What is the magic number for surgery and why?
Here's my query based of our recommendations for surgery.
This April we went back to our scoliosis doc two months early because for five years in a row she has had pnuemonia and asthma which is worse over the last year, I noticed a larger list in her standing, and she damaged her left hip when running which I thought was because of her pelvic tilt.
Since then, we have had 2 appointments about my girl (T46, L31) at Stanford and Children's Hospital Oakland and both had recommendations for surgery. The docs there have excellent reps and their surgical records for the last few years are great. Our doc at Children's has the better record (very little wound infection is the significant difference) and he's super sweet, he's been treating her since she was diagnosed during a scoliosis screening at school in seventh grade (she's in 10th now). She wore brace faithfully and with a smile, she's athletic, she's funny, she jams in school, she's a nice kid.
So here is my question. I asked about the hip and the asthma, and I heard "not related to the scoliosis". Really? Common sense says are you nutty? But the docs said those health problems really don't occur until curves are at 80 to 90 degrees. Really? So i listen hard...and you still think surgery is the way to go? Yes. Why? Well its not causing health issues but we recommend surgery when a kid gets to 50 degrees. After the explanations they really said it was for aesthetic reasons, but my girl really likes the way she looks. And she does look pretty good and fairly balanced, although one shoulder is a little higher.
But I really believe that the fact that one lung does not fully inflate does add to her difficulty breathing. She usually pushes between 200 and 300 on her flow meter, and 300 is rare. Shes on daily inhaled steroids and has an inhaler as well. And I think that the pelvic tilt in a competitive runner does make injury and hip pain more likely. This hip pain started when her curve worsened. They say no, but they are surgeons, not physical therapists. The physical therapists they work with on the sports kids all say, oh yes, this is a common result. Then the docs say stop saying that, so they do.
When I asked the docs if there was another reason to get the surgery besides aesthetic reasons, both were flustered and said this is a medical surgery, not an aesthetic one, so i asked again, why now and why not wait until the impact on her body is present. I made my recommendation said both because is she was my daughter this is what i would do. Okay. But I believe there is something missing from this conversation, some piece I don't get. it feels "muddy" to me.
I suspect they can't say its for medical reasons only, maybe for insurance reasons? But my insurance company is all for this, and ready to pay for extras as well. What is going on? My other thought is that they don't want to influence us too much so they leave it balanced as if it could go either way.
What is the magic number and why?
- Martha K
living by the Bay in No California
Here's my query based of our recommendations for surgery.
This April we went back to our scoliosis doc two months early because for five years in a row she has had pnuemonia and asthma which is worse over the last year, I noticed a larger list in her standing, and she damaged her left hip when running which I thought was because of her pelvic tilt.
Since then, we have had 2 appointments about my girl (T46, L31) at Stanford and Children's Hospital Oakland and both had recommendations for surgery. The docs there have excellent reps and their surgical records for the last few years are great. Our doc at Children's has the better record (very little wound infection is the significant difference) and he's super sweet, he's been treating her since she was diagnosed during a scoliosis screening at school in seventh grade (she's in 10th now). She wore brace faithfully and with a smile, she's athletic, she's funny, she jams in school, she's a nice kid.
So here is my question. I asked about the hip and the asthma, and I heard "not related to the scoliosis". Really? Common sense says are you nutty? But the docs said those health problems really don't occur until curves are at 80 to 90 degrees. Really? So i listen hard...and you still think surgery is the way to go? Yes. Why? Well its not causing health issues but we recommend surgery when a kid gets to 50 degrees. After the explanations they really said it was for aesthetic reasons, but my girl really likes the way she looks. And she does look pretty good and fairly balanced, although one shoulder is a little higher.
But I really believe that the fact that one lung does not fully inflate does add to her difficulty breathing. She usually pushes between 200 and 300 on her flow meter, and 300 is rare. Shes on daily inhaled steroids and has an inhaler as well. And I think that the pelvic tilt in a competitive runner does make injury and hip pain more likely. This hip pain started when her curve worsened. They say no, but they are surgeons, not physical therapists. The physical therapists they work with on the sports kids all say, oh yes, this is a common result. Then the docs say stop saying that, so they do.
When I asked the docs if there was another reason to get the surgery besides aesthetic reasons, both were flustered and said this is a medical surgery, not an aesthetic one, so i asked again, why now and why not wait until the impact on her body is present. I made my recommendation said both because is she was my daughter this is what i would do. Okay. But I believe there is something missing from this conversation, some piece I don't get. it feels "muddy" to me.
I suspect they can't say its for medical reasons only, maybe for insurance reasons? But my insurance company is all for this, and ready to pay for extras as well. What is going on? My other thought is that they don't want to influence us too much so they leave it balanced as if it could go either way.
What is the magic number and why?
- Martha K
living by the Bay in No California
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