At the end of last week, I traveled to New Orleans for the North American Spine Society (NASS) meeting down in New Orleans, and then got a chance to have lunch with Benjamin’s parents in Baton Rouge, LA.  Benjamin is one of our adolescent scoliosis patients, who is now off to college in Texas doing very well.  It was so nice to see Mark and Rachel, and get a chance to visit their hometown for the first time.  Then, it was on my way back to RDU, Raleigh and Hey Clinic!  Thanks again Mark and Rachel for a lovely visit.

Sunset flying back from Baton Rouge, LA

We saw Amy and her mom back in clinic for her 6 week postop visit.  For those who have been following the blog, you will remember Amy as the 19 yo young lady who needed a revision kyphoscoliosis surgery performed for severe pain and residual spinal deformity.  We performed a thoracolumbar revision surgery for her, including using a special sublaminar fixation system at the top of her fusion which is less invasive.  She came into clinic with her mom Liz with a big smile, and a wonderful new posture.  I revised her old scar as well, so even the incision looks much better.

We saw a bunch of other postops as well, beyond the many adolescents and younger adults who were seen for conservative f/u for scoliosis evaluation and possible bracing.

Ann below is a nurse from Wilmington, NC.  She had “wicked bad” flat back syndrome as shown below, having had a previous lumbar fusion and severe disc collapse, and stenosis.  

We were able to get her straightened up nicely with an anterior L5S1 ALIF, followed by a posterior multilevel laminectomy and osteotomies and removal of the old hardware.  She came in for her 6 week postop visit yesterday with a big smile, and a nice straight posture, off all her pain medications.  She is getting back to work and back to life!

This gentleman had a revision thoracolumbar iliac wing instrumentation and fusion performed a year ago, and is doing very well.  He had a pseudarthrosis and spinal stenosis and has done very well postop.  As you can see, he is quite a big guy, making me look like his little brother!! 

I’ve got much more to share, but the hour is growing late, and I have a very large scoliosis surgery planned for tomorrow 7:15am on a lady who had a fracture dislocation as a young teenager, ejected from a car and unfortunately was paralyzed in the lower extremities.  She now has a progressive spinal deformity and severe pain and trouble sitting up in her wheelchair.  Although her motor system to the legs are out, she still has sensation, and has significant pain.