This week we helped Amy, a 19 yo who had kyphoscoliosis surgery done elsewhere complicated by proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK), and residual scoliosis and kyphosis deformity.  This week we revised her previous surgery, removing the old hardware including the sublaminar hooks, doing multiple osteotomies, and a special proximal fixation technique using innovative sublaminar fixation.  

In preop area, you can see her neck is forced forward, as Amy says, “Like a Turtle”, with hardware prominence also at top

Here is her upper thoracic spine on operating room table, still with severe deformity and hardware prominence.

Here I am contouring the cobalt chrome rods setting her new shape.  This is where some of the “art” and scoliosis “craftsmanship” comes in — metal sculpture to help restore shape and balance.

 Here I am contouring the rod some more, in my “moon suit” — very helpful for infection prevention.

 This shows multiple “pursuaders” being used to slowly and gradually mold her spine back to the correct shape, by very gently tightening each of the pursuaders a millimeter at a time.  Slowly Amy’s spine comes back into proper alignment.  

 Here is Amy’s intra-op and preop X-Rays up in OR Room 12, showing good correction of both her original kyphosis, proximal junctional kyphosis and scoliosis

 Here is Amy and I on her day of discharge, 2 days after her surgery standing up straight and tall, with normal posture and no more “turtle” neck.  She’s standing taller as well!

We’ve got some video that we can probably share on our YouTube HeyClinic channel sometime soon when I have a minute to finish editing.  

Get well soon Amy!!

Dr. Lloyd Hey

Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery

https://www.heyclinic.com