPINE SURGERY
RALEIGH NC USA
HTTP://WWW.HEYCLINIC.COM
MEMBER, SCOLIOSIS RESEARCH SOCIETY (SRS)
HTTP://WWW.SRS.ORG
