By Maggie Victoria

I write this article today from my own perspective one that I hope will provide insight into the world of long term surgical complications and what motivates me, to look for a better non-surgical scoliosis treatment approach to treating Scoliosis.

Brief Overview of My Scoliosis Surgery experiences

I like most, was a young girl when I first underwent my first scoliosis fusion surgery. I was eager to have the surgery because I did not want to go through life twisted and deformed. I didn’t understand then, as a young girl the long term complications nor did anyone else for that matter .

I went through scoliosis surgery, had rods implanted, had my fusions done, in the late 80s, had a body cast, and a brace, and looked forward to getting the brace off so I could see my wonderful new and straight body. I still had the rib-hump, and the protruding scapula when I was fully recovered. I wanted this fixed more than anything but it just wasn’t possible. The surgery to us didn’t seem like such a big deal. The recovery was long and challenging but I got through it. I went on to have two more surgeries because of complications and pain. The last surgery, I ended up with a chest tube due to a collapsed lung.

Even with all that in my young years, I seemed to bounce back, and have a full and happy 20 years, post operatively. I wasn’t thrilled with the cosmetic outcomes but still it was after all much better than what I was.

All was good, I did have some lumbar and cervical discomfort but went on to marry, have two children and a pretty normal life. Scoliosis and surgery was the furthest thing from my mind as I focused on career and family. In fact, I had learned to dress the deformity and no one even knew I had scoliosis. It was never anything I ever discussed, because it really was a non-issue to me, and had very little impact on the quality of my life. I was happy successful with two beautiful children can it get much better than that?

The Degeneration and Decline Begin

About five years ago, I began to notice bouts of pain that would last only a short time in my lumbar spine. I of course conferred with my Physician who prescribed NSAIDs and after x-ray diagnosed me with a little bit of arthritis. Happily I went on my way with meds in hand and continued my demanding but happy life. The pain never seemed to go away, I tried exercise and physiotherapy and for a while it seemed to improve. Within a year, the chronic pain began to set in. To keep this article brief, I am now in severe chronic pain, my shoulder shifting forward, a kyphosis is evident and I have degeneration in the c-spine, t-spine, and the l-spine now. I won’t go into the medical terminology of the exact degeneration but I will state the degeneration is severe, and my spine stressed and unable to carry out my daily responsibilities. I am on my way to becoming permanently disabled as my I can no longer meet the needs the demands of my daily life. I greet this with regret as I have always worked and enjoyed a full and prosperous life.

My Perspective - Scoliosis Fusion Surgery

I over simplified the impact this surgery would have on my life as a young teen. Somehow at that age, being in your 30s is ancient, and something we at that age can never imagine being that old. I didn’t realize the complexity of these Scoliosis surgeries. Exactly what they do, and how bio-mechanically altering it is to the human body. I thought, as my parents, no big deal, a couple of rods, force straightened with bones taken from my hips. Fusion, we had no idea even what that was.

Since my rapid decline and my degeneration, I have since done research on the surgical procedure itself, and the methods by which the human spine is straightened and fused. You may be thinking yes, but that is the old surgical method, the new and improved methods will be better. I am a skeptic, and I say not so fast. The new surgical procedures provide for better correction but are far more invasive than my surgical approach. There are few studies on the long term outcomes for my generation that are in my opinion quantifiable and unbiased. The new procedures have much more metal, and are far more invasive. Will the complications be much higher when this generation begins to age and the wear and tear of life begins to take its toll on the spine? Right now, we won’t know that for another 20 years. Salvage surgery now is complex and even more invasive than the original surgeries. I can’t imagine what it will be like when the pedicle screws have to be removed on an aged body.

I don’t expect anyone to go through life crooked and deformed. Surgery must be considered a viable option for those who will suffer emotionally form the cosmetic deformity of scoliosis. We have no right to tell another person what is right for them. If you choose to have surgery understand that you may be trading some of your deformity for a life of chronic pain and you may end up as I fighting to hold on to any quality of life. Surgery does not have perfect outcomes.

The Better Way –– Early Stage Scoliosis Intervention

We must begin to understand just how complex these surgeries are. We must know too, that there are other options to surgery. There are now non-surgical treatments that have had success in stabilization of the scoliosis condition, and reversal. These treatments are fast becoming more and more recognized by parents of children with scoliosis. We didn’t know 20 years ago, the dangers and the downfalls of these surgeries, but we do now. Retrospectively for myself, I would have opted NOT to have surgery. I have now closed the door on any non-surgical treatment that I might have benefited by because I am fused. My only way out, is more surgery, and there are no guarantees of any improvements whatsoever.

We know better now, so we should endeavor to find a better way to treat. CLEAR Scoliosis Treatment Protocols, reversed my daughter kept her spine intact, preserved her emotional well-being and for that I am truly thankful. It is a new day, and we are turning the corner to treating this disease with an attack in early stage non-surgical scoliosis treatment. The choice is entirely yours, but for me, my experience was not one that I was willing to chance for my own daughter. It is better to try than to wait and do nothing. It can be a first class ticket to the Operating room.

If you opt. to have surgery understand that you are trading a mobile crooked spine for an inflexible fused spine that may give you long term complications. Who will have these complications, and why, is still unknown as there are not enough studies to quantify the outcomes.
The approach to me is to try everything before having scoliosis surgery. The risks to me are far too great.

I look at some of these kids that come out of the CLEAR Scoliosis Institute clinic while my daughter is being treated and I think, look at you, you are healthy, happy, and your spine, well, really, it isn’t that bad. I think to myself, that perhaps, they are better left maintaining their curves, than to end up like me. That is the treatment approach we have elected for our daughter and know what she looks absolutely fine. Surgery should be an absolute last resort and deformity must be severe enough to warrant such an invasive procedure. CLEAR treatment protocols have success and to me every success is one surgery less!